I. Carthago Delenda Est
II. Across the Wolf's Blood
III. Annibalem
IV. With Tooth and Nail
V. Dark Days of Rome
VI. Scipio Indomitus Victor
VII. Mare Nostrum
VIII. Zama: Where Tusks are Buried
IX. Excidium
X. Sowing Salt
Comment:
Astonishing 3rd album from by this italian band of brutal and technical Death Metal with an ethnic edge inspired on the old Roman empire and influences in the vein of bands NILE, HOUR OF PENANCE, BEHEMOTH, KRONOS...
De Romeinen van Ade imponeerden in 2013 met Spartacus, een plaat met een stevige Nile-vibe, maar dan wel met het oude Rome als inspiratie. Het album werd dankzij de steun van George Kollias (Nile), die één van de nummers inspeelde, terecht een grote hit. 15.000 Facebookfans, een bescheiden Europese tournee en drie jaar later, is er nu eindelijk Carthago Delenda Est, de in mijn ogen langverwachte opvolger.
Ade brengt op Carthago Delenda Est opnieuw een brute pot snelle en behoorlijk technische death metal. Hier en daar voegt de band een scheut extra epiek aan de nummers toe door gas terug te nemen en kenmerkende synths toe te voegen. Waar Ade op Spartacus nog gebruik maakte van authentieke Romeinse instrumenten, lijkt het op deze nieuwe plaat helaas vooral om synths naar het voorbeeld van Fleshgod Apocalypse te gaan.
Het is niet de enige keer dat Ade me aan die bombastische landgenoten doen denken. De productie van Carthago Delenda Est klinkt helaas bijzonder artificieel en laat weinig ruimte voor enige muzikale nuance. De gitaren en drums verpletteren letterlijk alles, waardoor het album heel vermoeiend wordt om naar te luisteren. Dat is zonde, want Ade heeft bakken potentieel, zowel muzikaal als op het vlak van thematiek. De Romeinse geschiedenis is een onuitputtelijke bron van inspiratie (en blijkbaar ook van spuuglelijk artwork) en Ade klinkt nog steeds veel authentieker dan bijvoorbeeld Ex Deo.
Carthago Delenda Est is een onderhoudende plaat geworden, die er echter niet in slaagt om het niveau van Spartacus te halen. Ade zal nog even moeten nadenken over hoe de productie iets te verfijnen valt en hoe de authentieke Romeinse toets opnieuw volwaardig kan worden geïntegreerd. Het potentieel is nog steeds duidelijk aanwezig, dus ik blijf deze Romeinen op de voet volgen.
In 146 B.C., after the Punic Wars, the city of Carthage (located at the North of Africa) was utterly destroyed by the Roman Empire, due the conflict of economic and territorial interests in the Mediterranean Sea and on its shores. All the territories from the Carthaginian Empire were annexed to the Roman Empire. But there was Cato the Elder, who spoke in some moments in his political life: "Ceterum censeo Carthaginem delendam esse" or "Ceterum autem censeo Carthaginem delendam esse" (that means "Furthermore, I consider that Carthage must be destroyed"), and was shortened to "Carthago Delenda Est", what means "Carthage Must Be Destroyed". Bearing all the historical and cultural load of the past, Italian quintet ADE faced a great trial and released one of the finest albums of the year, called "Carthago Delenda Est".
What is ADE is about, musically speaking? Well, they are a band that uses a mix between Blackened Death Metal and Technical Death Metal elements, but with a whole epic atmosphere in their musical work. It's complex in some moments due the technical skill level of the band's musicians, but it's brutal, epic, atmospheric and oppressive as well. Their work has a strong identity, and you'll find it when hearing their songs. Carthage must be destroyed, and you must be conquered, dear nephews and nieces! No concessions are left! Riccardo Studer worked on the recordings, made the mixing and the mastering for "Carthago Delenda Est.". He kept a brutal and bitter sound, aggressive as Hell and with very low tuning from bass guitars and guitars. However, the sound quality is clear for you to understand what they are playing and what the band's musical/lyrical identity is. The artwork is a fine piece, showing a perfect synchrony between it and the band's lyrical approach. It's a battle between the Roman centurions against the elephants used by the Carthaginian armies. It transports our minds back in time, maybe to witness the conflict between heroes from both sides, as Scipio and Hannibal. Their musical work is permeated by epic/ethnic moments created by orchestrations and keyboards parts played by Riccardo. So their music became even more grandiose, and the more you hear "Carthago Delenda Est," the more details you'll find, the riches they offer to your ears, and with a work like this, they become one of the strongest names into extreme Metal scene…and I'm not kidding with you. Be prepared to be taken by assault!
Their finest moments: "Carthago Delenda Est" is filled with epic orchestrations, excellent rhythmic changes (a fine work from Commodvs on drums) and great vocals by Traianvs (with some parts singed on Latin), but beware, because the technical level is high here; "Annibalem" is full of great orchestrations as well, played with a faster and straight insight, but in slower moments, you can hear the good technical work from Caligvla on bass guitar; the brutal and beautiful grasp shown on "With Tooth and Nail", where the guitars of Fabio and Nero rule supreme; the perfect equilibrium between instrumental technique and speed, filled with excellent musical arrangements shown in "Dark Days of Rome"; "Scipio Indomitus Victor" with its ruling epic atmosphere, with a brutal and technical approach (a particular feature from ADE); the grasping orchestrations and brutal vocals on "Zama: Where Tusks are Buried" (full of broken tempos and technical arrangements), and the aggressive insight use on "Sowing Salt" (an old practice, to prevent anything to grow on the salted land again).
May we consider "Carthago Delenda Est" as a new extreme Metal classic? Big Daddy can't say so, because only when time passes could we consider an album as a classic from its style. But ADE's talent is clear, and they can be great, so listen to "Carthago Delenda Est" and see what they have. This is another one of the greatest albums of the year.
Italy’s Ade releases their third album. In a nutshell you could sum Ade up by saying they are a more palatable version of Nile (George Kollias drumming on their previous album doesn’t hurt either) but swapping the Egyptian theme for Ancient Rome. This however isn’t to write the band off because "Carthago Delenda Est" is a strong album that holds its own.
Interloping epic cinematic soundscapes with technical death metal played with a precision of a laser. 'Annibalem' ties everything going on with the album up nicely the riffs the big scope of song arrangements and the melodies tying everything together. 'With Tooth And Nail' opens with an awesome groove and is the band at their most catchy.
If Nile, Septicflesh Decapitated and Demigod era Behemoth are your thing then be sure to check this band out. Ade are one of metal’s rising stars and this is 50 minutes full of entertaining, fun, well rounded, forward thinking death metal with crossover appeal.
The third album from Italian techno death metal band ADE “Carthago Delenda Est” should be a definite opening for many. Epic techno death metal in the spirit of EX DEO, NILE and SEPTICFLESH should please fans of heavy and unorthodox music.
ADE was formed in 2007 in Rome, Italy. From the very beginning the band planned to play music, a concept associated with the history of Ancient Rome. Powerful heavy riffs, a known technicality, growling and epic inserts, including female vocals and a variety of traditional instruments. Debut album of ADE "Prooemivm Sangvine" out on Casket Records and the second album "Spartacus" on Blast Head Records. Overlooked album was the debut of the group for the Spanish label Xtreem, which until recently, this music was not typical, because Xtreem is a former Repulse, the label of AVULSED's vocalist Dave Rotten.
But times change and AVULSED and Xtreem changes with them. Music of ADE though very heavy, brutal record but the riffs and female vocals clearly carry the band in a different division of death metal. Leaving this topic, note that the album is done at the highest professional level. Magnificent realization, curves, but do not insult the hearing of harmony and a pleasant variety associated with different lyrical refrains in the spirit of Roman marches or minor Asian melodies. Something like we heard on the first album of the project of the vocalist of KATAKLYSM, EX DEO. The other association is the NILE, which are much harder than ADE, and late SEPTICFLESH, which are much more melodic.
Unconditional recommendation to all fans of death metal with the invention. The theme of Ancient Rome, though it has been used in heavy music a lot of times, is still very attractive to the ear, and death metal submitted by ADE a very high quality and heavy. The only flaw is some uniformity of the material as a whole. It seemed with available instruments of self-expression Italians could have done just a great album. But it turned out only very well.
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