Out of the first generation of French heavy metal bands, ADX is the only one that releases music that matches the quality of their eighties heyday, in my opinion. Even with that in mind, however, ‘L’Empire du Crépuscule’ is a pleasant surprise. Its predecessors ‘Bestial’ (2020) and ‘Non Serviam’ (2016) were already evidence of an energetic band perfectly capable of finding a middle ground between classic heavy metal and a modern bite that occasionally made them fairly thrashy, but ‘L’Empire du Crépuscule’ combines that with more consistent songwriting, resulting in arguably their best album since their 1985 debut ‘Exécution’.

Ever since reuniting roughly two decades ago, ADX has managed to find a style that simultaneously pleases their old fans and makes them feel like a band with a right to exist in the twenty-first century. While ADX is still a traditional heavy metal band at heart, the beefy, modern production style and occasional nods to thrash riffing makes them feel like a blend of Grave Digger’s best work and the more melodic corners of thrash metal occupied by the contemporary works of Flotsam and Jetsam or Helstar. Phil Grélaud has a rough-edged, yet occasionally melodic snarl that sits nicely between those styles as well.

What makes ADX better than most bands attempting a similar mix of styles is the fact that they know that writing a good metal song is more than just coming up with a bunch of riffs. To be fair, the overall riff quality on ‘L’Empire du Crépuscule’ is better than on their other post-reunion albums, but it is clear that ADX has given a lot of attention to transitions and building up tension. A song like ‘Montfaucon’ could easily have turned into a dull stomper in the hands of a lesser band, but ADX makes a dynamic song with a nice, unpredictable middle section out of it.

As much as I like the thrash riffs, my favorite song on ‘L’Empire du Crépuscule’ is easily the most traditional heavy metal track. ‘Paradis Royal’ sounds like it came straight from the eighties with its incredible guitar harmonies and its surprisingly melodic chorus. Another masterpiece is the crushing instrumental ‘Paris un 13’ that closes the album. Its main riff is so catchy that it pops up in my head more often than any chorus on the album, and the track just paints an awesomely dark atmosphere. Other highlights include the thrashy speed monster ‘Hors Contrôle’, the extremely dynamic ‘Tout en Puissance’, and the rocking ‘Le Malgre Nous’.

‘L’Empire du Crépuscule’ took me by surprise. While I was aware that ADX has been consistently releasing great material in the last couple of years, this is their first album in a long time that doesn’t have any weak moments at all. ‘Les Charognards’ took me a while to get into, but after a while, I realized it’s exactly the kick-in-the-face type of opener the album needs. Even the lyrics, which explore violence and rebellion in France in the distant and not-so-distant past, show more skill and effort than many of ADX’s peers do. A must-hear if you like thrashy, yet melodic heavy metal.

Recommended tracks: ‘Paradis Royal’, ‘Paris un 13’, ‘Tout en Puissance’