How many bands that have been around for over forty years can say that they are releasing their best material these days? The last three original ADX studio albums have been every bit as good as their classic material, and they somehow manage to maintain their classic heavy/speed metal sound without sounding the slightest bit outdated. ’13ème Choc’ is another winner, full of cool riffs and strong choruses. The album sounds ever so slightly more old school than its excellent predecessor ‘L’Empire du Crépuscule‘ in its riff work, but should appeal to a similar audience.

As a whole, ’13ème Choc’ is a bit less thrashy than its excellent singles ‘Les Neuf de Senlis’ and ‘Le Règne des Écorcheurs’ appeared to imply it would be. Don’t get me wrong: there are plenty of riffs on the album that are not too far removed from something one would hear on a post-reunion Exodus album, but there are more melodic guitar parts on ’13ème Choc’ than I was expecting. This is a pleasant surprise, however, as it helps the album find a near-perfect balance between classic heavy metal, modern power metal and the aggressive bite of thrash metal.

Having said that, my favorite songs on ’13ème Choc’ are the ones that lean into the more melodic side of ADX’s sound. ‘Eldorado, Terre de Sang’ was an immediate favorite due to its strong NWOBHM vibe. The pure eighties metal power of opening track ‘Nom de Code ADX’ has an almost power metal atmosphere due to the crispy, modern production job. The vocal delivery of Phil Grélaud gives the song its unique raw edge, though. The lengthy ‘La Peur Te Va Si Bien’ – great title, it translates to “fear suits you so well” – and the dramatic ‘Cardinal’ combine the melodic and the aggressive approaches very effectively.

Everyone involved with ’13ème Choc’ is absolutely on fire. Didier ‘Dog’ Bouchard plays with the ferocity of a drummer half his age, though his playing is deceptively dynamic, as he is often the one who pushes every section to whatever intensity necessary. The guitar work courtesy of Fred Allanic and Néo is all over the album, and it’s exactly what one would want an album of this style to sound like. As for Grélaud: he never had the most conventionally beautiful singing voice in the world, but I have always had a weak spot for him. His voice is characteristic, and his aggressive snarl makes you feel he really means what he sings.

The exact blend of metal styles ADX plays on ’13ème Choc’ isn’t anywhere near as common as it should be. If you like what Flotsam and Jetsam was doing on their recent albums, but wish it was just a little more aggressive – and the choruses were maybe a bit less repetitive – this album should be right up your alley. It is full of great riffs combined into awesome songs that are performed exceptionally well. There is a sense of eighties metal euphoria to the album, and yet it sounds contemporary. I genuinely wish more twenty-first-century metal sounded like this.

Recommended tracks: ‘Eldorado, Terre de Sang’, ‘Nom de Code ADX’, ‘La Peur Te Va Si Bien’