It’s been a busy couple of years since Italian death metal act ADE released their widely acclaimed second effort, Spartacus on Canada’s Blast Head Records in 2013. The band has switched to a label a little closer to home with Xtreem Music and undergone a significant line up change, with only two members from Spartacus remaining. But still the Roman military machine as it did in the Punic Wars, marches on and here we are with, Carthago Delenda Est (“Carthage Must be Destroyed”), and ADE have not lost a beat.

Detailing the second Punic war between Rome and Carthage, including Hannibal’s ill fated march across the alps and loss at the Battle of Zama at the hands of General Scipio, Carthago Delenda Est delivers the same epic, war mongering, Hellenic and ethnic driven take on death metal. With the help of Stormlord’s Riccardo Struder, who produced the album and arranged the bombastic Romanic orchestration and choirs which are as rousing as the clarion of battle, and the death metal itself is equally competent, and might even be a little more beefy than Spartacus.

As with the last effort, to say ADE is a Roman version of Nile mixed with Rotting Christ would be a little bit of simplification, but also a little bit accurate, especially if you throw in a  touch of Fleshgod Apocalypse (listen to start of closer “Sowing Salt”). But it’s hard not to listen to the likes of the opening title track , “Across the Wolf’s Blood”, ” Zama: Where Tusks are Buried” or “Excidium”, and not get a vibe of a more controlled Nile. But there are worst vibes you could have. Each of the album’s ten tracks, all falling in the perfect 4-5 minute range, are damn solid, with a good mix of flat out blasts (“Dark Days of Rome”) and militant rumbles (“Mare Nostrum”), all littered with the Roman/folk elements and choirs/instrumentation that give it that much more depth and austere pomp. That said, I had a hard time picking out a standout or favorite track that makes me want to oil up, throw on a loincloth and enter  the Gladiatorial arena, like say “Mars’ Unpredictable Favor” from Spartacus,  though “Scipio Indomitus Victor” and the aforementioned “Sowing Salt” (from the ancient act of spreading salt over a conquered foe’s land) come close.

New drummer Commvudus does an admirable job of replacing George Kollias, and new vocalist Nero has a much more commanding bellow than former singer Flavio (and I’d just like to mention that in my review of Spartacus I did state the album’s only downfall was that it needed more authoritative vocals……just sayin’), resulting in a awesome album, that’s as good as Spartacus, and again bound to be one of the year’s better death metal albums.

“Fortes fortuna adiuvat”

[Visit the band's website]

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