When one speaks about the French Black Metal School, one must have in mind that the genre had an underground-cult appeal in its roots, because LLN (Les Légions Noires, the Black Legions, a kind of answer to the Inner Circle on Norway) had many bands that became influential into the genre throughout the world. Names as MÜTIILATION, VLAD TEPES, TORGEIST, BELKETRE and others saw the seeds that many bands harvest today. One name that has a cult status into French Black Metal scene is AD HOMINEM, active since 1998, and here is back with a new release, “Totalitarian Black Metal”, that comes seven years after its past full-length, “Napalm for All”.

Besides the band makes live shows, it’s a one-man band centered on Kaiser Wodhanaz. Again - as usual for the past releases - the musical work shown is a classic form of Black Metal, aggressive, sharp and nasty, with clear influences from acts as BATHORY on its prime, but with that French DNA Black Metal presented on a clear form. The technical approach is simple, the songs are full of energy and personality, with care on the instrumental arrangements. It’s a very good release for those Black Metal fans that prefer classic musical expressions, but it’s able to catch many new fans as well.

When a Black Metal about sounds ‘honest’, it means that it respects the paradigms used for sonority, and in the case of “Totalitarian Black Metal”, such conception is kept: it sounds extreme and nasty with many ‘lo-fi’ aspects being clearly heard (the choice for the instrumental tunes depicts such thing), but in a way that can be understood by the fans, having the effect of a nuclear bomb into the ears of pure aggressiveness. Even the artwork of the cover expresses such honesty.

On “Totalitarian Black Metal”, one can find fast and furious songs full of extreme blast beats and double bass parts, but others not extremely fast songs as well, creating diversity for the fans (it’s hard to hear a ‘one-breath tempos’ album). And be prepared, because the assault imposed by “Snort the Ashes of God” (an instrumental intro), “Gas Mask Devastation”, “Totalitarian Black Metal”, “Choke the Woke”, “The Nuclear Solution”, “Black Stone Circle Pit”, “Dekontamination”, “Saturday Night Gulag” and “Stairway to Oven” is serious, and what the doctor recipes for Black Metal fans.

“Totalitarian Black Metal” comes to show that AD HOMINEM is still alive, spreading darkness and evil in the world.