Quebec, Canada based Black Metal foursome, ORDOXE, have released their newest full-length album, called "May Death Be My Shepherd". It's their fifth already, which is not bad at all for a band that only has existed since 2007. And Black Metal it is, that is something that's very clear from the beginning, from the first notes of opening track "God Doesn't Care" on.

"Every Man For Himself" is the follow up song, and it's not a bit quieter, slower or easier than the opener. Singer Steve De Cotret really doesn't strain himself, but he sure strains his voice until its limits. The same goes for the drummer's arms, which strangely isn't listed with the other band members. It doesn't sound like a drum computer at all, though.

In "Shards of Glass", Steve De Cotret suddenly uses his voice a little differently. It's still a scream but it sounds much heavier and more powerful. It's cool to know he's capable of doing this. A lot of Black Metal bands and singers don't differ in that way, regrettably. "These Broken Wings" starts off with a hellish scream from the singer, and with furious guitars, that for once, overpowers the drums. No change of pace is noticeable whatsoever; it's all power and untamable fury. Finally there's also a guitar solo spicing things up a bit, which was welcome.

"Death Is My Shepherd" and "A Light So Dark" keep you in the grip that ORDOXE, by this time, has you in. I'm missing the guitar solo's though; once I had a taste of them a couple of songs back, but "Le Temps Nous Gette" makes up for that a little bit. Regrettably, the band uses rainstorm and thunder sounds for the beginning of "Since The Dawn of Time". Like I'd never heard that before on a Metal album. Come on, guys, you're better than that.

No further complaints though. "Into Deadly Fog" and "Tie It Around My Neck" make for some good and tight final songs, with some nice, especially playing in the former and a lot of energy in the latter. A solid Black Metal album.<