French Metal Friday: ADX

ADX are one of those French bands that has managed to carve out a nice career for themselves in their homeland, where they are a highly respected group, and yet they are hardly known by the heavy metal community at large. Outside of their native country ADX are at best thought of as the French's answer to Agent Steel. And while that description is fair, the band's debut album, "Exécution", being one of the best speed metal albums of all time, they do have more to offer fans. This Paris act was formed in 1982 and, as was the case with most bands of that time period, they sang in an unapologetic manor entirely in French. After two demos, both of which were released in 1984, the band's top-notch sound could no longer be ignored and they were signed to Devil Records. In 1985 the group released the cult album "Exécution" with "La Terreur" released the following year. The band would remain an active part of the French metal scene, releasing studio albums and proving to be a popular live act, until sometime in 1992 when they decided to take a break. After six years away from the scene the 1998 best of/compilation album "In Memorium" was released. Also in 1998, with public interest peaked again, ADX would do a short reunion. That same year saw the release of ADX's comeback album, "Résurrectionin". With the French public yet again worked up in a frenzy by their homegrown heroes a live album was released in 2001 ( "VIII Sentence"). For whatever reason though after the live album's release ADX went on yet another hiatus. They would however reform again in 2006 before releasing a new album, "Division Blindée", in 2008. Since then the band has been going steady. Their latest album, "Immortel", was released in 2011 and, while I have not heard it personally, from all accounts it finds the band in top-from. ADX were one of those bands who never felt the need to conform to others expectations. The band continue to sing in their native tongue and, while that no doubt limits their appeal to English-speaking fans, play their own potent brand of French steel. If you are not familiar with their music I would probably suggest you start with the band's debut album and work your way up. The two albums that follow, “La Terreur“ and “Suprematie” are also killer, but their debut album, “Execution”, has become a real cult classic because of it's mixture of speed metal and power metal. One of these days I hope to fill in the holes in my ADX collection, but as a single father I often times find other priorities come first. In the meantime I can't help but wish that more people would become familiar with this cult French metal act.