Natives of Montpellier, Southern France, Doctor Livingstone know how to burst one’s eardrum keeping the avid listener coming back for more. A follow-up to Contemptus Saeculi (2014), a violent cocktail of extreme metal and hardcore was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Avoiding what many bands do by having a sixteen minute waiting period before that hidden track that goes for two minutes, which is usually of the band laughing by the campfire, either because they’re pissed on hard liquor or just laughing at our expense due to waiting around.
The opening track, being the title track Triumphus Haeretici, is like that hidden track of noise, combined with tribal drums and spaced out sounds but instead of waiting sixteen minutes for that two minute fuck you thanks for waiting we get thirteen solid tracks.
The build up to first track Lux Delenda Est hits with blunt force trauma like a lamb being brought to the slaughter. Blast beats rumble courtesy of SiX; who is a behemoth behind the kit, to the violent screams of PLCD, providing bone crushing guitar and bass riffs. Sharing the screams amongst all members including the keyboardist, aptly known as Reverend Prick who we will all bow down to.
Other standouts include the hardcore-infused Give them Tragedies and Opus Magnum, which has more changes than the weather forecast. You will find yourself banging your head one minute, then take a breath while checking the weather outside. After the spoken word of the ASMD interlude with your heavy hat back on the intense banging of that noggin’ will continue.
The cleverly titled, Fuck You with a View takes up the pace, before dropping it on its head turning into a slow burner with chugging riffs, tribal-like drumming, cleanish vocals, before going into a psychotic outburst of extremities. The Grand Finale (Fin de l’ordre) is black metal at its finest with an epic guitar lead at around the three-minute mark, providing that much-needed breath of fresh, yet bleak air to take in.
It ain’t over yet with some infectious grooves in the shape of eye-opening and ear-splitting riffs in the tongue-in-cheek track, I’ll Have Some More Apple Pie Please. The doctor has good fucking manners. The hardcore anthems continue with the stomping riffs of Messiahs and Pariahs. Brutal vocals make for a pleasant listening experience with the nifty drum work of SiX and pummeling bass of PLCD.
A Little Something for You seems like an invitation for the listener to pull out the air-guitar and go crazy with kitchenware as it’s one track that involves one ballbuster of a jam sesh. Ending the way it started with tribal drums all good things must come to an end.
A heavy dosage of Triumphus Haeretici has been prescribed by Doctor Livingstone, who stresses that the record must be listened to in its entirety to take full effect.
