‘Face aux épreuves, nous serons, toujours la, Mains dans la main, jusqu’au judgement dernier, Nous resterons fideles a nos valeurs, meme dans la douleur et pour l’eternite’ (Et Jusqu’à La Mort) / ‘In the face of adversity, we will always be there, hand in hand, until the final judgment. We will remain faithful to our values, even in pain and for eternity’ (And Until Death)

Prisonnier Du Temps (Prisoner Of Time) is the one-person project of Lionel Cadiou, who also plays in Syndrome 81, Grisaille, and Fine Équipe among others.  This is PDT’s second solo album and whereas his 2022 debut, Comme Un Lion En Cage (Like A Caged Lion), was situated very firmly in the traditions of French Oi, Prendre Le Pouvoir Par La Force (Take Power By Force) is notably more expansive in its framing.

While emerging sonically quite distinctively, PDT closely mirrors Home Front’s ability to deftly meld the raucous melodicism of Oi with a burly hardcore energy and a rich lacing of post-punk melancholy.  And that is not to ignore a certain pop leaning élan and a plentiful braiding of fine SoCal inspired ‘woahing’.  Think, perhaps, of the anthemic fervour of Enemic Interior and Enyor in partnership with the barrelling velocity of Criminal Damage and you’ll be heading in the right direction.

The boisterous exuberance of La Liberté S’Obtient Par Le Sang (Freedom is Obtained Through Blood) and Et Jusqu’à La Mort joust with the brooding regret of L’Armée Des Ombres (The Army Of Shadows) and Dans La Douleur Et Les Larmes (In Pain And Tears).  Meanwhile, the gruffly impassioned vocals explore the importance of community and collective resolve amid the toxic fallout of our rigged economic system and self-serving political institutions.  What emerges is an album that seethes with the raw instinctual energy of its influences, yet harnesses them with a refreshingly thoughtful nuance.