Year : 2013
Style : Black Metal (early), Gothic Metal (mid), Extreme Metal (later)
Country : Greece
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 115 mb
Bio:
Rotting Christ is a Greek extreme metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene.They are also responsible for creating the signature Greek black metal sound prevalent in the early 1990s.The permanent line-up consists of brothers Sakis Tolis (vocals and guitar) and Themis Tolis (drums). Andreas Lagios was the bassist since 1997, taking the stead of Jim Patsouris until the end of 2011. Nightfall's Giorgos Bokos joined as a guitarist in 2005, replacing Costas Vasilakopoulos. In February 2012, Bokos announced his departure from the band for personal reasons.In December 2012, the new members of the band were announced: guitarist George Emmanuel and bassist Vaggelis Karzis.Three keyboardists had previously been a part of the band; George Tolias, George Zaharopoulos and a session known only as Panayiotis (on A Dead Poem).The band members from the beginning, up to Triarchy of the Lost Lovers album, were using the pseudonyms Necromayhem for Sakis,Necrosauron for Themis and Mutilator for Jim (Dimitris).During their rehearsal era in the late 1980s, the band began as grindcore and released various demos and splits with other bands from the Athens area. The group would later alter their sound with influence from proto-black metal bands like Celtic Frost and Venom, and in the process became one of the genre's instigators. Their 5-song demo, Satanas Tedeum, would show a grindcore/black metal crossover, followed by their career-breaking EP, Passage to Arcturo, in 1991.One of band's first major appearances was on the 1993 "Fuck Christ Tour" consisting of Immortal and Blasphemy. During this concert, some audience members had engaged in cutting and self-mutilation that resulted in hospitalization. Before signing to Unisound, Mayhem's Øystein Aarseth had expressed interest in distributing the band through his Deathlike Silence Productions label,but due to Aarseth's murder the same year, nothing materialized. The band would sign to Century Media in 1996 and remain on their roster for 10 years before joining Season of Mist.Rotting Christ has played in many countries outside their native Greece, including both Americas, Greater Europe, Russia, the United Kingdom, Malta and the Middle East. Several heavy metal festivals around the world have hosted the band, including the 2003 Wacken Open Air in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Past tourmates have included My Dying Bride, Tristania, Tiamat, Vintersorg, Finntroll, Agathodaimon, Old Man's Child, Malevolent Creation, Anorexia Nervosa, Vader, Krisiun, Deicide, Behemoth, Melechesh and Nile, among many others.Rotting Christ was one of the initial bands to be announced to perform the Barge to Hell festival, which is a metal-themed cruise organized by Ultimate Metal Cruises and take place aboard Royal Caribbean's Majesty of the Seas. Barge to Hell set sail from Port of Miami on December 3, 2012.As of 2012, Rotting Christ has been around 25 years and is one of the longest running bands within the black metal genre. In celebration of the band's longevity, the 2-DVD + 2-CD compilation Non Serviam: A 20 Year Apocryphal Story, shot in Athens on December 8, 2007, was released worldwide February 23, 2009.Aealo, the band's tenth studio album, was released on February 15, 2010, for Europe and February 23, 2010, for the USA.Their eleventh album, Kata ton Daimona Eaytoy, was released in March 2013.They are to make their first appearance in south Asia on September 13, 2014 in India (Bangalore Open Air 2014 Edition) and September 14, 2014 in Sri Lanka.Rotting Christ is currently recording a new album, which is due for release in early 2016.Rotting Christ is also scheduled to tour with Mayhem and Watain in the US in November, 2015 as part of the "Black Metal Warfare Part II" tour.
Album:
Rotting Christ have always been a relatively consistent band, despite their sound undergoing natural evolution over their 30+ year career. While some albums are certainly better than others, they've yet to release a record that in genuinely 'bad' or even 'mediocre', as their entire discography stands strong enough for each album to offer the listener something a bit different. Their 'modern' era arguably began with 2007's Theogonia, which established the dynamic structures and introduced traditional instruments and vocals to their signature Greek black metal sound that have become staples of their music ever since.2013's Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού very much continues in this vein, but whereas Theogonia and 2010 follow-up Aello focused on traditional Greek elements (particularly in the latter, which many apparently found to be a bit 'too Greek'), this particular outing takes the listener on a trip around the civilisations of the world, from the Americas to Europe to the Middle East.But while the more diverse collection of source material strengthens this collection of tracks, it would still fall short without good songwriting to back it up. Frontman and main songwriter Sakis Tolis (vocals, guitars, bass and keyboards) is on fine form here, and right from the excellent opener 'In Yumen - Xibalba', it is clear that he and brother Themis (drums) were very much enjoying themselves on this particular outing. The opening track sets a melodic black metal precedent that recurs regularly throughout the album in songs such as 'Gilgamesh', 'Rusalka' and the title track, which are well interspersed among more anthemic rockers 'Grandis Spiritus Diavolos' and 'Iwa Voodoo', and ritualistic-styled numbers 'P-unchaw kachun - Tuta Kachun', 'Ahura Mazdā-Aŋra Mainiuu', and epic closer 'Χ ξ ς'.While Rotting Christ have faced some criticism for becoming a bit formulaic and recycling certain guitar riffs, the tracklist here shows more than enough diversity for naysayers to back off, at least when it comes to this particular album. Take the rendition of the traditional Romanian tune 'Cine iubeşte şi lasă' as a good example; featuring guest female vocals and, in the first half, a grand piano, it offers something quite different to what Rotting Christ are known for, but does not feel out of place.Credit must go to sound quality of the final product, too. Sakis is clearly a very good musician, with some face-melting guitar solos ('Iwa Voodoo', 'Rusalka') and killer riffs accompanying his signature vocal delivery, and Themis is more than competent behind the drum kit. Sakis' production work on the album, along with Jens' Bogren's mixing, helps elevate the big, dark and atmospheric sound; polished but not overly so, so that it still features more than enough raw edge for it to feel natural.Overall, there's a hell of a lot to like about Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού. It's well-written, well-balanced and doesn't really feature any weak tracks (only 'Ahura Mazdā-Aŋra Mainiuu' could be considered a touch forgettable). Most importantly, it succeeds in delivering a top-quality modern-era Rotting Christ experience.Recommended tracks - 'In Yumen - Xibalba', 'Grandis Spiritus Diavolos', 'Gilgamesh'.
Line-Up:
Sakis Tolis - Guitars, Vocals (1987-present) - See also: Thou Art Lord, ex-Nergal, ex-Desolation, ex-Black Church
Themis Tolis - Drums (1987-present) - See also: ex-Varathron, ex-Zemial (live), ex-Black Church
Tracklist:
01. In Yumen - Xibalba 06:24
02. P'unchaw kachun - Tuta kachun 04:44
03. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos 05:52
04. Κατά τον δαίμονα του εαυτού 04:52
05. Cine iubeşte şi lasă 05:58
06. Iwa Voodoo 04:36
07. Gilgameš 04:02
08. Русалка 04:33
09. Ahura Mazdā-Aŋra Mainiuu 04:44
10. Χ ξ ς' 05:46
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