Rotting Christ has existed 30 years and they’re still rocking just as much as they did in the beginning. The band shows that they’re not just fuelled by nostalgia, as they’ve evolved and stayed relevant over the years. They have 12 full-lengths, some EP’s, demo’s and live CD’s and have played more than 1.250 shows around the world. Today I’ll be talking about the new addition to that list: Their Greatest Spells. The songs you can expect on this album are key tracks that represent different facets of Rotting Christ’s career throughout the years. Frontman Sakis Tolis was closely involved in choosing the tracks, so that made the extremely difficult task a little easier.
Rotting Christ was founded by Sakis Tolis and his brother Themis in the year 1987. Starting out on a basis of death and grind, the Greeks had already embarked on a darker musical journey by the time their debut full-length Thy Mighty Contract was revealed. On the following seven albums covering a ten-year period from Non Serviam to Sanctus Diavolos, Rotting Christ steadily defined their own distinct style by experimenting with elements from death, heavy, and gothic metal without betraying their black roots. At the same time, the band went from underground heroes to headliner status. With the highly acclaimed ninth album, Theogonia, the Greek stalwarts added an unmistakable native element to their sound, which has remained with them as a signature trademark ever since.
Their Greatest Spells contains most classics you’d expect from Rotting Christ. They’ve chosen songs from most eras into a compilation that to them, represents their career best up until now. They even put a new unreleased song from their archives in here, titled I will Not Serve to connect the past to the present.
To me, this album is the perfect mix of Rotting Christ songs as it represents the darkness they have in their songs, but shows the connection to their Greek roots very well. There is a good mix between older and new materials and the songs truly are their greatest spells. However to me the one song missing is Les Litanies de Satan (Les Fleurs du Mal), to me it’s an unmissable classic and I do think it would’ve fit in the list perfectly. The artwork seems to be inspired on the Indian god Vishnu but with a skull mask or a skull face, however I find it a pretty odd choice in god, considering their Greek heritage.
Their Greatest Spells is a great collection of songs spanning the band’s 30 years of existence. This is the perfect release for the Rotting Christ fan who wants the “classics” on one release or for those who barely know the band and would like to get to know them better!
Release Date: March 23rd, 2018
Label: Season Of Mist
Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. The Sign of Prime Creation
2. Athanati Este
3. Non Serviam
4. King of a Stellar War
5. Nemecic
6. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos
7. Art of Sin
8. Dying
9. Archon
10. Serve In Heaven
11. Astral Embodiment
12. After Dark I Feel
13. Sorrowfull Farewell
14. In Yumen-Xibalba
15. Elthe Kyrie
16. Cold Colours
CD 2:
1. The Sign of Evil Existence
2. Fgmenth Thy Gift
3. Ze Nigmar
4. Phobo’s Synagogue
5. Demonon Vrosis
6. …Pir Threontai
7. Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
8. Among Two Storms
9. Semigod
10. Welcome to Hel
11. A Dynasty from the Ice
12. Shadows Follow
13. Forest of N’gai
14. Feast of the Grand Whore
15. Exiled Archangels
16. Saturn Unlock Avey’s Son
17. I Will Not Serve
