There are few names as synonymous with the ascension of Black Metal music, from its nascent tape-trading days all the way to its paradigm-shifting, genre-bending present day, than Rotting Christ. The Greek band has been in existence since 1987, and on May 24, 2024, they release their 14th studio album into the universe. ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟU (Pro Xristou) comes to us via Season of Mist Records, once again seeing brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis pouring their hearts and souls into their longstanding vision. Where will this new record fall when measured against their extensive and experimental discography?
Ever the busy lads, Rotting Christ has never gone more than about three years between releases. If we discount 2020 and 2021, then this trend can be said to have continued, give or take a year. Pro Xristou continues the latter-day tradition of Rotting Christ by setting up the album with flourishes of the cinematic. There is a stately grace to opener “The Apostate,” with low grim spoken vocals juxtaposed with a rousing choral accompaniment. Intertwine these with splashes of melodic guitar leads of Sakis, producing an immediately melancholic overtone into the affair.
Extravagant baritone intonations bring life to “Like Father, Like Son” with the sort of staccato grace that could presage a feeling of unrest. The Goth Rock flavorings laden “The Sixth Day” with accessible and maudlin guitar leads. This is not to say Rotting Christ wants to abandon the fire of their black metal past. Sakis’ voice will always evoke that spirit, but songs like “Pix Lax Dax” with its ethereal female vocals backdropped against his more militant shout certainly creates a more dreamlike atmosphere.
One aspect of Rotting Christ’s songwriting over their past several releases is an epic pre-battle, staccato-style riffing; in the case of “Yggdrasil” we get a quite rousing chorus showing that somewhere in Sakis Tolis’ mind, a film soundtrack awaits creation. On the melancholic side, the confusingly titled “Pretty World, Pretty Dies” features a massive Metal guitar riff and silky leads overarching them. The composition breathes nicely, featuring a chorus of voices to make it even more epic.
The album closes with sounds of a battle in “Saoirse,” supporting the claim that Rotting Christ in 2024 is way more of an epic Pagan Metal band than a Black Metal one – and the veterans are following their muse and no other direction. The instrumental flourishes rampant within the song elevate it, smoothing out the edges of Sakis’ gruff/nearly clean vocals in the verses. The big classical influenced chorus once again permeates the song, as it does throughout the album.
Rotting Christ have proven that they are unafraid to deviate from any planned script, and though there is a common theme uniting their past several albums – the epic Battle Metal with bigger and bigger productions approach – they are breathing life into their storied career still. As long as Sakis and Themis Tolis can, they will move forward and offer their fans more and more cinematic glimpses of their musical vision. This will appeal to a wider audience, but at what point does the ever cleaner, ever more orchestral approach bump up against an audience so wide that it reaches those who will not be able to get past the band name? Time will tell. Until then, we have Pro Xristou. The quality and depth is omnipresent, and for that Cryptic Rock gives this album 3.5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment