Rotting Christ - Genesis
Century Media 2002
Rotting Christ needs no introduction. After two years this very well known Greek band is back with a new album. With a name like Rotting Christ, what could be a more appropriate title than the name of the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis. Rotting Christ has been continually changing since the beginning of their career as a band, but one thing is certain - they've managed to make unique black metal following their insticts and their own conceptions. What makes them unique? The answer is easy: in their music they combined dark black metal with melodies without becoming predictable or boring.
This time they've made a varied and technical album, every song surpassing our expectations. The album title Genesis, which also means 'origin' and 'source', shows that this time they returned a bit back to their roots. On this album you can feel the result of all the musical experience they've gathered over the years. You can find heavy, aggressive black metal pieces as 'In Domine Sathana', 'Lex Talionis' or 'The Call Of The Aethyrs', but also songs with some gothic sounds that are easier to call simple melodic black metal like 'Nightmare' or the mixture of all the afore-mentioned, for example 'Ad Noctis' and 'Release Me'. There are songs that you simply don't want to put into any category. Just let their music overwhelm you, to reach every bit of you, to make you headbang or just float on the wings of their music; songs like 'Daemons', 'Quintessence', 'Dying' and 'Under The Name of Legion'.
The most important elements of their music are the melodies and the guitar passages supporting and laying emphasis on them. Kostas is a great guitarist, he can play catchy melodies with skill just as great as in the faster, aggressive riffs. Actually, their music is built around these melodies. Sometimes they are really heavy, wall-trembling ones and sometimes they are soft and atmospheric. In the intro of one of the songs we can hear a little Greek folk melody, but just for a few seconds. Before you could really recognize it, it is over and you are not sure if you really heard something or not, but you will meet this tune again later in the album. I haven't heard Greek melodies in metal before, so it's refreshing and really original for me. They've once again found the perfect way to balance between aggression and melodies.
The songs are well written and arranged, they've used more keyboards and samples than ever but still focus on the guitar sound. All these elements together make the music well built without pushing any instrument forward, none of them has been overdosed. There is a little touch of industrial too but only in hints and it has been proved once again that Sakis is the best vocalist they could have. He is screaming, growling, whispering or singing using his clear, dark voice. His vocals add much to the music. Without him Rotting Christ wouldn`t be the same.
I can't pick out one or two stand-out tracks because I love them all and I could only choose colossal ones, like 'Lex Talionis', 'Quintessence', 'Nightmare' and 'Dying', which caught me with not just their music but with their lyrics too. I can tell you they deal with different, interesting topics and sometimes they even use the Latin and Greek languages in some sentences that give a more mystical mood around the album.
Dynamic rythms and atmospherical moods are the characteristic of this album, without losing the dark and evil side they've managed to create since their beginning. You can feel Genesis pulsating, it's alive!
Genesis is one of their best albums if not the best. I just can't take it out of my cd player. Genesis already has a place in my list of the 'Top 10 albums of 2002'.
"Broken dreams that fades away
Like muddy footsteps in the rain
Dusty hopes frozen lies
Reveal the end so lost behind"
Tracklist:
1. Deamons
2. Lex Talionis
3. Quintessence
4. Nightmare
5. In Domine Sathana
6. Release Me
7. The Call Of The Aethyrs
8. Dying
9. Ad Noctis
10. Under The Name Of Legion
Total playing time: 51:28
Rotting Christ Official Homepage
Century Media Records
Buy Rotting Christ - Genesis (Limited) IMPORT from Amazon.com
Century Media 2002
Rotting Christ needs no introduction. After two years this very well known Greek band is back with a new album. With a name like Rotting Christ, what could be a more appropriate title than the name of the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis. Rotting Christ has been continually changing since the beginning of their career as a band, but one thing is certain - they've managed to make unique black metal following their insticts and their own conceptions. What makes them unique? The answer is easy: in their music they combined dark black metal with melodies without becoming predictable or boring.
This time they've made a varied and technical album, every song surpassing our expectations. The album title Genesis, which also means 'origin' and 'source', shows that this time they returned a bit back to their roots. On this album you can feel the result of all the musical experience they've gathered over the years. You can find heavy, aggressive black metal pieces as 'In Domine Sathana', 'Lex Talionis' or 'The Call Of The Aethyrs', but also songs with some gothic sounds that are easier to call simple melodic black metal like 'Nightmare' or the mixture of all the afore-mentioned, for example 'Ad Noctis' and 'Release Me'. There are songs that you simply don't want to put into any category. Just let their music overwhelm you, to reach every bit of you, to make you headbang or just float on the wings of their music; songs like 'Daemons', 'Quintessence', 'Dying' and 'Under The Name of Legion'.
The most important elements of their music are the melodies and the guitar passages supporting and laying emphasis on them. Kostas is a great guitarist, he can play catchy melodies with skill just as great as in the faster, aggressive riffs. Actually, their music is built around these melodies. Sometimes they are really heavy, wall-trembling ones and sometimes they are soft and atmospheric. In the intro of one of the songs we can hear a little Greek folk melody, but just for a few seconds. Before you could really recognize it, it is over and you are not sure if you really heard something or not, but you will meet this tune again later in the album. I haven't heard Greek melodies in metal before, so it's refreshing and really original for me. They've once again found the perfect way to balance between aggression and melodies.
The songs are well written and arranged, they've used more keyboards and samples than ever but still focus on the guitar sound. All these elements together make the music well built without pushing any instrument forward, none of them has been overdosed. There is a little touch of industrial too but only in hints and it has been proved once again that Sakis is the best vocalist they could have. He is screaming, growling, whispering or singing using his clear, dark voice. His vocals add much to the music. Without him Rotting Christ wouldn`t be the same.
I can't pick out one or two stand-out tracks because I love them all and I could only choose colossal ones, like 'Lex Talionis', 'Quintessence', 'Nightmare' and 'Dying', which caught me with not just their music but with their lyrics too. I can tell you they deal with different, interesting topics and sometimes they even use the Latin and Greek languages in some sentences that give a more mystical mood around the album.
Dynamic rythms and atmospherical moods are the characteristic of this album, without losing the dark and evil side they've managed to create since their beginning. You can feel Genesis pulsating, it's alive!
Genesis is one of their best albums if not the best. I just can't take it out of my cd player. Genesis already has a place in my list of the 'Top 10 albums of 2002'.
"Broken dreams that fades away
Like muddy footsteps in the rain
Dusty hopes frozen lies
Reveal the end so lost behind"
Tracklist:
1. Deamons
2. Lex Talionis
3. Quintessence
4. Nightmare
5. In Domine Sathana
6. Release Me
7. The Call Of The Aethyrs
8. Dying
9. Ad Noctis
10. Under The Name Of Legion
Total playing time: 51:28
Rotting Christ Official Homepage
Century Media Records
Buy Rotting Christ - Genesis (Limited) IMPORT from Amazon.com
