| Rotting Christ �Thy Mighty Contract� Osmose , 1998 Lord Pale : Osmose made the wise decision to re-release the debut of perennial Greek blackmetallers Rotting Christ, originally from 1992 it still sounds better than the hordes of imitators of today . I got into Rotting Christ through their �Triarchy Of Lost Lovers� album and I am pleased to say that Thy Mighty Contract is merely a rawer ( though well produced for the time ) version of that album with the same melodic rhythms , signature style , and accented vocals . For the uninitiated Rotting Christ play mid paced blackmetal that focuses more on melody to create atmosphere and eliminates the need for excessive synth although a sprinkling of light keyboards is used across the albums course . Unlike most blackmetal bands Rotting Christ have a base of heavy rumbling riffs with lighter melodic riffs played over the top and a few slower passages with deeper narrated vocals . The track lengths vary from two to near seven minutes although most sit in a comfortable five minute range . Thy Mighty Contract displays enough tempo changes and ideas to keep it interesting for a 10 track length and will satisfy most blackmetallers . I would recommend this to fans of Triarchy Of Lost Lovers , but those who got into Rotting Christ after that album and enjoy their newer material may find little of worth here . Overall a decent early slab of grim melodic metal . Favourite Tracks � The Coronation Of The Serpent , Exiled Archangels , Transform All Suffering Into Plagues Mark � 7.5/10 Rotting Christ "Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers" Century Black , 1996 Lord Pale : Slow to mid paced blackmetal from Greece . Similar to Immortal in style but not sound , as in they create their catchy songs through melodic guitar interactions with the vocals . The vocalist is a snatter but he sounds a little different to his Norwegian counterparts maybe due to his accent . The guitar work is the most melodic I have ever heard in a blackmetal band ( perhaps due to the slower speed of the band ) producing solos that reach power metal proportions in term of melody . Simple atmospheric droning keyboards accompany the music but are mixed to the background and remain unintrusive throughout the course of the album . The drumming is also a lot slower in due course with the guitar work and utilises more double kicks than most or Rotting Christ's blackmetal peers . Apart from all the melody Rotting Christ also produce a deathy rumble in some of their long riffs , which counter point the melody creating an interesting mixture as on the bottom end of "Snowing Still" or the opening riff of "The Opposite Bank" . All the songs are of a high standard and it is hard to choose favourites , but the album lacks any distinct 'classic songs' . Still , a high quality release . Favourite Tracks - The First Field Of Battle ; Diastric Alchemy ; Archon Mark - 8.5/10 Rotting Christ - A Dead Poem Century Media, 1997 Gloon: A Dead Poem sees Rotting Christ step away from their black metal roots into the realms of goth rock and doom. The music is slower and more melodic and the vocals more anguished and less harsh than on previous releases. Though stylistically this is a big jump from their blackmetal days, the riffs and unique vocals are still very much RC just in a more refined and controlled way. Xytras from Samael produces and places keyboards on this release but has little influence on their sound except for the track 'Out of Spirits' which sounds similar in structure and style to Xytras full time band. Another guest includes Moonspell's Fernando who supplies backing vocals on 'Among the Storms', his band probably being a good indicator of where RC are now heading. Listening to ADP one also detects a subtle Mediterranean sound now filtering through their music and adding to their atmosphere. The problem I have however with ADP is not Rotting Christ's new style but rather their lack of diversity on this album. All the songs are slow to mid paced making listening to the album a little tedious and predictable with later songs sounding samey and dull. The album also lacks aggression, with RC more than comfortable playing within their new Dark/Doom style. Overall not a total disaster though older fans be warned, this isn't like their older albums. Favourite Tracks - Out of Spirits, A Dead Poem Rating - 7/10 Rotting Christ �Genesis� Century Media , 2002 Lord Pale : The last Rotting Christ album that gained my respect and attention was the excellent �Triarchy Of Lost Lovers� but since that album the band have been becoming progressively �lighter� with slick production jobs and even some gothic tinged romantic moments . I understand that Kronos was apparently a return to their earlier harsher days but having not heard the album that precedes Genesis I am unable to comment . Genesis continues the trend that the Grecian blackmetallers have been following by taking the classic Rotting Christ signature riffing style and melding it with a number of newer elements like choir chants , deep spoken introductions , and some light doses of traditional instrumentation . Although Genesis is perhaps a little more �black� than the two albums that followed �Triarchy�� the majority of the riffing is that of the rockier breed found on �A Dead Poem� . A highly refined and clean production removes any atmosphere the album may have conjured in its attempts to recapture the bands former glory , but having said that Genesis will likely appeal to a wider audience with its catchy �sing-a-long� chorus� and more accessible sound scape . Genesis is certainly a step in the right direction for a band that had seemingly lost its way , with a few interesting experimental tracks adding flavour , but they have still got a long way to go to win back any credibility . Favourite Tracks � The Call Of The Aethyrs , Quintessence , Under The Name Of The Legion Mark � 7/10 Rotting Christ �Sanctus Diavolos� Century Media, 2004 Tyrant: This is the first Rotting Christ album I have heard since the slightly gay A Dead Poem and initially brought back fond memories of the band. After several listens however I was reminded why I stopped listening to Rotting Christ after A Dead Poem. Sanctus Diavolos recalls some of the Greek blackmetallers famous riffing from their classic albums and mixes it with slower pulsing riffs and a heap of operatic choirs. It does work admittedly but after the first 4-5 tracks you�ll get tired of it, and by the time the album is finished you�ll likely be glad its over rather than happy you saw it all the way through. Like the other post A Dead Poem albums I have heard snippets of Sanctus Diavolos lacks the inspiration and great song writing of Thy Mighty Contract and Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers leaving you with an album that likely won�t be played as often as deserved. Favourite Tracks � Visions Of A Blind Order ; Sanctus Diavolos ; Athanati Este Mark � 6/10 |
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