In celebration of their 35th year as a band, this May, Rotting Christ are releasing their 14th album. ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟU (Pro Xristou) is bound to hold a revered place in the Greeks’ heretical history. Always true to their name, Sakis Tolis and his brother Temis pay tribute to the last of the Pagan kings. Today, they’re releasing the album’s rising and resolute new single, “Saoirse”.
Watch the video for “Saoirse”: https://youtu.be/ORI2fmbHzfg
Pro Xristou comes out May 24 on Season of Mist.
Pre-order: https://shop.season-of-mist.com/list/rotting-christ-pro-xristou
Pre-save: https://orcd.co/proxtristoupresave
“Saoirse” pays tribute to the Irish King of Tara, who was one of the last kings to resist the expansion of Christianity. In Gaelic, “Saoirse” means “freedom”. The song invokes this long-heard ancient battle cry from the very beginning, opening with a distant clang of swords. “I am the wind that blows across the sea”, Sakis warns as a riff comes charging in behind him like a tidal wave.
Like all of Pro Xristou, “Saoirse” was recorded and produced in Athens, Greece. Their new single also embodies the history of the band’s home country with its resounding choir and thunderous drum fills. But it’s also emblematic of the way Rotting Christ has evolved over the past 35 years. Steered by a steadily chugging rhythm section, minor chords and melodic leads unfurl with the towering majesty of an ancient tapestry. At the center of this black metal fresco stands Sakis, the unwavering captain of Rotting Christ’s battle ship. “Hails to our ancient Kingdom”, he growls, still fierce and full of fight after all these years.
In the dimly lit catacombs of extreme metal, one name stands as a monolith: ROTTING CHRIST. Sakis Tholis and his brother Themis started this band together back in 1987. In the three decades since, these Greek titans have left their blackened imprint all over the metal world. They’ve released 13 studio albums and played more than 1,3000 concerts around the globe. Underneath all this hard work, Rotting Christ have but one vision – an urge to not only push the boundaries of extreme metal, but to keep reinventing themselves along the way.
Rotting Christ’s evolution has unfolded across several distinct chapters. After starting out closer to the barely controlled chaos of grindcore, they went on to establish the iconic sound of Hellenic black metal. Their albums often embraces refined gothic soundscapes, only to plunge back into the depths of blasphemous fervour. Each chapter marked another, further exploration, and an unwavering commitment to bush boundaries.
But the real turning point came in 2007, when Rotting Christ signed a pact with Season of Mist. They unleashed a series of albums for the French label that defied any and all expectations. From the piercing Theogonia and the symphonic grandeur of Aelo to the ritualistic intensity of Κατά Τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού, the cinematic experiences created by Rotting Christ became a spectacle of bombastic atmospheres, mesmerizing choirs, and neo-classical arrangements. The unexpected is their modus operandi, with the use of various languages (Latin, Arabic, Greek, English) as well as the extensive use of famous poetry woven into their music, like Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven’ on The Heretics.
In 2019, Rotting Christ’s epic journey continued with The Apocryphal Spell compilation, which offers fans an intimate glimpse into unreleased and rare material. This allowed them to gather strength, preparing for the release of their next, highly anticipated, 14th full-length studio album: Pro Xristoy.
Pro Xristoy (‘Before Christ’ in Greek), serves as a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who resisted the onslaught of Christianity, guarding their ancient values and knowledge. In this thematic odyssey, intricately woven through tracks such as ‘The Apostate’ and ‘Ygdrassil’, Rotting Christ delves into the legacies of historical figures such as Flavius Claudius Julianus and Nordic mythological kings, embodying the might of Pagan wisdom in the face of Christian adversity. The album encapsulates the essence of Rotting Christ’s signature style – melodic, yet harsh at times – reinventing themselves yet again, while remaining rooted in their 35-year legacy.
Line-up
Sakis Tolis: Guitar/Vocals
Themis Tolis: Drums
Kostas “Spades” Heliotis: Bass
Kostis Fouk: Guitar
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