Rotting Christ – Pro Xristou
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Review Score: 9
Welcome to our brand new feature, Dueling Reviews, where we have two writers from The Metal Pit review the same album. The purpose of this feature is to give our readers as much opinion and information as possible, whether those opinions be opposing or unanimous.
In our first installment, our longtime contributors, Georgina and Jason, go head-to-head over the brand new Rotting Christ album, Pro Xristrou! Will they align on the titanic sounds of this legendary Greek band, or will they oppose? Read Jason’s review below and head HERE to read Georgina’s.
In the darkened crypts of Hellenic black metal, one name stands as a megalith: Rotting Christ. In the three decades since brothers Sakis Tholis (guitars, vocals) and Themis (drums) started the band, these Greek colossi have released 13 studio albums and played more than 1,300 concerts around the globe. Through all of this, the brothers have managed to keep the distinct, titan-like melodic virtues of the band relevant for a whole new generation of extreme metal connoisseurs.
The band’s newest album, Pro Xristou (‘Before Christ’ in Greek), once again showcases the duality of gothic soundscapes and blackened extremity, creating a contemporary, metallic version of music that was universally present for generations in ancient Greek society, from marriages, funerals, and religious ceremonies to theatre, folk music, and the ballad-like reciting of epic poetry. With Pro Xristou, Rotting Christ have taken these ancient lessons and reinvented them for a 21st century audience.
As can be expected, Pro Xristou is a denunciation of all things Christian. More specifically, the album 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 ‘Yggdrassil’, 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.
PRO XRISTOU
The album begins with a bombastic intro that isn’t far removed from what you might hear on a big-budget Hollywood movie such as 300, Immortals, Troy, or Clash Of The Titans. It perfectly sets up the scene, painting a larger-than-life picture of Hellás, filled to the brim with epic atmospheres, mesmerizing choirs, and neo-classical arrangements.
THE APOSTATE
Exploding with a riff that gallops like a horse-led chariot in an ancient Greek battle, ‘The Apostate’ is a beautiful, metallic ode to Flavius Claudius Julianus, otherwise known as Julian ‘the Apostate’ who was an ardent rejector of Christianity, and promoter of Neoplatonic Hellenism. The song is truly stunning in every way imaginable. It is at once both hypnotic and heroic, instilling a sense of power and wisdom in the listener. In fact, the Ancient Greeks had a word for the mystical power that music had on transmuting and even manipulating human emotions: ethos. Words attached to melodies, they believed, have the power to move people, and even rulers of nations. Through a mix of spoken and choir-like hymns, front man Sakis delivers his vocals with an ethos and conviction that would make Julian ‘The Apostate’ proud. I can’t end this without mentioning that ‘The Apostate’ contains perhaps my favourite lyric ever by Rotting Christ: ‘wild beasts are so dangerous to men, as Christians are to one another.’ Genius.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
First things first: this song contains perhaps one of the catchiest riffs in Rotting Christ‘s entire existence. It’s nothing overly-complicated. In fact, quite the opposite. What it is, is a testament to the unbelievable songwriting skill of Sakis and crew, with the ethos being on simplicity. Technically, there isn’t a lot there… it’s just a few riffs and passages repeated. Not unlike an ancient Greek tragedy, it is a haunting and powerful piece, with melody and metrical repetition being the central component.
THE SIXTH DAY
The song begins with a passage from Genesis 1:24–31 ‘… and on the sixth day I created man.’ This song is a perfect example of how far along Rotting Christ have come as it relates to songwriting. In fact, it almost seems like a disservice labelling the band as ‘black metal’. In fact, they are about as black metal as Katatonia. Speaking of Katatonia, this track shares a lot in common with the legendary Swedes. This fact isn’t all that surprising, considering that Pro Xristrou was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jens Borgen and Tony Lidgren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden (the very same studio Katatonia has used in the past). At its core, ‘The Sixth Day’ is an introspective, mid-paced, and darkly polished alternative rock song with an emotive power that is absolutely infectious. My favourite song of the bunch.
LA LETTERA DEL DIAVLO
Translating to the ‘Devil’s Letter’ this track retells the mysterious story of a letter dating back to 1676 which was supposedly dictated by Satan to a nun, Maria Crocifissa della Concezione. Historians have chalked this mystery up to a woman likely suffering from bipolar disorder, made worse by the stress of monastic life of the time. Musically, this is probably the most martial/militaristic/straight-forward of songs, with almost zero variation in tempo. When stacked up against the previous four songs, the album’s forward momentum is clearly hampered by this song. For those wanting a bit more ebb and flow in composition, this song definitely misses on that mark. Not a bad song, just not very noteworthy among the bevy of remarkable songs found on this album.
THE FAREWELL
Another catchy, slightly-predictable track that follows the tried and true riffing patterns of the last few Rotting Christ albums. Again, I can hear the mid-era Katatonia-like melodies found on albums such as Tonight’s Decision, Brave Murder Day and Last Fair Deal Gone Down. It goes without saying that the emphasis on harmonic exploration has become a Rotting Christ hallmark, in much the same way that brutal breakdowns are the trademark of a band like Suffocation. You know that when you listen to a new Suffo track that, at some point, your head is going to be crushed. The same could be said for Rotting Christ… well… apart from your head being crushed part.
PIX LAX DUX
Roughly translated (from Latin) to mean ‘kicking and punching the duke’, we can only surmise that this song is, to some extent, about overthrowing tyrannical rule. Starting out with a nice acoustic interlude, the song gives way to a simplistic mid-paced groove accented throughout with some contagious tremolo picking, pinch harmonics, and double bass patterns. As we near the end of the song, an angelic female voice can be heard in duet with Sakis’ death metal-like timbre, to nice effect. A quick little song that is perhaps the most black metal of the bunch.
PRETTY WORLD, PRETTY DIES
The song begins with the final stanza of ‘this is the way the world ends… this is the way the world ends… not with a bang but a whimper‘ from T.S. Eliot’s poem The Hollow Man (written way back in 1925), which is thought to be a commentary on war and on the passing of mankind from the earthly realm to the beyond. A fitting start to this track, and certainly a relevant subject in the Rotting Christ compendium. To be honest, I am finding it a difficult task to dissect the songs on this album without repeating myself, as there isn’t much variation from track to track. What I can say is that we have another song with a riff that is sure to overstay its welcome in the right hemisphere of your brain… kinda speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
ᛦᚵᛑᚱᛆᛋᛁᛚ (YGGDRASIL)
We step out of ancient Greece for a moment right into Viking-era Scandinavia. The track begins with a brief bellow of a Viking war horn (Gjallarhorn), immediately followed by some cool Nordic throat singing and chanting à la Wardruna and Heilung. It’s actually quite refreshing to hear a Nordic-inspired approach within the traditional Rotting Christ formula. As little as these added accoutrements may be, it serves to provide an entirely different vibe to the composition, and succeeds in transporting the listener into the epicenter of an epic Viking battle. The chorus, though monumental, is meat and potatoes Rotting Christ. Sure, the whole affair is a bit campy, from a narrative perspective, reiterating all the usual Viking descriptors. That said, musically, the composition is really quite good. I can definitely hear this song as the soundtrack to the Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla sequel. Not bad for a bunch of Malakas (used affectionately, of course)!
SAOIRSE
This one may be hard to pronounce but it’s definitely inspiring in its meaning. As a direct translation of ‘freedom’ in Ireland’s native tongue, the word bears a significant historic weight. Emerging in the 1920s, Saoirse is tightly bound to the Irish War of Independence and the creation of Saorstát Éireann – The Irish Free State. More than raw talent or an embodiment of unrestrained individuality, Saoirse is very much a celebration of Gaelic pride. Universally, the theme of ‘Saoirse’ knows no boundaries. Freedom is a fight for every living human being, be they Greek, Irish, or Nordic. In this context, it works quite well as a Rotting Christ song. Musically speaking, the song rides much the same wave of its predecessors – bombastic, grandiose, and spiritually uplifting, with the fight for freedom oozing out of the composition. In fact, don’t be surprised if you find yourself squeezing your hand into a fist and throwing it in the air in opposition of tyranny… it is that palpable.
CONCLUSION
At this point in their career, it’s clear that Rotting Christ are not out to reinvent the wheel. It seems that Sakis and cohorts just want to make a good Rotting Christ album… and they have succeeded in doing just that with Pro Xristou. Sure, it might sound like you’ve heard most of these songs before in various forms. Sure, it’s predictable a lot of the time. That being said, its predictable in the same way that going out for dinner tomorrow night is predictable. As an example, you might choose to go to a new restaurant and order Souvlaki from the menu (as you always do). When the dish arrives, as a creature of habit, you want that taste to be familiar, comforting, and somewhat predictable, yet, there is always the chance that that predictable looking Souvlaki sitting in front of you will be slightly more tender, juicier, and tastier than the one before. Pro Xristou is that Souvlaki. Dig right in and let your taste… err… ear buds take you away!
Pro Xristou will be released on May 24th via Season Of Mist.