Rotting Christ – Theogonia

Rotting Christ is really a band on its return, after a period of releases that were received not quite as good as the bands’ classics. With the ultimate low-point of ‘Sleep Of The Angels’ with its slow tempos, laid back sound and non-black metal content. Yet with the turn of the millennium they said to hump on the trend of ‘going back to the roots’, and unlike many bands claiming the same thing, Rotting Christ really got the vibe of the early days back. But, without loosing the modern times and without sounding outdated.

It was with “Sanctus Diavolos” that the band really got my attention, as this for sure the best release in years – though they were clearly on their way back to the top from their 2000 “Khronos”-release. To begin with a conclusion, with “Theogonia” they were not able to top or equal their previous “Sanctus Diavolos” album, but they again delivered a huge album that will end up high in the yearlists of 2007. But, as always, Rotting Christ have clearly been investing quite some time and blood, sweat and tears into this album – every detail is greatly arranged and every instrument is audible to the smallest details. The production is again flawless, which is an absolute must for this band and this kind of music. Their love for eastern vibed music is really still there and comes in the form of the catchy “Nemecic”, that has a haunting atmosphere and great pounding war drums and a eerie kind of melody. Rotting Christ belongs to the best European black metal bands, that’s for sure, and they have been proving themselves one of the best and most forward thinking bands of the moment. I hope they will get their followers, so black metal will be reinvented with some progressive minds like Sakis & Co.

For collectors and completists and for the sake of complete information, the release of “Theogonia” comes in a stunningly designed double digipack including the videoclip for ‘Keravnos Kivernitos’ and a bonus DVD that contains a ‘making of Theogonia’, tour footage from Brazil, Greece, Russia and Italy (from their 2005-2006 tour for the “Sanctus Diavolos”-album).