Rotting Christ – Pro Xristou

In the book of Ephesians, it states, wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. But what if one wishes to not be bound in such chains, to restrict the mind, what if a soul chooses to consummate with both that is light, but also obsidian ink that accentuates the flame, for should not a mind attain the equilibrium it yearns for? Should a mind not seek to find the fountain where that transcends the physical truth, to reveal beyond what is spoken by the mortal tongues?

‘Pro Xristou’, the newest offering by the Hellenic Black Metal Legion, Rotting Christ can be viewed as a Faustian pact inked in the most primordial spirit of sound betwixt the soul and an ancient entity that possess much wisdom. The atmosphere that unfolds from this being exudes a grandiose feeling, where every melody, every beat, culminates into climactic motion.

The ambience for which ‘Pro Xristou’ commands come forth in its architectural structure to harness melodies woven into a soul-evoking manner in unison with a mantra-like quality, for instance, tracks such as ‘The Apostate’ and ‘Pix Lax Pax’ the language of energy evoked through the strings renders an enticing experience to its serpentine rhythmic playing. However, in my opinion, it is naught the complexity or patterns in which the music adopts that grants the album its empyrean quality, rather the true monolith which graces one’s senses can be discovered within the atmosphere it is able to conjure, for at times the musical elements feel like the chisel and hammer, as it erodes and tears at the soul, where every melody that meanders carve the marble of the spirit, revealing true strength and clarity.

The very crux of this ceremony can be likened to the naked body that is anointed with oil from the sole of the feet to the crown of the head and submits oneself to the fire, naught shall the flames boil the flesh but instead , the Inferno may offer release from this flesh prison and what remains is only the soul, a soul that wishes to only seek that which lies beyond this physical realm. For the spirit that resides within ‘Pro Xristou’ is enough to merge with the fires and strip away this mortal coil, to transcend the mind to become the titan it is meant to be, where no Gods take abode and all that remains is the will of man that yearns to eat upon the fruit of knowledge.