Rotting Christ
is a Greek metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene. [1]
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ROTTING CHRIST TICKETS
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History
Line-up
The permanent line-up consists of brothers
Sakis Tolis (born
June 29,
1972 [2],
Athens, vocals and guitar) and
Themis Tolis (born
March 28,
1974,
Athens, drums).
Andreas Lagios (born
November 11,
1972,
Athens) has been the bassist since 1996, taking the stead of Jim Patsouris.
Nightfall's
Giorgos Bokos joined as a guitarist in 2005, replacing Kostas Vassilakopoulos.
Three
keyboardists had previously been a part of the band; George Tolias, George Zaharopoulos and a session known only as Panayiotis (on
A Dead Poem
).
Biography
In their two decades of existence, the band started as
raw black metal, but utilized what has been described as a "dark metal" direction on later releases, almost doing away with the
black metal title, but not compromising their
extreme sound.
During their rehearsal era in the late 1980s, the band began as
grindcore and released various demos and splits with other bands from the Athens area. The group would later alter their sound with influence from proto-
black metal bands like
Celtic Frost and
Venom, and in the process became one of the genre's instigators. Their 5 song demo,
Satanas Tedeum
, would show a
grindcore/
black metal crossover, followed by their career-breaking EP,
Passage to Arcturo
, in 1991.
One of band's first major appearances was on the 1993 "
Fuck Christ Tour
" consisting of
Immortal and
Blasphemy. During this concert, some audience members had engaged in cutting and self mutilation that resulted in
hospitalization.
[3] Before signing to
Unisound,
Mayhem's
Øystein Aarseth had expressed interest in distributing the band through his "
Deathlike Silence Productions" label,
[4] but due to Aarseth's murder the same year, nothing materialized. The band would sign to
Century Media in 1996 and remain on their roster for 10 years before joining
Season of Mist.
Rotting Christ have played in many continents outside their native
Greece, including both
Americas, Greater
Europe,
Russia, the
United Kingdom,
Malta and the
Middle East. Several heavy metal festivals around the world have hosted the band, including the 2003
Wacken Open Air
in
Schleswig-Holstein,
Germany. Past tourmates have included
My Dying Bride,
Tristania,
Tiamat,
Vintersorg,
Finntroll,
Agathodaimon,
Old Man's Child,
Malevolent Creation,
Anorexia Nervosa,
Vader,
Krisiun,
Deicide,
Behemoth and
Nile, among many others.
[5] [6]
[7]
Publicity
Over the years, the group has faced controversy due to their name and gained international media attention in November 1999 during the
2000 United States Presidential Primaries for Republican Nomination, when
candidate/
Christian conservative Gary Bauer accused the band of being "anti-Catholic", among other things. In response to Bauer's criticism,
Sakis wrote:
"Living in (so called) democratic societies, I think everyone should have the right to call religions as he/she wants. We in fact simply believe they are "rotting"! We are not a "satanic-crusader" type of band but rather one of the many bands that represent the dark side in nowadays Metal music."
[8]
They also have had to cancel some shows, most recently in May 2005, when
Megadeth frontman
Dave Mustaine refused to play at a Greek concert if Rotting Christ were on the bill.
[9] In response to their forced cancellation, Sakis noted:
"I didn't expect something like that from Dave Mustaine, because, you know, he's supposed to be metal — you know, 'metal band,' all metal ... I just feel sorry for him and for every new Christian with new ideas, because we think Christianity is the worst thing to happen in human history. This is a well-organized trick in order to control society, so when I see someone that's very much Christian, that's full of the system, I feel very sorry for him because he's not free."
[10]
When playing in
Malta, a country which in its constitution declares itself as Roman Catholic, trouble from the Church and other Catholic groups ensued when an unknown person stuck a Rotting Christ flyer to a church door. The band was allowed to play eventually even if they had to change venue.
Despite the name, the band's traditional lyrical themes involving
evil and
occultism has evolved into a more "mystic" path
, and they have modified their musical direction on each album, utilizing elements such as clean melodic
baritone vocals,
doom,
gothic metal and
industrial music traits, and male/female
Benedictine chants. Recent albums, beginning with
Khronos
, have shown the band taking a more modern, faster and more aggressive approach to their
blackened-
gothic style. Their last album,
Theogonia
, especially, has been described as more "atmospheric" and "epic" by their label.
[11]
The group's choice of producers, engineers and mixers has also been varied; Swedish
extreme metal figures
Dan Swanö (
Unisound),
Peter Tägtgren (Abyss Studios) and
Fredrik Nordström (
Studio Fredman), German producers
Andy Classen (
Asphyx,
Belphegor) Siggi Bemm (
Therion,
Theatre of Tragedy) and
Waldemar Sorychta (
Lacuna Coil,
The Gathering) as well as Xytras (
Samael percussionist/keyboardist) have all contributed to production on the band's albums.
s of }} 2007
[], Rotting Christ have been around 20 years, one of the longest running bands within the
black metal genre. In celebration of the band's longevity, the 2 DVD + 2 CD compilation, "Non Serviam: A 20 Year Apocryphal Story," shot in Athens on December 8, 2007, was released worldwide February 23, 2009.
On December 31, 2009, Rotting Christ will be playing Australia's first heavy metal festival Screamfest.
On June 10, 2009 the band announced via their
MySpace page that they had nearly finished writing their next album, also suggesting a January 2010 release date.
Band members
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Current members
- Sakis Tolis - guitar/vocals (1987-present)
- Giorgos Bokos - guitar (2005-present)
- Andreas Lagios - bass (1996-present)
- Themis Tolis - drums (1987-present)
Past members
- Kostas Vassilakopoulos - guitar (1996-2004)
- Georgios Tolias - keyboard (1996-2004)
- George "Magus Wampyr Daoloth" Zaharopoulos - keyboard/backing vocals (1992-1994)
- Jim "Mutilator" Patsouris - bass (1989-1996)
- Panayiotis - session keyboard (1997)
Discography
Full Length
- Thy Mighty Contract
November 11, 1993
Osmose Productions
(re-released on Century Media, January 20, 1998)
- Non Serviam
October 10 1994
Unisound
(re-released on The End Records, January 24, 2006)
- Triarchy of the Lost Lovers
August 20, 1996
Century Media
- A Dead Poem
October 7, 1997
Century Media
- Sleep of the Angels
March 9, 1999
Century Media
- Khronos
August 29, 2000
Century Media
- Genesis
October 29, 2002
Century Media
- Sanctus Diavolos
September 20, 2004
Century Media
- Theogonia
February 6, 2007
Season of Mist
Demos, singles, and DVDs
- Decline's Return
(1988) (demo)
- Leprosy of Death
(1988) (unofficial demo)
- The Other Side of Life
(1989) (EP split with Sound Pollution)
- Satanas Tedeum
(1989) (demo)
- Passage to Arcturo
(1991) (EP)
- Split with Monumentum
(1991) (split)
- Dawn of the Iconoclast
(1991) (EP)
- Ades Wind
(1992) (demo)
- Apokathelosis
(1993) (EP)
- The Mystical Meeting
(1997) (single/live/cover compilation)
- Der Perfekte Traum
(1999) (single/Live)
- In Domine Sathana
(2003) (live DVD)
- Non Serviam: A 20 Year Apocryphal Story
(2009) (live DVD/CD)
Best of compilation
- Thanatiphoro Anthologio
(2007) (compilation)
References
- Rotting Christ biography at allmusic
- ''Sakis Tolis (aka Necromayhem)'' - Metal Storm''
- Rotting Christ at bands.metalland.net
- A brief chronicle of the early Hellenic Black Metal movement
- Rotting Christ biography at The Gauntlet
- Anorexia Nervosa Join Vader's Blitzkrieg 3 Tour
- Metal-rules.com interview with Rotting Christ
- Rotting Christ biography at rusmetal.ru
- Rotting Christ interview at tartareandesire.com
- Rotting Christ Mainman Feels 'Sorry' for Megadeth's Dave Mustaine
- PhonoPaca/Season of Mist