The Hellenic beast of extreme music is back with their imposing fourteenth studio effort, a fervent tribute to the last Pagan kings who resisted the onslaught of Christianity, guarding their ancient values and knowledge.

Celebrating 35 years of existence in the name of extreme music, Athens, Greece’s own Melodic Black/Gothic Metal institution Rotting Christ is unleashing upon us all their fourteenth studio opus, titled Προ Χριστού (Pro Xristou), or “Before Christ” in Greek, the follow-up to their excellent 2019 album The Heretics. Recorded at Devasoundz Studios, produced by the band’s iconic mastermind Sakis Tolis, mixed by Jens Borgen and mastered by Tony Lidgren at Fascination Street Studios, and displaying a stunning artwork by Thomas Cole (which title is “Destruction”, and part of the painting series “The Course of Empire”) with digital processing by Adrien Bousson, the new album by the aforementioned Sakis Tolis on vocals and guitars, Kostas Foukarakis also on the guitars, Kostas Cheliotis on bass, and Themis Tolis on drums 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, 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.

Pro Xristou (Προ Χριστού) is a superb, impressive intro, taking the album to a whole new level of epicness and obscurity and getting us more than ready for The Apostate, beginning with the incendiary trademark riffs by Sakis and Kostas Foukarakis and with all background sounds and choir turning it into a whimsical musical voyage tailored for longtime fans of the band. Like Father, Like Son, the first single of the album, presents more of the band’s trademark fusion of Black and Gothic Metal, with of course hints of Epic Metal to make things even more compelling; whereas the riffs by Sakis and Kostas Foukarakis will embellish the airwaves in the smooth but dark The Sixth Day, sounding at times like the most recent creations by Insomnium. Then featuring guest vocalist Amdroniki Skoula we have La Lettera Del Diavolo, or “the devil’s letter” from Italian, and every single time Sakis makes a duet with a woman the final result is stunning, with his bandmates crafting a beyond massive, bold sound in the background, therefore resulting in one of the most epic of all songs (if not the most); and a Black Sabbath-inspired riff guides the music in The Farewell, perfect for some vigorous headbanging to the pounding drums by Themis.

Pix Lax Dax is one of those eerie, mysterious creations by Rotting Christ where the background choir adds tons of epicness and power to the overall result, also with Themis once again hammering his drums in great fashion, followed by Pretty World, Pretty Dies, carrying a very distinct name to an embracing, majestic creation by the band, exhaling Epic Black Metal, and all spearheaded by the unparalleled dark vocals by Sakis,. Needless to say, I can’t wait to see this song played live. More of their puissant Black Metal is offered to us all in Yggdrasil, again blending their caustic, visceral riffs with ethereal and imposing background elements, which makes me believe it will easily become a fan-favorite; while  the last song from the regular version of the album, titled Saoirse, takes their atmospheric and epic power to a whole new level, with Sakis and Themis sounding on absolute fire until the very last second. Furthermore, if you go for the limited edition box version of the album, you’ll get the bonus tracks Primal Resurrection and All For One, both really good songs that are worth the investment in such special version of the album, plus of course all the perks included in the package.

Rotting Christ Προ Χριστού (Pro Xristou) LP Box + Digital Limited Edition

You can put your heretic hands on Προ Χριστού (Pro Xristou) by purchasing it from the Season of Mist webstore, including the already mentioned more-than-special LP box + digital limited edition, a collector’s edition limited to 500 copies worldwide that comes in a box size 32.5cm x 32.5cm x 5cm with gold foil and linen-like lamination, including the album on gold and black marbled 12” double vinyl, cut in 45 rpm for optimum fidelity, in gatefold with gold foil and linen-like lamination with 12-page insert, the aforementioned bonus tracks on black 7″ vinyl in jacket with linen-like lamination, the album with the bonus tracks on CD in digipak with gold foil and linen-like lamination with 16-page booklet, a 240 gsm, 120cm x 180cm linen printed shroud, a stainless steel pendant and necklace in linen bag with the band’s logo, and a numbered certificate, or click HERE to select your favorite version of the album (including all streaming options). Don’t forget to also check what the most important metal band in the history of Greece is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel, and to stream their superb discography on Spotify. Those Hellenic metallers will take you back to the time before Christ in their stunning new album, keeping the spirit of true extreme music alive, and of course, leaving us all proud for always supporting them in their brilliant journey.

Best moments of the album: The Apostate, La Lettera Del Diavolo, Pretty World, Pretty Dies and Yggdrasil.

Worst moments of the album: Like Father, Like Son.

Released in 2024 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Pro Xristou (Προ Χριστού) 1:29
2. The Apostate 5:01
3. Like Father, Like Son 4:35
4. The Sixth Day 3:56
5. La Lettera Del Diavolo 4:01
6. The Farewell 6:15
7. Pix Lax Dax 4:33
8. Pretty World, Pretty Dies 4:51
9. Yggdrasil 5:04
10. Saoirse 6:17

LP Box + Digital Limited Edition bonus tracks
11. Primal Resurrection 5:32
12. All For One 3:37

Band members
Sakis Tolis – vocals, guitars
Kostas Foukarakis – guitars
Kostas Cheliotis – bass
Themis Tolis – drums

Guest musicians
Amdroniki Skoula – vocals on “La Letra Del Diavolo”
Nikos Kerkiras – keyboards
Christina Alexiou, Maria Tsironi, Alexandros Loyziotis & Vasilis Karatzas – choir
Andrew Liles – narration on ‘The Apostate” and “Pretty World, Pretty Dies”
Kim Diaz Holm – narration on “Ygdrassil”