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Album Review – Rotting Christ / Προ Χριστού (Pro Xristou) (2024)

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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”

Album Review – SiXforNinE / Parallel Universe (2019)

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An amazing album of rock and metal music containing nine high-energy compositions overflowing groove and adrenaline, carefully brought forth by four talented musicians hailing from Greece.

It’s time to bang our heads to the groovy and melodic Alternative Metal blasted by SiXforNinE, a four-piece band formed in 2011 in the always fun city of Athens, Greece, who are releasing now in 2019 a brand new and extremely entertaining opus entitled Parallel Universe, a follow-up to their 2015 debut self-titled album being highly recommended for fans of the music by bands like Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin. Comprised of founding members Georga Kapa on the guitar, Herc Booze on bass and Pete Outfox on drums, as well as Fotis Benardo (Necromantia, Septicflesh) on vocals, SiXforNinE have been on a roll since their inception, having already shared the stage with renowned acts such as Monster Magnet, Fates Warning, Leprous, and Memory Garden, and with Parallel Universe representing an evolutionary step in their relatively short but already solid career.

Recorded at DevasoundZ Studios in Athens, produced by Fotis Benardo himself, mixed by Paul Pavao (Disturbed, Stone Temple Pilots, Breaking Benjamin), mastered by Tom Baker (Rob Zombie, Nine Inch Nails, Mötley Crüe), and featuring a stunning artwork by Vagelis Petikas (Revolver Design), Parallel Universe showcases a very special chemistry between all four band members in each of its nine high-energy rock anthems, dealing with distinct topics such as a galactic travel via astral projection and the story of a refugee hoping for a better future. In other words, you better get ready to rock with SiXforNinE, as the Rock N’ Roll party crafted by those four talented Greek metallers doesn’t seem to have a time to end based on the amount of adrenaline flowing from their new album.

The band begins their feast of mesmerizing and groovy sounds in Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining, a lecture in progressiveness by the quartet where Fotis and his Miles Kennedy-inspired vocals walk hand in hand with George’s crisp riffs, not to mention Herc’s rumbling bass lines, followed by the heavier and more progressive Life Devouring Demons, reminding me of some of the incendiary creations by Mastodon. Furthermore, Pete brings endless intricacy with his beats in an awesome fusion of Alternative Rock and Metal with the heaviness of Progressive Metal, while Herc is on absolute fire with his metallic bass. And as heavy as high-end Alternative Metal can be, the band explodes our ears with the melodic and vibrant Bullet Off Its Course, a song that could easily be played in any radio station with Fotis once again stealing the spotlight with his passionate vocals.

Then inspired by the music by Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin and other big names of the alternative scene, George slashes his strings beautifully while Pete’s beats bring groove and thunder to the music in Never Ending Road, whereas in More Than Words Can Say the band blends the heaviest elements from Progressive Metal with smoother rockin’ nuances, displaying a powerful job done by George on the guitar as well as Fotis on vocals, overflowing rage and anguish from start to finish. And it’s time to slow things down a bit and enjoy a pensive and whimsical musical journey by SiXforNinE in Counting Stars (a Parallel Universe), where George, Herc and Pete generate an enfolding ambience with their respective instruments, resulting in almost 10 minutes of ethereal passages and piercing sounds. Not only that, George’s guitar solo is a thing of beauty, adding an extra touch of finesse to a fantastic song that flows flawlessly into a catchy ending.

Very intricate and full of breaks and variations, Out of the Blue offers the listener the thunderous sound of the bass lines by Herc nicely complementing Pete’s wicked beats, being at the same time violent and very harmonious and with Fotis’ roars bringing even more stamina to the song’s already gripping vibe. In Sea of Lies we’re able to witness pure Rock N’ Roll flowing through the band’s instruments, sounding tailored for being played at top volume at a rock pub while everyone is enjoying a cold and tasty beer; moreover, George and Pete couldn’t sound more electrifying with their riffs and beats, also presenting the progressiveness that makes their music so compelling. And lastly, the angry bass by Herc ignites the closing tune Meditation Hyperjam, a sonic extravaganza of badass sounds and tones led by George’s heavy riffs while Fotis fires his potent vocals, putting a truly exciting ending to the album.

If you love rock and metal music with high dosages of complexity, groove and electricity, then Parallel Universe, which you can hear in full on YouTube and on Spotify, is the perfect solution to satisfy your craving. Hence, go check what SiXforNinE are up to on Facebook, including their tour dates, and grab your copy of the album from their own webstore, as well as from Apple Music or from Amazon. Fotis, George, Herc and Pete did one hell of a job in Parallel Universe, and there’s nothing better to show them our support and appreciation than by rocking like there’s no tomorrow together with this hardworking and amazing band coming from Hellenic lands.

Best moments of the album: Life Devouring Demons, Counting Stars (a Parallel Universe) and Sea of Lies.

Worst moments of the album: Never Ending Road.

Released in 2019 Eclipse Records

Track listing
1. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining 6:12
2. Life Devouring Demons 5:52
3. Bullet Off Its Course 5:00
4. Never Ending Road 4:53
5. More Than Words Can Say 5:02
6. Counting Stars (a Parallel Universe) 9:16
7. Out of the Blue 5:58
8. Sea of Lies 4:10
9. Meditation Hyperjam 5:12

Band members
Fotis Benardo – vocals
George Kapa – guitars
Herc Booze – bass
Pete Outfox – drums