Rotting Christ - Κατά Τον Δαίμονα Εαυτού
There has been some debate regarding the literal English interpretation of this album title and its actual meaning. After several hours of extensive research, I’ve come to the conclusion that it translates roughly to, “We are not good anymore.” Yes, folks. It’s unfortunately true. [My black heart is officially broken. -Editor] Not since Humpty Dumpty has there been a fall so great. 2010’s Danny Aealo LP was nearly a complete turd sandwich by Rotting Christ standards, and really the first thing close to a turd sandwich these Greek Black Metal legends had ever laid on us. Some of us are more partial to the masterfully raw, primitive malevolence of early Rotting Christ, others fancy the mesmerizing majesty of their melodic mid-career era [Or both! -Editor], but I don’t know anyone who prefers Rotting Christ as some kind of 300-themed party band. This new full-length was destined to be a definitive statement concerning our beloved band’s status. Was Aealo just a hiccup, or are their best albums truly behind them? When Sakis promised the media “a much darker record” earlier this winter, I was inclined to believe the former. Well… hate to be the one to break it to you, but it’s by far the latter. This motherfucker makes Aealo sound like Thy Mighty Contract. I’ve yet to even make it through the album in one sitting. It’s so atrociously bad, I have to stop and regroup. After the plodding intro of “In Yumen - Xibalba,” the song rides a decent blastbeaten hook straight into a trademark melody, but Sakis’ new throatier yell and incessant need to chant gibberish ruin any chance of replay value. Similarly, “P’unchaw Kachun - Tuta Kachun” buries another patented Rotting Christ moment between hideous tribal arrangements and awkward gang-shouted bits. “Grandus Spiritus Diavolos” has a slight Triarchy-like feel, and “Ahura Mazda - Anra Mainiuu” might be able to pass for something off Sleep of the Angels… if one were to remove all traces of sincerity and melancholic genius from those albums, and replace them solely with pompous theatrics. I could go on and on. The point being that every song proves to be ultimately terrible, with only a shrouded reminder of who we’re actually listening to wasted within. The exceptions being “Cine Iubeste Si Lasa” and whatever the fuck track 10 is called. If you can make it through these two without hitting the skip button, I’ll mail you $100. (Which coincidentally would make you the richest person in Greece.) This just isn’t Rotting Christ. It’s too jubilant, festive, eccentric, and melodramatic to be Rotting Christ. If the old coffin spirit is dead, then so be it. Let us respectfully mourn. Call this useless drivel something else.
(1) Comment(s)
Page 1 of 1 pages
Ychoril said:
Damn… I admit that this isn’t Thy Mighty Contract but I didn’t think this album was all that bad. Compared to all the raw sewage masquerading as Black Metal I’ve been listening to lately, this album is gold. It’s probably too much like Aeolo for most people. That was a “love it or hate it” album that I happened to like (mostly because I have a higher Folk Metal tolerance). I’d give this album a 7. It isn’t their finest work but I’ve heard plenty worse.
Page 1 of 1 pages