Rotting Christ have stood the test of time. While their name has caused plenty of gatekeepers to clutch their pearls, Sakis Tolis and has brother Themis have risen from Greece’s blackened catacombs to one of metal’s most formidable bands.
This year, Rotting Christ are celebrating 35 years of evil excellence with their 14th album. ΠΡΟ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ (“Pro Xristoy”) is bound to hold a revered place in the band’s heretical history. Always true to their name, with “Pro Xristoy” (“Before Christ”), the band pay tribute to the last of the Pagan kings by offering up more towering, gothic, melodic black metal.
Today, they’re releasing the album’s rising and resolute new single, “Saoirse”. “Saoirse” pays tribute to the Irish King of Tara, who was one of the last kings to resist the expansion of Christianity. In Gaelic, “Saoirse” means “freedom”. The song invokes this long-heard ancient battle cry from the very beginning, opening with a distant clang of swords. “I am the wind that blows across the sea”, Sakis warns as a riff comes charging in behind him like a tidal wave.
Like all of “Pro Xristoy”, “Saoirse” was recorded and produced in Athens, Greece. Their new single also embodies the history of the band’s home country with its resounding choir and thunderous drum fills. But it’s also emblematic of the way Rotting Christ has evolved over the past 35 years. Steered by a steadily chugging rhythm section, minor chords, and melodic leads unfurl with the towering majesty of an ancient tapestry. At the center of this black metal fresco stands Sakis, the unwavering captain of Rotting Christ‘s battleship. “Hails to our ancient Kingdom”, he growls, still fierce and full of fight after all these years.
Pre-order “Pro Xristoy” HERE.
Now that Rotting Christ are closing in on four decades, some followers might’ve wondered if there was any sacred ground left for them to conquer. But “Pro Xristoy” is a testament to a band that’s still on the rise.
“This album was inspired by the might of ancient pagan wisdom”, says Sakis. “It’s a tribute to those who resisted the coming of Christianity, which destroyed all the values, traditions, and knowledge of the ancient world”.
“Pro Xristoy” Track-list
1. Pro Xristoy (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)
11. Primal Resurrection (Bonus Track) (5:32)
12. All For One (Bonus Track) (3:37)
