Rotting Christ - Theogonia review
| Band: | Rotting Christ |
| Album: | Theogonia |
| Style: | Black metal |
| Release date: | January 2007 |
Disc I [CD]
01. The Sign Of Prime Creation
02. Keravnos Kivernitos
03. Nemecic
04. Enuma Elish
05. Phobos' Synagogue
06. Gaia Tellus
07. Rege Diabolicus
08. He, The Aethyr
09. Helios Hyperion
10. Threnody
Disc II [Limited Edition DVD]
01. Tour Movie
+ Making Of "Theogonia"
+ Keravnos Kivernitos [video]
I must admit, I was very sceptical about this album before I heard it, and about the band in general. Translated to English, my scepticism would sound like this: "A Greek Black Metal band? Pfft, crap! That's reserved for Norwegians and other Scandinavians! For Christ's sake (notice the irony about Christ), these guys don't even wear corpse-paint!" From the very 1st minute of playing Theogonia, I realised how very wrong I was. Not only is it great, but it has certain innovations I never heard in Black Metal.
The album begins with the mighty "The Sign of Prime Creation" that instantly blew away all of my suspicions about Rotting Christ. It actually reminded me of Gorgoroth's early work, though a bit more melodic. I guess that if I would want to describe the album in one sentence, it would be: "It's a mixture of early Gorgoroth and Behemoth". Luckly, I have much more than one sentence for it, and that is well deserved not only by it's quality, but also by the way how much the songs are different from one another!
Looks like the guys from Rotting Christ put quite some creativity in this magnificent piece of work. There are very few tracks that you could call "classic" Black Metal. Those that fit this description feature almost perfect melodic guitar grinding that also invokes the feeling of sadness and desperation. It's quite a feat to preform, being so atmospheric and yet so fast and aggressive at the same time. Tracks that you couldn't call "classic" have all sorts of elements from other genres in them. There are some with strong Death Metal influences that have a bit more slower-paced and crushing riffs, others with some minor to moderate symphonics, and lastly some with really prominent Greek folk melodies, which is very weird. Not bad weird, mind you, just weird. And what's really weird, some tracks have SOLOS in them. Yeah, that's right, SOLOS. If you're saying that Black Metal and solos don't mix, Theogonia is going to make you eat those words. It's really well put-in, you never have a feeling that the guitar grinding stops for the duration of the solos. It simply slides from the cacophony of guitars, drums and shrieks to wonderful melodies. Solos themeselves are just like everything else on this album: brink of perfection.
When you mix all of the pre-mentioned things you get an album that's really worth listening, and one that will certainly not bore you after a few listens. It's amazing how often that happens with some other Black Metal releases for me. I get really impressed by an album, only to realise a few days later that it's actually nothing new or special. Theogonia is an exact opposite of this.
So, in conclusion, this is a really fine and unconventional release. Certanly not what I thought before listening to it. This tought me not to place so much value on corpse-paint. Hehe, who needs Scandinavian bands, I have an amaizing one in a country right next to mine! Keep it up guys!
Rating:
9.0
9.0
|
Rating: 9.0 |
First of all I want to mention that I never focused to specific categories of the metal music. I always liked to listen to all of the metal genres from heavy to black, from folk to progressive, from power to gothic etc. My criteria are strongly related to the emotions and feelings a specific release can cause to me. I really believe in the "if you like it, listen to it" dogma! Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 25
Visited by: 281 users
| quirin Posts: 105 From: France  |
The most kicking RC release since Khronos! Strong Oriental feeling, sometimes making the whole a bit unsetteling, but that's part of their dance. Though I think most reviewers often overrate albums, I totally agree with Slayer666 on this one.
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| BloodTears ANA-thema Posts: 11835 From: Portugal  |
I agree with most of what you said, let me just correct you on this one: "Looks like the guys from Rotting Christ put quite some creativity in this magnificent piece of work" Actually, Sakis wrote everything by himself, the other guys are basically just there to do the shows, he is the creative force of the band. It's an excellent melodic black metal album, in the vein of what they did on "Sanctus Diavolos" and some parts of their earlier career. And it can be so aggressive it makes you want to growl  you end up just pretending to growl lol"Rege Diabolicus" defines Rotting Christ as I see them and it's my favourite song on the album. But this album is non-stop, high quality from start to finish. And Rotting Christ continue to evolve in their sound, so that's a plus, gives them extra points for originality. After "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers" and "Sanctus Diavolos" I didn't think they could do better but "Theogonia" is right up there with their other masterpieces.
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia  |
Written by BloodTears on 24.01.2009 at 23:14 I couldn't agree more with you, especailly about Rege Diabolicus. I didn't know about Sakis being the genius, I found out about the band a day before writting the review!
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 From: USA |
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| Umideath Posts: 177 From: Iran  |
Nemecic is the one of best tracks
---- My Top 90 Metal Albums Of 2023 - Part 2 >> https://youtu.be/6Yi7zV9Xo58 - Part 1 https://youtu.be/8F0E_CAfmMM
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece  |
Written by quirin on 24.01.2009 at 12:35 that happens probably because "reviewers" (and i am one of them) most times prefer to write reviews about their favorite albums... (at least the "unexperienced" ones)
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| quirin Posts: 105 From: France |
Written by Deadmeat on 14.05.2009 at 16:48 That's perfectly understandable; I would tend to do the same. But since the rating scale goes from 1 to 10, I think it's confusing never to rate under 7. These days, when I see an unknown album getting a 7.5, I assume it just sucks. And when I see an album rated 4... I don't know yet what I'd be thinking cause I've never seen any (ok, maybe one or two I can't remember, but no more). That doesn't make much sense to me. I'm not complaining though: I enjoy MS reviews a lot (actually they're the only reason why I'm here). But ratings usually are irrelevant.
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Written by quirin on 14.05.2009 at 17:33 IMO -except you are a Reviewer (i mean someone who writes many many reviews for example some staffers)- someone writes a review to show to people the greatness of an album. this that what happens most times. for example if i don't like an album i am not sure i'll review it for 2 reasons: 1) i don't like it so why should i loose my time with it, 2) and if i just couldn't get into it? if i will get into it after some time? should i write against it and then regret it??? this is an example of how many people see it...
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| quirin Posts: 105 From: France |
Quote:Written by Deadmeat on 14.05.2009 at 17:37 Quite right! But doesn't that apply to guest reviews only? I thought the "official" ones were presenting randomly picked albums... Apart from that detail, you made your point and I pretty much share your opinion. Just to let you know: when writing the lines above, I also had in mind absurdly high ratings granted by the community to poor commercial records (which ratings have nothing to do with reviews, of course, but all with the voice of MS users). Hope this clears things up.
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Quote:Written by quirin on 14.05.2009 at 21:27 i giess it clears things up a lot!!!! 
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia |
Trust me, to anyone who appriciates this kind of music even a bit, the rating of 9.3/10 is not just my wild imagination. It's perfectly justified.
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Written by Slayer666 on 15.06.2009 at 00:31 if you read well the 1si post you'll see that the guy tells that in this case he agrees with your rating! and i agree too!!! so no prob!! 
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands  |
@Slayer666 about your scepticism concerning Greek black metal... don't you know the Greek black metal scene started at the same time as the Norwegian one? And that they were highly influential?
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.06.2009 at 00:59 Umm.... well, to be honest, I had no idea. But I've never heard of any such bands. Influental ones, that is. Can you name some?
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Written by Slayer666 on 15.06.2009 at 11:13 Necromantia, Rotting Christ, Varathron are only some of them and i am not a BM specialist...
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by Slayer666 on 15.06.2009 at 11:13 I see that Deadmeta already gave the exact answer I wanted to give.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 15.06.2009 at 14:02 i hope you are not mad at me
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by Deadmeat on 15.06.2009 at 14:08 Of course not
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia |
I've heard both bands, and quite frankly, I'm really not impressed.
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| Deadmeat Necrobutcher Posts: 2437 From: Greece |
Written by Slayer666 on 16.06.2009 at 00:53 we were not talking about if they are nice but about that they were influential...
---- Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Posts: 40071 From: The Netherlands |
Written by Slayer666 on 16.06.2009 at 00:53 You asked for influence and we gave you influential bands. It doesn't matter if you deem them good or not. Hell, I find Hellhammer the biggest crap around and Burzum also crap but I can't deny the influence of both those bands.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466 From: Serbia |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 16.06.2009 at 15:15 Yes, well, don't take me wrong but I just found it quite unbelivable that something as crapy as Necromantia could be influential...
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| NiederHaven Posts: 37 From: Portugal  |
All the tracks are great. None of them I dislike... Nice combinations in this album!  The chorus in Rege Diabolicus, simply don't disappear of my mind! ahahahah
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| hobaleo Account deleted |
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| Yugosaki Posts: 140 From: Bosnia and Herzegovina  |
see you in sarajevo 6.5.2011.
---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaEBpRWr2IA
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