Album Review

Rotting Christ - The Heretics

So I've spent a large portion of my Sunday trying to remember who it was who first introduced me to Rotting Christ. It was around 2007 as I was given a copy of 'Theogonia' to check out as they were raving about it, and I was immediately sucked into the Rotting Christ universe. Not only did I run out and buy 'Theogonia', but also a pile of other albums to go with it. 'A Dead Poem', 'Sleep of the Angels', and 'Khronos' were all invested in, and classics the lot of them turned out to be. Rotting Christ were the anti-Christianity black metal band with Gothic overtones I then set about telling everyone they should be listening to. I sure owed a beer to the person (who ever it was) who borrowed me that first CD.

Now in recent history there has been some differing views on the output of the band. 2016's 'Rituals' in particular grinding many peoples gears with its much more melodic approach to black metal, focusing on creating an atmosphere to host the still anti-Christianity themes and more subtle in its approach. I understood peoples disdain to the style, and disagreed with it. 'The Heretics' is Rotting Christ's 13th album since the debut 26 years ago, I would have long since ditched listening to the new albums if they were putting out exactly the same time and time again. They have evolved their sound over the years, they have lost fans doing this, but will have gained new ones who like the more melodic approach. Yes the style is different, but the music is still consistently good.

Well I have good news for the people who didn't enjoy 'Rituals', you don't have to spend 43 minutes of your life this week listening to this album, because you wont enjoy it as its the same approach as 'Rituals'. I also have good news for the people who did like that album, 'The Heretics' is even better than it. It takes the same approach but the overall narrative is delivered in a much more rounded package. The album starts off with operatic vocals and spoken words on 'In the Name of God' before building a fist in the air cacophony of fury and rabid intent around melody, atmosphere and chugging riffs, this is the call to arms of the entire album, a bunch of tracks which take the same component parts of the operatic vocals (Most notably 'Vetry Zlye'), riffs (standout 'Heaven & Hell & Fire') and atmosphere ('I Believe') with each song still retaining its own identity, the highlight of the album possibly being the hellacious 'Fire God and Fear' featuring the best solo on the album and a magnificent build up of gothic tension throughout, its a perfect example of how and why Rotting Christ have evolved their sound to what we have.

A couple of notes on the album, 'Hallowed Be Thy Name' is not an Iron Maiden cover rather an atmospheric gem with shades of My Dying Bride and a slow storm of vocals, and 'The Raven' is a cover of the legendary Edgar Allen Poe poem, closing the album with the famous lyrics of the late Baltimore based wordsmith which fit the overall climate of the album perfectly, its an inspired choice to use with its dark undertones and carries a massive amount of weight. 

I have no doubt that the detractors will have a field day with this album as its not a return to old style Rotting Christ, but reviewing the piece holistically on its own merits as a melodic, Gothic black metal album, I think its fantastic. Few bands still sound so irreverent and furious at what they did 13 albums ago as Rotting Christ do, they have an axe to grind with Christianity, and they're not going to stop any time soon 

KC

9/10

Top Tracks - 'Fire God and Fear', 'Heaven & Hell & Fire'