Rituals by Rotting Christ (CD, 2016)

Rotting Christ - Rituals

All of Rotting Christ's material is worth checking out. Most will prefer the bands first EP and first to second full length album if they are heavily into the black metal genre as for that time it offered something new and distinctive that could not really be found in most of the black metal that could be found elsewhere back in the early 90's. Since then they explored for the most part a slower and more gothic sound while still keeping some of the black metal aspects that kept the band within the general genre definition. In more recent years the band has brought a lot more of those black metal aspects back into their sound from Santus Diavolos onwords and drawing fans from both camps of the the bands sound to that point. From then the band have felt the need to add more and more folk elements into the mix from about Aealo onwards. Rituals shows these folk elements to a large extent have now become a part of the bands sound today that gives it an authentic flavor that draws from the bands homeland region that gave this band a new and distinctive quality in the early days in a different way. The way the band write and present the songs on Rituals hint towards powerful sounds that have come together from some higher place as part of the creative process that should happen when making this type of music. Listen to the second track on this album (Ze Nigmar) and tell me it isn't heavy as hell, and catchy as fuck. There is a diversity throughout the various tracks on this album given the extent of experimentation that has gone into the writing process, so you need an open mind to appreciate all these elements that break out of the black metal mould and results may vary on how you like the album as a whole. Rotting Christ are a force often taken for granted as just another black metal band in the marketplace to many, but to fans and with recent works like Rituals, Rotting Christ are among the most relevant in the black/folk underground scene today as their addition to the Ragnard Rock Festival this year will attest. The band will share stages with other greats of the genre such as Nokturnal Mortum, Graveland, Moonsorrow, Nargaroth, Cruachan, Khors and the like. The bonus track on here, as with that on the bands previous release that came with a flag is certainly no throw away track like you might find on the current Wildfire album by Destroyer 666 that was put out by the same label. This edition also comes with a cool patch and pin, and as of we speak you will be able to get further releases and merch directly from the band from the bands own store.Read full review

Extreme heaviness and class

All songs go straight to the point at their own pace exploring doom, black and death metal with heavy tribal and epic arrangements making this a very fruitful listen. The addition of many important guest musicians from the underground metal scene is just the perfect icing on this cake. The overall sound transports the listener into the worlds of the occult, paganism and -dark- religious mysticism. Totally recommended for Rotting Christ and extreme metal fans alike. Strong contender to album of the year.Read full review

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