Rotting Christ, the band name from hell that haunted parents and religious bigots all over the world for the last 35 years or so. Yet, this band became a firm staple of this here zine. And we’re not done with it.
The band just announced a new record for this Year of the Dark Lord 2024, and it’s thus time to get yet another look at the past. Old, tasty slabs of early Extreme Metal that we haven’t quite savored yet. Metal wisdom from a time that didn’t sport too much metallic fare (yet). The 1997 piece A Dead Poem might just contain some of that archaic knowledge. Because – you see – The Heretics of 2019 didn’t quite sync with us. So, let’s have at it.
If anything, Rotting Christ and their unforgiving ways led to a medley of ever-conflicting specialist opinions. And that’s understandable. The band’s volatile and – at the same time – agile choice of styles, moods, and flavors can ignite the ire of some. Play what thou wilt, right? Thy Mighty Contract and Non Serviam pretty much kept to the blackened waters of the Dark Arts. But already the always slightly nauseating and often tedious Triarchy of the Lost Lovers veered off into Doom and Death Metal realms. And despite the annoying snare sound that would grow to unholy fame through later machinations of Metallica1 and other shortcomings, it still sported a reasonable rating.
So, understandably, A Dead Poem filled us with some premonitions as we fired it up for review, and none of ’em good. This record once again changes direction. Away from doom into a darkly gothic realm, full of blackened items and Death Metal antics. But the moment the burly riffing on Sorrowful Farewell took off, things started to look a bit more lively. Melodic to a point, the songs surge forward at a moderately brisk, yet still majestically mid-tempo pace that would later become a trademark of the band of sorts.
It thus came as no surprise that some adepts of the fiery pit had a hissy fit about the change of direction. In truth, one can indeed argue that Rotting Christ attempted to grab a piece of the vile mainstream to move them out of the underground some. And who can blame them? Let’s face it, metal’s smelly underbelly won’t disgorge a lot of monies to keep yer boat afloat.
On the other hand, it all depends on how a band attempts that move away from the pvre blackened fare. And RC here just put the pedal to the metal. Their former works were barebone to a point, built on frugal song structures. A Dead Poem is much louder than its predecessor, full of the aforementioned brutal riffing, sometimes otherwordly solos, and Sakis Tolis‘ vile rasps, snarls, whispers, and other musings. The amplification of the Gothic element surges to the forefront best in Among Two Storms which sports guest vocals of none other than Fernando Ribeiro of the still fresh Moonspell. Interestingly, both bands must have fed off each other. Between Times strangely sounds like some fare Moonspell would embrace later on. Rotting Christ didn’t shy away from experimenting either. The RMR reviewers got a kick out of the core-ish pseudo-rap suddenly surging to the forefront on Semigod.
So, what are the choice cuts on A Dead Poem? The thoughtful title track with its jazzy beginnings hooked us first. The gritty As If By Magic mesmerized the crew over here with its almost ritualistic airs and powerful sampling. The aforementioned Semigod dazzled us with its powerful riffing flowing in on an almost Heavy Metal-esque guitar setting. If anything, this track probably takes the cake over all the others.
Finally, we couldn’t find much amiss on A Dead Poem. If anything, toward the end of the tracklist, the record lost some of its luster and – for sure – the general direction. To the point that Ira Incensus sounds like something Tiamat might have concocted. On the other hand, taking Xy of Samael on board as a keyboardist and producer was a good thing. Definitely. Also, many of the elements on this record already hinted at what was to come later. New undercurrents that would lurch into view much later on Aealo and add fuel to the vicious Sanctus Diavolis for good measure.
Ultimately, the RMR crew found itself a hidden gem in the Rotting Christ discography. If you are an adept of the first trilogy of records, then A Dead Poem may not be to your taste. If, however, you like yourself a piece of sturdy, red-blooded Extreme Metal, you may want to give this metal antique a thorough spin.
You won’t be disappointed.
Ed’s note: Also, check out the Blasts from the Past list for 2024. Juicy and old content awaits you there.
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Century Media | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 13 July 19972