J-Man
Greek black metal veterans Rotting Christ have made quite a few changes to their sound over the years, but unlike other bands in the genre that have opted for a more polished style, they haven't lost sight of what made them such a great band to begin with. With their eleventh full-length observation, Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού, Rotting Christ offers listeners something that is more polished and bombastic than one may expect from black metal, but it entirely avoids the cheesiness that plagues many other melodic and gothic variants of the genre. Although Rotting Christ may no longer appeal to black metal purists, Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού proves that they are still a force to be reckoned with!
I haven't fully delved into Rotting Christ's discography yet, but from what I can tell, the band took form as a melodic black metal outfit before experimenting with gothic metal and later settling upon a black metal-styled form of melodic extreme metal. Describing the music on Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού is a bit of a challenge, as it doesn't fit into any single genre label - the blasting drum patterns and tremolo-picked guitars are often reminiscent of black metal, but the melodic hooks, choral vocals, and polished production make me question whether or not Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού could really be called a black metal release. Rotting Christ isn't afraid to experiment with more traditional Greek sounds either (especially in "Cine Iubeşte şi Lasă"), and plenty of the guitar leads were clearly inspired by traditional metal - just listen to the dual guitar attack in "Iwa Voodoo"!
What this ultimately means is that Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού is a pretty damn unique album, and although Rotting Christ has been around for over 25 years, I'd venture to say that they're still one of the most innovative acts in black metal. The album's distinctly Greek sound sets it apart from other bands on the scene, and its detailed compositions and convincing delivery also make it one of 2013's most enjoyable extreme metal listens. The Tolis brothers have created something very special with Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού!