☆ wzly 91.5 ☆wellesley college's student-run radio station broadcasting 24/7listenMembersAbout usRandomArchiveSubmit a postContact usThe Heretics - Rotting Christ ReviewMay 18, 20190 notesThrough and through, Greek black metal band Rotting Christ never fails to impress its fans. Even after thirty years, they continue to release ethereal black metal bangers– the latest being featured on their thirteenth full-length album The Heretics released in February of this year. In just under 45 minutes, this masterpiece manages to lead you on a dark journey that explores the age-old Rotting Christ theme of mystical occultism vs. classical Judeo-Christianity. This idea, however, extends beyond the music itself and can be seen in the album’s promotional artworks and cover. Bands in the same vein as Rotting Christ– dare I say like blackened death metal band Behemoth– seem to have masterfully branded this religious baroque art meets black metal image and sound.Three words to describe the vibe of this album are esoteric, atmospheric, and heavy. As always with Rotting Christ, the drumming and riffing are solid throughout the album and serve as a foundation for some of the more experimental layering done on top of each track. Do not let that fool you though, although black metal drumming and riffing are notoriously repetitive to the untrained ear, Sakis and Themis keep it fresh with exquisite rhythm changes and meticulously crafted melodies, while honoring their black metal roots. Some artists go ham with experimental layering, trying to incorporate every possible sound into a piece, but on The Heretics, the layering serves to compliment the aforementioned riffing and drumming, and tie together the overall sound and theme of the album. Track intros and outros serve as a mechanism for adding and subtracting layering, as well as transitioning, in and between tracks. A wonderful example of this layering process can be found on the opening track “In the Name of God.” The intro fades in with an atmospheric nature-y noise and the sound of Gregorian chant. An additional spoken layer, an excerpt from Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov (one of many clever references riddled throughout the album), is then incorporated, and when the recitation is complete, the instrumental are introduced immediately, followed by heavy vocals, and then guttural harmonies with the instruments. Later on in the same song, an excerpt of Twain’s “The War Prayer” is spoken. The outro is another spoken bit that references Nietzche’s “will to power” layered on top of ambient noises that follow a light beat. This atmospheric sound and/or spoken piece, instrumentals, and then vocals layering sequence can additionally be heard on “Heaven and Hell and Fire,” “I Believe (Πιστεύω),” “Fire God and Fear,” and “The Voice of the Universe” as well.T