Greek Extreme metal stalwarts, the mighty Rotting Christ, have dropped a collection of rare unreleased tracks and covers for the fan for the first time on digital.
These are not new recordings but the originals from B-sides and various long out-of-date releases, however as devotees to one of the underground’s most highly respected acts, it is a welcome addition to a catalogue of music that began in 1987 and has developed over thirteen plus full lengths and a myriad of EP’s that helped define Greek extreme music and reflects their own growth from a grindcore act into a multifaceted black metal outfit.
Beginning with ‘’Astral Embodiment,‘’ A bonus track of the excellent Genesis 2002 album, it contains the signatures from that release.
Powerful melodic, and memorable with the significant growth of Sakis vocals … well, it is so good it should have been on the album. “Moonlight” is a bonus of 1999’s Sleep of the Angels and is more traditional metal orientated with healthy doses of gothic-infused darkness.
“Phobia’ is an excellent extra from Khronos. A guitar driven incredibly heavy mid-tempo nightmare that continued the gothic and doom elements into their music and some well-placed industrial touches. As a real bonus for the true metal head, you get two Kreator covers, the blistering and suitably raw Tormentor and the always excellent one-two of Flag of Hate /Pleasure to Kill.
These loyal vitriolic versions are from the 1996 Triarchy of the Lost Lovers album.
The Apocryphal Spells, Vol. I is an excellent, although far too brief (Volume II is now also available) unexpected surprise that reflects the band’s diversity, development and insight into the artists that inspired and helped create the experimental chameleon and darkness that is their music. A must for any fan and connoisseur of diverse metal.
Rotting Christ: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Century Media Records
Category: EP
Country: Greece
Reviewed by Sparky
