36 albums and make front covers in magazines. Satanas Tedeum in 1989 was a grindcore/black metal demo. ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ in 2013 is multicultural dark metal. The sound story of Rotting Christ so far! This is the reason why I feel so happy, because I manage to compose dark music. And you do that using the “five-tone climax” from Epirus; a difficult task indeed. The most difficult thing is not to sound comical, ‘cause the line is so thin. To me the fact that you are the mastermind of Rotting Christ helps the band to combine and mix these different sounds effectively. It’s easier for one person to give the right music direction than two or three guys.
age video of “In Domine Satanas” DVD, where a guy from Venezuela is pounding his chest, screaming: Rotting Christ My Heart. This is why we love this “job”. This is our reward because as you know the band’s finances are not the best. I am familiar with your underground beliefs, which you support by releasing from underground labels like Nuclear War Now, even you become more popular through the years. Your last release was an awesome triple vinyl edition of Apocathylosis, Dawn of the Iconoclast and Ade’s Wind. I fuckin’ love it, releasing 7” inch EPs, no matter how strange it sounds. I also like the non-conformity of Rotting Christ. I personally like this attitude Sakis. You have never denied the underground roots of Rotting Christ.
“When I formed the band I had a dream to play on stage for just one time. Few months ago I celebrated 1000 gigs. I haven’t imagined that”. I agree 100% with you. This is the third album released by Season Of Mist. I suppose that you are satisfied by the label in question. You cannot be 100% satisfied by a label because there are contradictory interests. Season of Mist isn’t as big as Century Media but they treated us as a top-priority band by promoting our work and pushing the new release, so we are happy about this collaboration. 25 years since the band was formed; did you imagine back then that Rotting Christ would be in the front line of metal in 2013? When I formed the band I had a dream to play on stage for just one time. Few months ago I celebrated 1000 gigs. I haven’t imagined that. If I were thinking that I will do this and that, then I wouldn’t do anything. When I started playing my music I wouldn’t dream of success and stuff like that, because underground never forgives. Ten years ago I couldn’t imagine that I would keep playing and releasing albums. I like fighting for my ideas, for my music, which can keep company to someone in Brazil. I remember a scene on the footBurst { music magazine }
we do in the next album? You have earned many achievements. One of the greatest to me is that you have been in the front line of the Greek Metal Scene. You were the Pioneers of Hellenic Black Metal Wave in the early 1990s and 25 years later you are still kicking some serious ass. I appreciate the fact you are helping new bands with guest appearances like my friends “Nekkar”. How do you see the Greek Metal scene nowadays? As you said we have been in the front line of Greek metal scene for many years. In the early 1990s there were a lot of bands who created the Hellenic Metal sound, but we are the ones who stayed. Through difficult times we have toured every place in the world, guided by our love for music. We’ve never given up. Now we are very happy to see that more and more Greek bands realize how the things should be done. They played in world tours and festivals and they prove that there is another Greece, apart from the Greece of economic crisis. It is a country with a cultural presence. Which is your favorite track in ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ album?
Because we are underground man! We have never denied it and we never will. This is our perception on metal.
Don’t ask me that. As a composer I treat each and every song I’ve written as a child of mine. Which is your favorite?
Gods and Demons: They attract you and repel you at the same time. In the case of Rotting Christ, gods and demons inspire your music. What do you find appealing in such stories?
It’s ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ but I also liked very much the one written in Romanian.
I like these stories. I like tripping when I write my music. I’m interested in Ancient Gods and everything with a dark concept. Some people may say: Which is the meaning of all these? Sometimes there is no specific meaning. I want the listener tripping with me and my music. I don’t write cheap lyrics like Fuck Society and Hail Satan. I just write a story and the meaning is up to you. ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ is the third album of a trilogy started with Theogonia and then Aealo. There are many people who highlight this and I don’t have a reason to disagree. The nuggets of ΚΑΤΑ ΤΟΝ ΔΑΙΜΟΝΑ ΕΑΥΤΟΥ were first listenable to Theogonia and your new album finishes off them. You’re right. So the question is what do
Many people shared this thought. I also love your Diamanda Galas cover on Orders from the Dead. Me too. What about your Tour plans? We just booked a tour in Latin America and there are yet more to come: Europe, Greece, everywhere. Rotting Christ is an active live band and our official pages can help our fans in finding out what’s next. Any other projects you are involved? Thou Art Lord for example. We are writing the new Thou Art Lord album now. Then I am committed to Rotting Christ 24/7 and I really like it. Thanks a lot Sakis. I’m honored! Thank you too Spiros. I wish we share some words in a Rotting Christ concert. Till the next time… NON SERVIAM!