35 Years Of Evil Existence – Live In Lycabettus

When Sakis Tolis embarked on a creative life back in the late ’80s, he chose a name for his band that practically guaranteed him that mainstream success would elude him. ROTTING CHRIST began as a grindcore band, before the lure of the dark side pulled them into black metal’s nascent orbit, where they have resided ever since. Against the odds, Tolis now has the best part of four decades of experience, and a formidable reputation and recorded catalogue that continues to grow in depth and stature with every passing year. Along with single-handedly establishing the Greek black metal sound with albums like 1993’s seminal “Thy Mighty Contract”, ROTTING CHRIST have exceeded even their own lofty expectations and become an enduring benchmark for imaginative and avowedly blasphemous heavy music. Buoyed by the acclaim and attention gained by recent albums “The Heretics” and “Pro Xristou”, they have reached the stage in their careers when every show is a celebration.

On July 29, 2024, ROTTING CHRIST performed at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens, Greece, treating their diehard homegrown fanbase to an indulgent trawl through their esteemed discography. Nearly two hours in length and bulging at the seams with certified classics and cherished deep cuts, “35 Years Of Evil Existence” is a greatest hits record by any other name, with the obvious caveat that bands with names like ROTTING CHRIST do not generally stand a chance in the metal mainstream. This sumptuous live document presents an opposing view: that the band’s artistic integrity and a stoic adherence to first principles have taken them on a long voyage from obscurity to authentic legendary status. As a forthcoming, high profile tour alongside SATYRICON and BEHEMOTH confirms, Tolis has taken occult mysticism and febrile artistry to levels that few thought possible back in black metal’s formative years. It has made all the difference to their fortunes that ROTTING CHRIST are a phenomenal live act, and the strength of their performances has grown hugely over the last decade. “35 Years Of Evil Existence” goes further and deeper than the majority of extreme metal live albums, because this band have a more substantial past than most, and the collective charisma to back up their retrospective cherry-picking. Sonically huge and, as previously stated, demonstrably celebratory, this is the vibrant culmination of 40 years of hard work and determination.

As always, this is a release aimed squarely at the fans, both old school and less so, and a great opportunity to discover (or rediscover) some lost highlights from the ROTTING CHRIST catalogue. The set list is magnificent, with songs taken from 13 of the Greeks’ studio albums and even two songs from 1991’s seminal “Passage To Arcturo” EP to keep the band’s oldest supporters happy. Intriguingly, 2013’s “Kata Ton Daimona Eautou” receives the most attention, with five songs dominating the set and adding plenty to its desired, otherworldly atmosphere. But it is a testament to ROTTING CHRIST‘s consistency and unpredictability that it is virtually impossible to single out any particular album or era as a pinnacle, and some of the most exhilarating moments come from the unlikeliest of sources. Scabrous takes on “King of a Stellar War” (from 1996’s “Triarchy Of Lost Lovers”) and “Among Two Storms” (from 1997’s “A Dead Poem”) punch home the potency of the band’s mid-’90s evolution; a brilliantly gnarly “After Dark I Feel”, which was originally on 1999’s controversial, gothically inclined “Sleep of the Angels”, and the epic, soul-stirring “Under the Name of the Legion” (from 2002’s “Genesis”),showcase the way ROTTING CHRIST became increasingly fearless at the dawn of the millennium; and the grand and austere “Like Father, Like Son” (2024’s “Pro Xristou”) says everything about how Tolis has grown as a songwriter, particularly in recent times. Understandably, the crowd response to every last one of these songs is effusive and sincere, and the pace and flow of the whole thing is expertly executed. Live albums can often be throwaway affairs, but “35 Years Of Evil Existence” is an important account of one of underground metal’s greatest legacies in action.