Rotting Christ

According to Jim Mutilator in the book 'Non Serviam', he created the band in 1984 under the name Black Church along with some of his classmates. Later on, Sakis Tolis and Themis Tolis joined Black Church and they changed the name to Rotting Christ in 1987.

From 1987 to 1989, Rotting Christ played grindcore. On their 1989 demo, Satanas Tedeum, their sound shifted towards black metal. In due time, with the release of A Dead Poem, the band's sound evolved towards the dark metal and gothic metal realms, with the blackened elements less prominent. They started going back to their heavier sound on Khronos, and on Sanctus Diavolos they blackened their sound even more. With Theogonia, the band began incorporating folk/world music elements into their music.

In 2012, the band announced that the line-up from their first three albums - Sakis Tolis, Themis Tolis, Mutilator, and George Zacharopoulos - will get together again for a show at the Nuclear War Now! festival in Berlin, Germany, celebrating their 1000th show and only play songs from their first three albums and demos. When the time came for this show, the band actually appeared with the 2012 line-up and not the original as was planned.

In 2016, due to legal issues regarding religious groups in South Africa boycotting the band, they will be performing under the name Χ Ξ Σ there.

In an old interview for a fanzine (which can be found at the Sound Pollution's facebook) while explaining the reason of splitting up, it is said that one of the band members both in Industrial Suicide and formerly in Sound Pollution was Sakis Tolis. It could be possibly a mistake of the editor of the article.

Themis and Jim Mutilator had also a noisecore side-project with members of Sound Pollution called Industrial Resistance and released a 120-songs demo tape in 1989, reissued by F.O.A.D. Records in September 2019 under the title "Light From Deep Darkness".

Contact: sakis@rotting-christ.com

Compilation Appearances:
- "Asthmatic Apoplexy" on Mutilador Compilation Volume II (Mutilador Tapes, 1989)
- "Thyrotoxicosis" on Blasphemous Harmonies Volume 1 (Blasphemous Harmonies Distro., 1989)
- "Asthmatic Apoplexy", "Slaughter of the Innocents" & "Lost in the Wind" on Grand Finale (Rigid, 1989)
- "Chemical Neurosurgery", "Embryonic Necrocannibalism" on Core of... Reality!! (Smell of Silence, 1989)
- "The Nereid of Esgalduin" on Morbid Noise 3 (label unknown, 1990)
- "Feast of the Grand Whore" on Grinding Morbidity Part 2: Chainsaw Treatment (Criterion Tapes, 1990)
- "The Forest of N'gai" on Blasphemous Harmonies Volume 3 (Blasphemous Harmonies Distro, 1991)
- "The Forest of N'gai" on Herrie Tapes - Compilation Tape 2 (Herrie Tapes, 1991)
- "The Forest of N'gai" on Metalmaniac Volume 1 (1991, Tape)
- "Still Snowing" on Best of Death (Vol. 1) (label unknown, 1991)
- "Feast of the Grand Whore" on Death Attack I (label unknown, 1991)
- "Feast of the Grand Whore" on Visions of Canalization Compilation Tape Volume One‎ (Visions of Canalization, 1991)
- "The Nereid of Esgalduin" on Miscarriage of Hell Vol 1 (Antichrist Prom., 1991)
- "The Hills of the Crucifixion" on Tales From Kadath (Arkham Prod., 1991)
- "The Mystical Meeting" on Ave Satanas Vol. 1 (Harri Juvonen, 1992)
- "Fgementh, Thy Gift" on Darkness Prevails (label unknown, 1992)
- "Fgementh, Thy Gift" on Disincarnate Volume 3 (label unknown, 1993)
- "Vicious Joy and Black Delight" on Meganecrosy Volume 2 (label unknown, 1994)
- "Saturn Unlock Avey's Son" on Into The Catachthonium Vol. 1 (Unisound, 1994)
- "Still Snowing" on Hammer Holocaust Vol I (Metal Hammer/Heavy Metal, 1995)
- "Fgementh, thy Gift" on Tenebrarum Opera I (Tenebrarum Prod., 1995)
- "Mortality of a Dark Age" on Into the Catachthonium Vol. 2 (Unisound, 1995)
- "Archon" on Metal Explosion Volume 1 (Adipocere, 1996)
- "Shadows Follow" on If You Can't Beat Us, Join Us - Independent Music for Independent People Vol. 4 (House of Kicks, 1996)
- "Archon" on Pounding Power Volume 1 (Metalized, 1996)
- "The First Field of the Battle" & "King of a Stellar War" on Out of The Dark - Live Compilation (Century Media, 1997)
- "Archon" on Identity 3...D! (Century Media, 1997)
- "Out of Spirits" on Blackend: the Black Metal Compilation Volume 3 (Metal Blade, 1997)
- "A Sorrowful Farewell" on Musica Extrema Volume 1/Issue 1 (Century Media/Heavy Rock Magazine, 1997)
- "A Sorrowful Farewell" on Darkness We Feel - Compilation (CD Club, 1997)
- "Sorrowful Farewell" on Knuckletracks V (Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, 1997)
- "Sorrowful Farewell" on 21st Century Media Blitz (Century Media, 1997)
- "A Sorrowful Farewell" on Hard Rock N°9 (Hard Rock, 1997)
- "Out of Spirits" on ID4 (Identity Four) (Century Media, 1998)
- "Non Serviam" on The Dark Psyche (The End Records, 2006)
- "Black Sabbath" on Sabbath Cadabra, a Greek Tribute to Black Sabbath (Metal Hammer, 2013)
- "Fire and Flame" on The Metal Chapters: Volume One (2018)

*ROTTING CHRIST have reached another peak in their long career that now spans over more than three decades. The Greeks have literally stood the test of time. With a steady core line-up and their well-honed live delivery, ROTTING CHRIST are filling concert halls and reap enthusiastic crowd reactions wherever they go. This demonstration of love from their followers is not just driven by nostalgia as the band has managed to evolve and grow, while staying relevant beyond the classics with their highly acclaimed latest albums such as 'Aealo' (2010), 'Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού' (2013), and 'Rituals' (2016).

With the new offering 'The Heretics', ROTTING CHRIST are opening a brand new chapter. With confidence and skills derived from experience, each song represents its own sonic universe. Guitarist and vocalist Sakis Tolis in collaboration with his brother Themis on drums achieve a perfect balance of amalgamating their classic and unique style of riffing and rhythm with exciting new elements sprinkled in to keep their material exciting and fresh. The experience is enhanced by Jens Bogren's equally clear and transparent yet also massive as well as sombre mix and mastering at his widely renowned Fascination Street Studios (AMORPHIS, BORKNAGAR, MOONSPELL, DEVIN TOWNSEND, and many more).

ROTTING CHRIST were founded by Sakis Tolis and his brother Themis in the year 1987. Starting out on a basis of death and grind, the Greeks had already embarked on a darker musical journey by the time their debut full-length 'Thy Mighty Contract' (1993) was revealed. On the following seven albums covering a ten-year period from 'Non Serviam' (1994) to 'Sanctus Diavolos' (2004), ROTTING CHRIST steadily defined their own distinct style by experimenting with elements from death, heavy, and gothic metal without betraying their black roots. At the same time, the band went from underground heroes to headliner status. With the highly acclaimed ninth album, 'Theogonia' (2007), the Greek stalwarts added an unmistakable native element to their sound, which has remained with them as a signature trademark ever since. Exploring the mythical legacy of cultures around the globe let to ROTTING CHRIST's massively successful latest release, 'Rituals' (2016). With more than 30 years, 13 studio albums, a dozen EPs, singles and split releases, as well as more than 1.250 shows under their belt, 2018 marked the year of 'Their Greatest Spells' (2018), where they musically revisited their exciting legacy to connect their past with the present.

Now 'The Heretics' marks another step in the evolution of the Greek masters. Buckle up for a fascinating musical ride through the woes of religious wars, Zoroastrianism and the eternal war between good and evil. Metal at its best!