Review by Kostas on September 9, 2023.

It is a fact. After 32 years, countless releases and live shows, Rotting Christ release their thirteenth full-lenghth album, The Heretics. A continuation to the obscure Rituals and admittedly a record I wasn't sure what to expect from. Many people bear mixed feelings about this band. Old school fans are disappointed, others are excited for the new music and so on. I'll try to be objective and write a review about the music only.

It is obvious from the very start that there are going to be many symphonic elements in this album. The gregorian chants and multiple vocal styles help build an awesome atmosphere which is present throughout the record. It is not exactly dark. I'd say rather sinister. A mix of awe and glory, definitely the outcome of the aforementioned vocal influences combined with the classic Rotting Christ riffs. These riffs are dynamic, clever and catchy. And they actually work as the power plant of The Heretics, providing the rest of the music with energy and aggression and evolving all the musical compositions to the next level. It is really a pity that drumming and most bass lines are once again rather boring, preventing one more record from standing out as a gem.

Although no gem, The Heretics is still a very good album. We could say it is a combination of everything good about Rotting Christ. There are the great old guitar rifts, the incredible solos, Sakis' extreme vocals... and of course numerous legendary quotes from the big heretics of the past. Well, to be honest, I think they overdid it with the quotes in this one. There is just too much talking in The Heretics. But anyway, there is nothing new, really. Besides some female vocals in 'Ветры злые', everything else is something you have heard in a past release by the band. From the gothic melodies of 'Sleep Of The Angels' to the battle hymns of 'Aealo', I could spot elements from every single album of Rotting Christ. Do you really want to know what this record sounds like? Imagine all these past styles, combined with some rather uninspired simplistic lyrics and many chants. This is what The Heretics sounds llike.

I know, that's not bad for many metalheads out there. I actually caught myself enjoying most of the tracks as well. This is catchy, quality music for sure, at least to an extent. However, I'd love to hear more and I know this band can achieve more than recycling themselves over and over. Adding some symphonies is unfortunately not enough to create a new album. In the end, I'm glad this album is well-written and I'm pretty sure many people who don't know the band will find it very enjoyable. But I also know it could be much more than just enjoyable.

Rating: 7.7 out of 10