Review by Nathan on January 29, 2023.

Counter-intuitively, this is my favorite Rotting Christ album. Based on my tastes, I figured I'd lean more towards the more black metal-oriented stuff, but it turns out that this band isn't really that good at it when they try. The style of Sakis Tolis and co. doesn't work well at conveying a sense of aggression and dread, which is why A Dead Poem succeeds - it has none of that stuff. Really, if it weren't for the raspy vocals, this could easily be lumped in with metalloid sadguy rock like certain eras of Paradise Lost, Anathema and Katatonia. I mean, just listen to that fucking riff that kicks off "Among Two Storms", it sounds like it belongs on a Sum 41 album or something. For reasons beyond my understanding, I really like the riff in context and continue to enjoy it as they come back to it multiple times throughout the song.

It's honestly perplexing that A Dead Poem manages to be so good. On their first few albums, Rotting Christ were much more adventurous, energetic, and complex in their songwriting; from the objective standpoint of a black metal fan, their early work should be superior. Rotting Christ's downfall always seemed to be in their execution, though, and on A Dead Poem they just sound way more comfortable. I don't have a lot of insight into the writing process behind this band, but it just seems like these songs developed a lot more naturally. The drumming is very simple (don't expect anything close to a blast beat on this one), but it gets the point across and the guitar leads alone have enough substance to sustain a full song. It seems like this was the point that the band realized they just weren't cut out for this black metal thing and just decided to write the songs they wanted to write, without worrying about any pretense of extremity. A Dead Poem is Rotting Christ being realistic about their abilities and writing to their strengths.

That's why this manages to be a lot of fun, despite me usually not gravitating towards listless, weepy goth rock stuff. Really, A Dead Poem defies logic in a lot of different ways. By watering down their sound a bit, Rotting Christ got better, which is definitely not the norm for extreme metal. The pompous, flamboyant guitar solos might actually be the best part of the album, even though I usually get turned off by frequent cock-rock wankery. The steady, slow-to-mid-pace and heavy melody should grate against the harsh vocals, but instead, the rasps give shocks of energy to otherwise slow-and-steady songs. It's unfortunate that Rotting Christ felt the need to introduce more extreme elements later on in their career, because it sounds like they unintentionally hit a sweet spot with A Dead Poem, so it's disappointing they didn't really go much further with this style. In a way, though, I guess it's for the best, because I don't know how many times you could get away with being this simple, melodic and inoffensive without it becoming boring or redundant. At least they got it right once.

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Kostas on January 29, 2023.

After the great "Triarchy of The Lost Lovers", Rotting Christ markedly changed their sound. More specifically, "A Dead Poem" is definitely not a black metal album and some may even be surprised by the change and lean towards a lighter and maybe even radio friendly style (although I'm not sure how radio friendly a band with such a name can be). In fact, we are clearly talking about a gothic metal record here. This, of course doesn't mean it is a bad one as well.

It is actually nice that we can listen to some new elements and fresh ideas in this album. The differences are remarkable, with the dark atmosphere having been replaced by an ethereal aura which might not be as sinister as the one of the band's previous record but still manages to invoke feelings of nostalgia. It just does so in a different way. This is due to the aforementiined new elements. One of them is the clean vocals that help build up an enjoyable track. The simplified lyrics and solos also help make "A Dead Poem" more straightforward, although there is nothing too deep to dig into here. There is even a clever instrumental which offers a chill break before the listener moves on to the last two tracks of the album.

Sakis' vocals keep getting better in "A Dead Poem". Moreover, the band has invested in rifts and solos, whch are once again genuine in this album. Unfortunately, the drums still sound a bit boring, being nothing more than the necessary instrument to complete the album. In two words, there is nothing special about them. And, last but not least, production and mixing are descent but I'm pretty sure with a bit more cautiousness they could help this dead poem stand out as an one of its kind record. Especially once bearing in mind the great work that was done with "Triarchy of The Lost Lovers", which was released one year earlier.

All in all, the fourth full-lenghth album of Rotting Christ is another significant piece of art. A different approach for sure, but a good one. To be accurate, it is not a greek metal masterpiece. It is, however, a record that will be appreciated by gothic metal fans and a nice choice to keep you company at times when you sit by the fireplace.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Review by Adam M on December 13, 2014.

Rotting Christ bring forth a very melodic aspect together with a symphonic one. The result is songs that are catchy, but also have the appeal of a strong mood created. With short running times, the outfit is able to get the point of each track across regardless. Each song has a signature melody that is a defining character that makes it a story on its own. The individual track that made a huge impact on me is the title track, which brings an addictive overriding melody to the table. “Ten Miles High” was also a compelling instrumental.

The band certainly isn’t completely folk in nature, but sounds so in a manner that isn’t unlike Borknagar. The band’s sound also has a black metal foundation, but is more drawn towards interesting other aspects much like the music of Borknagar. This should make the music more appealing for fans of a variety of styles. The imagery of this band would seem to indicate a depressing vibe, but I actually found the music on A Dead Poem mildly uplifting. It’s also more melodic than these images might seem to invoke. These are songs that are that have the sing-along aspect of band like Alestorm or Korpiklanni, but with the gothic melodicism of Moonspell or Tiamat.

A Dead Poem also has the most harmonious portions of all the material I’ve heard from the band, so it is a very pleasing collection of songs to listen to. A high quantity of keyboard usage also helps the overall satisfying aura created on this album. The more immediate nature of the music also makes me return to it more often than similar albums of the style. Fans of the bands name-checked should certainly check out this album. It’s an album that has enough quality to be worthy of the re-issue treatment given to it.

Rating: 8.5/10