“I can play any rig anywhere and have the same sound. They know what they are doing at the Darkglass headquarters!” – Kostas Heliotis on celebrating 35 years of Rotting Christ

Rotting Christ, formed in 1987 by brothers Sakis and Themis Tolis, have solidified their position in the metal scene with a distinct blend of melodic black metal and thematic richness. As they mark their 35th year, they are gearing up to release their fourteenth studio album, Pro Xristou, scheduled for release on 24 May 2024 through Season of Mist. The upcoming album examines the resistance against the advance of Christianity, featuring themes of ancient wisdom and rebellion. With this release, Rotting Christ aims to maintain their characteristic sound while introducing new narratives that resonate with both their origins and their ongoing evolution in the genre.

Bassist Kostas Heliotis discusses his gear preferences for live performances, particularly with the new album’s material. “My number one bass for some years now is a Spector Euro 4 Classic,” says Heliotis. “It’s a bass you can’t go wrong with. With the Classic series, they replicated the ’80s Spector basses and they nailed it. The look and the tone just scream ’80s, which is my favourite decade for metal. It features EMG pickups with the BTS preamp system, which shapes the tone quite easily.”

The Euro Classic series revives the Spector basses famous in the 1980s for their distinctive shape and powerful sound. These basses are built with a North American Maple body, a three-piece maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with mother-of-pearl inlays. Featuring EMG electronics and available in Metallic Gold and Metallic Blue finishes, the Euro Classic offers both 4-string and 5-string models to suit various playing styles.

“I can play any rig anywhere and have the same sound. They know what they are doing at the Darkglass headquarters!”

Heliotis also details his use of Ampeg amps, essential for their power in live settings: “I want to be dead simple when touring and travelling. I have a bunch of pedals at home but for the road, I just use a tuner and a Darkglass Microtubes B7K. I can play any rig anywhere and have the same sound. They know what they are doing at the Darkglass headquarters! As for the amps, I always use an Ampeg SVT Classic with an 8×10 Ampeg cab. The reason for this is just raw power. It puts the bass in the mix where it belongs. So I give the signal straight from the Darkglass to the board and I also have my cab mic’d; the sound engineer uses a blend of those two signals.”

The album’s composition necessitates a robust bass presence to complement its melodic richness. Heliotis aims for a sound that is both substantial and dynamic: “The ‘Pro Xristou’ songs are epic with a lot of melodies so the backbone must be really tight. I just want to have a big tone with some grit, groove with the drums, and maybe throw a bass lick here and there when the guitars are having a break.”

“I think Sakis nailed it with the concept of the album.”

The historical content of Pro Xristou impacts the band’s performances, enhancing the emotional and atmospheric intensity of their live shows. “I am always excited on stage, especially when new songs are on the setlist,” Heliotis notes. “I think Sakis nailed it with the concept of the album. The lyrics and the melodies give chills down your spine. Every time we go on stage it always feels like going to a battle, especially when the crowd is going crazy, which happens almost every show.”

“[The album] is a tribute to those who resisted the coming of Christianity, which destroyed all the values, traditions, and knowledge of the ancient world.”

Kostas Heliotis reflects on how Pro Xristou both connects with and evolves from Rotting Christ’s foundational themes, particularly in celebration of the band’s 35th anniversary: “The theme of the album was inspired by the might of ancient pagan wisdom. It’s a tribute to those who resisted the coming of Christianity, which destroyed all the values, traditions, and knowledge of the ancient world. As for the sound, the album was once again mixed and mastered in Fascination Street Studios in Sweden by the mighty Jens Bogren, who really captured the essence and the aesthetics of the band and did justice to the concept of the album. Right now, we are on a world tour celebrating 35 years of existence of Rotting Christ. The catalogue of the band is really big but we managed to put some songs from the new album on the setlist, and you can tell by the audience that they rightfully earned their spot.”

Pro Xristou is available for pre-order through Season of Mist.