Rotting Christ – Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού (2013)
📀 Album Overview
Artist: Rotting Christ
Album: Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού (translates as “Do What Thou Wilt”)
Release Year: 2013
Genre: Melodic Black Metal, Extreme Metal, Atmospheric Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού is the twelfth studio album by Rotting Christ, showcasing a return to a darker, more ritualistic, and extreme black metal sound while retaining the melodic and atmospheric elements the band had developed over the previous decade.
The album is heavier and more aggressive than their 2000s releases, emphasizing brutal riffs, blast beats, and dark, chant-like vocals, while still incorporating melodic guitar leads and symphonic keyboard layers for an epic, cinematic feel.
🎵 Tracklist
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Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού
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The Fifth Illusion
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The Sign of Prime Creation
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Orders from the Dead
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Anemoi
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Thanatiphoro Anthropos
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Arcana Imperii
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The Call
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In Nomine Dei Nostri
The album blends fast, brutal tracks with atmospheric and melodic passages, emphasizing ritualistic and mystical themes.
🌑 Sound & Style
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Aggressive melodic black metal with atmospheric and symphonic elements
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Heavy emphasis on blast beats, tremolo-picked guitars, and dark melodic leads
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Vocals: guttural growls, chanting, and occasional melodic overlays
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Lyrical themes: Satanism, mysticism, Greek mythology, personal philosophy, and ritual
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Production: modern and polished, enhancing clarity while keeping the extreme metal intensity
Influences include:
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Bathory
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Emperor
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Venom
The album represents a balance of extreme black metal aggression and the melodic, cinematic style developed by the band over the past two decades.
🔥 Standout Tracks
🎶 Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού
Title track: dark, aggressive, and ritualistic, establishing the album’s thematic and sonic tone.
🎶 Orders from the Dead
Fast and intense, blending melodic leads with relentless black metal rhythms.
🎶 Anemoi
Atmospheric and epic, with symphonic textures and cinematic layering.
🎶 Arcana Imperii
Haunting and ritualistic, combining melodic guitar passages with deep chants.
🎙️ Band Lineup (2013)
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Sakis Tolis – Vocals, Guitar
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Themis Tolis – Drums
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Androniki Skoula – Bass
Additional musicians provided keyboards, orchestral layers, and backing vocals, adding ritualistic and cinematic depth.
🎨 Cover Art
The artwork of Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού reflects the album’s ritualistic and occult themes:
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Color Palette: Dark, muted shades of black, gray, and deep crimson, evoking a sense of occult mystique and menace
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Imagery: Features a dark, shadowy figure surrounded by ritualistic symbols, with a mystical and almost otherworldly environment
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Mood: Dark, solemn, and ritualistic, reflecting the album’s cinematic and extreme tone
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Logo: Classic spiky black metal font, anchoring the band in their extreme metal roots
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Texture: Painterly, detailed, and atmospheric, evoking both mystery and menace
The cover visually conveys the album’s blend of melodic black metal, extreme aggression, and occult ritual.
🎸 Fun Facts
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The album title translates to “Do What Thou Wilt”, referencing the concept of following one’s personal guiding principle.
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Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού represents a return to more extreme and aggressive black metal compared to the melodic focus of their previous 2000s releases.
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The album incorporates ritualistic chanting, symphonic keyboards, and epic arrangements, giving it a cinematic and darkly atmospheric feel.
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Fans consider it a modern classic of Greek extreme black metal, blending tradition with contemporary production.
❓ Did You Know?
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Tracks like “The Fifth Illusion” and “Arcana Imperii” highlight the band’s ritualistic and mystical approach, reminiscent of early black metal roots.
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The album was praised for its production, clarity, and balance between aggression and melody.
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This album solidified Rotting Christ’s reputation as one of Greece’s leading extreme metal exports on a global scale.
🌌 Legacy
Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού is regarded as a key release in modern Greek black metal, successfully combining extreme aggression, melodic sophistication, and cinematic atmosphere.
It continues to influence melodic and ritualistic black metal bands, reinforcing Rotting Christ’s role as innovators in the international extreme metal scene.
Rotting Christ Full Discography
Download Rotting Christ Albums from Amazon Music
More Albums:
Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract (1993)
Rotting Christ - Non Serviam (1994)
Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers (1996)
Rotting Christ - A Dead Poem (1997)
Rotting Christ - Sleep of the Angels (1999)
Rotting Christ - Sanctus Diavolos (2004)
