Search - Rotting Christ :: Mighty Contract

Passionate melodic black/death metal

01/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Thy Mighty Contract, the first full length record from these Greek metal-masters sets a standard of its own in passionate metal. The music flows with immense emotion woven neatly into powerful classic deathmetal styled riffs, the beauty is the fact that all the melody is achieved not by sacrificing the speed but rather using it as the very gateway !!!! It would be wrong to strictly classify this record as black metal rather it is a melodic form of powerful doom/black/death. Rotting Christ definitely compose very passionate music, with just a touch of anger, most vividly exemplified on the track "The signs of evil existence". This album is beyond a doubt a document that displays the finest musicianship imaginable and I would recomend it to anyone who has a liking for metal with brains. It easily makes it into the favourite albums of my life with a perfect 10 out of 10."

"Transform all suffering into plagues"

D. Knouse | vancouver, washington United States | 04/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh my Lord!!! The very first time I heard this dark and sinister slice of Black Metal perfection I kept waiting for a "down" track. You know, a song that just doesn't measure up to the rest of the album? It never happened. I bought "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers" from these guys initially, and with "Thy Mighty Contract" I was expecting a raw and less impressive CD coming from one of their earlier albums. The atmosphere on "Thy Mighty Contract" is "darkness" incarnate. There are occasional keyboard flourishes strewn throughout the album, adding nuance and an incredibly eerie texture reminiscent of evil Doom Metal. The guitar work is stellar, once again. Rotting Christ are known for their great Thrash guitar-work, and they certainly don't disappoint here. I was also expecting muddy production (a la "Darkthrone"), as Black Metal is traditionally rendered, but the guitars are crystal clear, intricate, and invariably memorable. The two bonus tracks are of special note, because normally bonus tracks are less impressive and break the flow of the CD. But here, they are both excellent. This is an outstanding Black Metal album with touches of Doom Metal and loaded with razor-sharp guitar. Excellent!"

An early offering from the black metal masters

David Greenwood | Hanover, MD United States | 12/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As Rotting Christ are the best black metal band I've ever heard, I was very anxious to hear this album, which many consider their best. It's easy to see why. The band's sound on this album is the darkest and most aggressive of any of their releases. Some of the riffs on this album still make my jaw drop (Just listen to "Exiled Archangels" or "Fourth Knight of Revelation"). Still, I wouldn't say it's Rotting Christ's best, since the songwriting isn't quite up to the caliber of their later releases. (My personal favorite RC album is probably Non Serviam, despite it's utterly hideous production). The main problem I have with Thy Mighty Contract is the drummer's tendency to fall back onto simplistic machine-gun drums, which can get a little boring. Anyway, despite the sometimes weak drumming, this album has some of the band's absolute best songs, including my all-time favorite "Coronation of the Serpent". The other highlight on this reissue is the inclusion of two bonus tracks: "Visions of the Dead Lover" (another favorite of mine) and "The Mystical Meeting" which is slower and more doomy than any RC song you'll probably ever find.
Overall, Thy Mighty Contract is an essential album, and Rotting Christ are an essential band."