Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy (Do What Thou Wilt)

This album is the second volume in a trilogy that saw Rotting Christ, previously a pretty decent blackened death metal band from Greece, become something truly amazing. Its predecessor, AEALO, had incorporated traditional Greek instrumentation and a harpy-like female vocal chorus, and ended with a stunning interpretation of Diamanda Galás’s “Orders From The Dead.” Here, they pursue an almost Soulfly-ish path, delivering thunderous thrash/death metal anthems that explore apocalyptic lore from around the world, including Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Babylonian myth, and even the Maya. Sisters Eleni and Souzana Vougioukli, who perform music from around the world, guest on two tracks, playing piano and singing. The mix of metal and folk melodies and instrumentation is all in service of RC mastermind Sakis Tolis’s interest in the dark, and this album has a genuinely terrifying power.