Have a feeling this will be really good.

The tracklist reads like a compilation of cover versions Maidens, Bathory, Dream Theatre, Powerwolf...

"The Raven" is supposedly a take on the poem by Edgar Allan Poe.

AMG are far from convinced: https://www.angrymetalguy.com/rotting-christ-the-heretics-review/
I hope they are wrong, guess we'll see in a couple of days.

On the other hand here's a much more positive review:
https://www.sonicperspectives.com/album-reviews/rotting-christ-the-heretics/

edit: My verdict after a couple listens is that it is on par with "Kata", not as many standout tracks but more even throughout, definitely better than Rituals. I like how they have brought back a lot of influences from their earliest albums in the guitarwork. Could do without a couple of tracks that sound completely rehashed but hey, it's Rotting Christ and their latest trademarked brand of stadium black metal ain't going anywhere soon.

(note on the "rehashed" comment: are they gonna record a blatant copy of "666" for every album from now on? No rocket science involved in figuring out which track I refer to here)

How many times they said word "fire" ?
did someone count ?

Written by Netzach on 13.02.2019 at 16:10

it is on par with "Kata", not as many standout tracks but more even throughout, definitely better than Rituals.

No, no and no for me, I'm afraid.

So for me Rituals was bad. Really bad. It was their worst album by far. As a huge RC fan, I was really disappointed with Rituals and I wanted to believe it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for a band like RC to do an album worse than Rituals. I was wrong...

Written by christmas.inHell on 15.02.2019 at 00:15

How many times they said word "fire" ?
did someone count ?

Probably as many times as "desire"..

Written by Netzach on 15.02.2019 at 18:17

Written by christmas.inHell on 15.02.2019 at 00:15

How many times they said word "fire" ?
did someone count ?

Probably as many times as "desire"..

And "pyre"..

It's a very solid album. It still recycles riffs and melodies from the last 3-4 albums, but this is more melodic and reminiscent of their "A Dead Poem"/"Sleep of the Angels" era.
It blends perfectly all their elements from "A Dead Poem" till "Rituals".
There are some standout tracks, some decent ones and some are just indifferent. Also, there's a LOT of talking, I mean, a LOT; to the point of it being considered a negative feature of the whole record.
All in all, I enjoyed this better that "Rituals", and definitely better than that abomination called "Aealo"

Written by Liafev on 18.02.2019 at 14:47

Written by BLIND GUARDIAN on 15.02.2019 at 12:25

So for me Rituals was bad. Really bad. It was their worst album by far. As a huge RC fan, I was really disappointed with Rituals and I wanted to believe it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for a band like RC to do an album worse than Rituals. I was wrong...

Giving 2 to an album like that shows great objectivity and knowledge about music man

Knowledge about music.... Says the guy who gave Gojira - The Link and Lustre - Wonder a perfect 10

AMG gave this a 3/10 (1.5/5) and they don't know about music either. If you read around, yes there are quite a lot of people who don't like this album and I'm entitled to my opinion. Going around offending people for their ratings tells me that you need more excitement in your life man... Horns up

What are these "Hyeven" and "Hyell" he keeps screaming about?...

Written by BLIND GUARDIAN on 15.02.2019 at 12:25

So for me Rituals was bad. Really bad. It was their worst album by far. As a huge RC fan, I was really disappointed with Rituals and I wanted to believe it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for a band like RC to do an album worse than Rituals. I was wrong...

Seriously? 2? 2=Pure Shit. So, The Heretics is Pure Shit as an album? I'm no RC fan but if an album has good, or in this case great, production and is decently performed it deserves at least a 6 (Average). I get that you don't like it but you've got to try and be fair with all the work that goes into making an album...

Written by BLIND GUARDIAN on 18.02.2019 at 20:54

Written by Liafev on 18.02.2019 at 14:47

Written by BLIND GUARDIAN on 15.02.2019 at 12:25

So for me Rituals was bad. Really bad. It was their worst album by far. As a huge RC fan, I was really disappointed with Rituals and I wanted to believe it would have been IMPOSSIBLE for a band like RC to do an album worse than Rituals. I was wrong...

Giving 2 to an album like that shows great objectivity and knowledge about music man

Knowledge about music.... Says the guy who gave Gojira - The Link and Lustre - Wonder a perfect 10

AMG gave this a 3/10 (1.5/5) and they don't know about music either. If you read around, yes there are quite a lot of people who don't like this album and I'm entitled to my opinion. Going around offending people for their ratings tells me that you need more excitement in your life man... Horns up

No one is robing you of your opinion, we are just telling you that you're factually incorrect...

be cool and stop bashing the artists you love for not making the same albums over and over again

Great production, execution and atmosphere but I'm not a huge fan of any of the tracks.

Written by BloodOnTheCeilin on 20.02.2019 at 13:16

What are these "Hyeven" and "Hyell" he keeps screaming about?...

Maybe he is screaming in the name of god.

Drinking game idea:
Take a shot every time you hear something you heard before on their previous 3 albums

I think their genre should be changed to 'Environmental Black Metal' in honour of how much they reuse & recycle.

Written by Nefarious on 21.02.2019 at 10:13

I think their genre should be changed to 'Environmental Black Metal' in honour of how much they reuse & recycle.

I've written something very similar in the review I am doing for this. Telepathy

Written by nikarg on 16.02.2019 at 13:30

Written by Netzach on 15.02.2019 at 18:17

Written by christmas.inHell on 15.02.2019 at 00:15

How many times they said word "fire" ?
did someone count ?

Probably as many times as "desire"..

And "pyre"..

And "empire"...

Ok after a couple listens this is a solid 7/10 (and by solid I mean it is very close to exactly 7.0 in score) for me; a little more interesting than "Rituals", but not by much, and falls just short of "Kata...". Also, it is probably never a good sign when you have a hard time distinguishing the drums from the guitars (the mix is very flat and bad, mkay).

Written by Guest on 20.02.2019 at 17:19

be cool and stop bashing the artists you love for not making the same albums over and over again

Agreed, generally... Too bad in this case RC are deservingly getting bashed for making the same album over and over.

Actually, I don't really care they've done it AGAIN. I mean, every month literally hundreds of metal albums are being released. If you want to hear something else but RC's previous album: listen to something else but RC's recent album, goddammit.
The only thing to blame Rotting Christ for is that they have proven to be able - able to write great songs and to deliver great albums. They have proven it with Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers, with Sanctus Diavolos and with Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy*.
Why didn't they just do it AGAIN, whereas repetition seems to be their most favorite occupation of the decade?

Besides, it pissed me off hearing that (quite nice) bonus track right after paying for the digipak with no bonus.
Furthermore, I can have foreign languages for free - any Wednesday and any Friday. I just go to the vegetable market and it will not cost me 17,- Euro.
What I am trying to say: some more metal (= less speech) would have been nice.

Anyway, I love track #8 and the rest is more or less okay and what I had expected.

*no, I didn't forget Theogonia or Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers - I just like the aforementioned albums a tiny little bit more.

I was not expecting a good album but I enjoyed it. Of course it is not one of their best, but keeping interest for a band in their 13th album means something.
Highlights:
02. Ветры злые (Vetry Zlye)
03. Heaven & Hell & Fire
06. ΠΙΣΤΕΥΩ (I Believe)
07. Fire, God And Fear
08. The Voice Of Universe
10. The Raven

This is an amazingly solid album. Rituals may have had a few really stand out tracks, but this one was more consistant. It was awesome starting out and stayed awesome all the way through. Badass.

Can't get enough of this shit. :banger:

Not as bad as few reviewers have mentioned. I know they have recycled their own tunes but then they are their music and no other band sound like them. I really enjoyed and it's worth listening again and again. Raven is classic.

Raven sounded like "A Forest of Stars" song, I seriously thought they had their vocalist featured. For a Blck Metal band this album has a lot of Christian hymns. It does add to the fun. I am happy they went the rituals direction, I loved that album and I am loving this too.

I have mixed/meh feelings about this one. Most tracks on this LP is Rotting Christ by the numbers. 'Heaven & Hell & Fire' starts with 30 seconds of boring intro, then at some point a riff straight from In Flames. There are three tracks here that have so much spoken word on them it feels like I'm listening to a podcast. This whole record is not bad but for me it's just boring. It lacks ferocity and well...fresh ideas

If a stupid Persian fellow, like myself, were to translate the 8th track's title (which is Arabic), it would have been: The Voice of the Arse!