By 1993 Rotting Christ had six years behind them, a string of demos and the 1991 EP “Passage to Arcturo”. “Thy Mighty Contract” was their first full-length album, released by French Osmose Productions, and in eight tracks it captures the whole transition from the grindcore sound of the early days to a black metal with its own Mediterranean colour.
Country: Greece
Genre: Black Metal
For fans of: Varathron, Necromantia, Samael
The recording took place in November and December 1992 at Molon Lave Studio in Athens, with the band producing alongside George Osmak. On the record you hear Necromayhem (Sakis Tolis) on vocals and guitars, Necrosauron (Themis Tolis) on drums, Jim Mutilator on bass and lyrics, and Magus Wampyr Daoloth of Necromantia on keyboards — the keyboards that have since become a trademark of their sound. The sound is warm and deliberately dirty, against the cold Scandinavian sound of the era.
The album’s year was packed. In 1993 the band toured on the “Fuck Christ Tour” with Immortal and Blasphemy, while Euronymous of Mayhem had shown interest in releasing them through Deathlike Silence Productions before he was murdered. The album keeps earning its place: “Decibel” put it at number 18 on its list of the 100 best black metal albums of all time and “Loudwire” at number 7 on its own. In 1998 Century Media reissued it with two tracks from the EP “Αποκαθήλωσις” and in 2023 a double vinyl came out for its 30th anniversary, with live performances from that tour.
Our take
This is the record that showed Greek black metal could have a face of its own, without copying the north. “The Sign of Evil Existence” and “The Fourth Knight of Revelation” remain among the strongest tracks in their catalogue.
See also
23 Greek Black Metal gems · Varathron – Patriarchs of Evil · Rotting Christ – Tribute · Rotting Christ – Non Serviam
