Rotting Christ
Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers

“Triarchy of the Lost Lovers” is an album of great importance in the discography of a band like Rotting Christ. In the continuous evolution of the Greeks' music, it is this album, dated 1996, that marks the first real change in style compared to previous records.

“Triarchy…” is the album where RC introduces a real Gothic vein into their music-making, a vein that will be present to a lesser or greater extent in their subsequent albums. Compared to the previous chapter, that “Non Serviam” which has become an icon of Hellenic metal, the songs on this new effort slow down to more restrained rhythms, although some outbursts survive here and there, in tracks like “Archon” or “Shadows Follow,” all under the guidance of Sakis's guitar which plays the undisputed leading role.

Therefore, there is objectively little Black Metal to be found, in favor of this Gothic that has imposed itself in the music of Rotting’ by slowing it down and revolutionizing it. The melodies woven by the frontman with his six strings are the core of the album and achieve the mission of never being predictable or banal: and be careful, their assimilation may take more time than one might expect.

But in this case, there is the classic “exception that proves the rule”: the album opener is a dazzling piece that knows how to captivate the listener like few others right from the start. “King of a Stellar War” is a truly compelling song, brimming with energy that bursts at full throttle for all six-plus minutes of its duration. But don’t envision a track with blasting drums and angry screams here and there, because it is a mid-tempo crafted with the most winning melodies of the entire album and, also in general, of Rotting’s discography. With these promises, I also recommend listening to “King of a Stellar War” live, from the 2009 CD/DVD, “Non Serviam – A 20 Years Apocryphal Story,” in a tear-jerking performance full of pathos.

Speaking more generally, the nine tracks are quite similar among themselves, both in the sensations evoked and in structure, and “King of a Stellar War” is nothing but their manifestation at its highest levels. They are all songs permeated with a certain sought-after underlying melancholy that in some cases becomes even unsettling.

Unsettling like “Diastric Alchemy” and its sharp guitars, in one of the album's most successful solutions. “Snowing Still” is instead the most melancholic and aching track of all, an abyss of despair in its slowness, accompanied by vocals and lyrics that here cut like never before. Another noteworthy track is “The First Field of the Battle,” its melody guiding us hand-in-hand to the album’s close, a more relaxed piece than others, serving as a perfect final shading for “Triarchy of the Lost Lovers.”

It’s not a masterpiece, but still “Triarchy…” is a very good album, crucial for the musical growth of Rotting Christ, its influences reaching into their more recent albums. It is a must-see for fans of this extraordinary band and might also appeal to those who habitually enjoy Gothic, even though we are dealing with a very particular work.

A final note also on the cover, a perfect description of the music inside the album, in its lack of color, in its shading, in its harsh lines it provokes a certain anguishing feeling of going beyond, sensations similar to those released by listening to the tracklist.

Recommended.