Customer Reviews

Non Serviam (A 20 Year Apocryphal Story)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This 2 CD/2 DVD bargain contains possibly the best metal that I have ever heard. Don't confuse with their older studio album of the same name, as Amazon seems to have. These amazing live performances seamlessly blend all the stylistic phases the band has gone through. A complete 2008 concert in their native Athens, Greece, is included in both CD and DVD versions. Engineering is great. There are additional CD tracks from a 2007 show, and the 2nd DVD has footage from the Theogonia and Sanctus Diavolos tours, plus an interview with Sakis.

After a lengthy wait, this excellent disc is finally getting the reissue it has needed and deserved for so long. This album shows the progression Rotting Christ's sound from the low-fi, speedy thrash of "Thy Mighty Contract" to the epic mid-paced monsters of "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers". However, even if the group's style was transitioning, this album stands on its own as one of their best releases. It's full of speedy, blast-beat driven passages, epic breakdowns, and mid-paced mayhem. Sakis' vocals sound a bit "echo-ey" on this album, but his distinctive style is unperturbed. The high points for me were "The Fifth Illusion", "Where Mortals Have No Pride" and "Saturn Unlock Avey's Son". Although it's primarily guitar-driven, there are quite a few keyborads on this album, heralding the band's evolution into one of the best atmospheric black metal bands of all time. The keyborads never threaten to overwhelm the other instruments, and add some great ambience. If you're a fan of Rotting Christ, or just black metal in general and you don't have this disc, you won't regret it if you pick it up. This is a great reminder of just how far the band has come while still maintaining a connection to their roots, and stands alone as a true extreme metal masterpiece.

Rotting Christ is one of the best black metal groups I've come across so far, and this is one of their classics. No metal fan should be without.

I enjoy some Black Metal but not all. Many of the earlier Black Metal from Norway is just too primitive and scratchy in the production department, and they held onto that for a lot longer than many other groups. Rotting Christ does have a objectionable name which looking at their lengthy history, was a name picked up in the earliest days of the genre, and even though Rotting Christ changed their musical format, decided to keep the name. However their music is the most accessible style of black metal anyone could ever encounter, and has shown in over 2 decades of accomplishments that Rotting Christ is always cutting edge, creative and innovative. After a couple debut-ish albums comes 1994's Non Serviam. The recording and production is the perfect blend of black metal style bad production and and absolutely clear instruments and vocals. It doesn't have a perfect sparkly sheen of a production like 1996's Triarchy of the Lost Lovers. The instruments are flatter and a bit more scratchy and there is no clear air space like the next album, BUT every instrument is at the front, and perfectly listenable, which is what I feel made this album so fantastic. The Fifth Illusion starts the album off excellent with RC's trademark unmistakable riffing. Then comes Wolfera the Chacal, which is quintessential Rotting Christ, and is perhaps the greatest Black Metal song ever. Then comes the thematic Non Serviam. This is just a powerhouse of a black metal album. Their next album, Triarchy of the Lost Lovers is their masterpiece and I feel one of the best extreme metal albums, but Non Serviam absolutely needs its place right next to Triarchy. This is a must have.

Most of Rotting Christ fans believe that this is their best record. Well i disagree -> check out Theogonia. This is another black metal album , i cant see what makes the difference.

If you don't know who these guys are that's OK. Know then that there is a level of musical ability and professionalism that shines through on this collection. Great coverage of all of their albums up until the most recent release. Good cameras and sound. No epileptic seizure inducing camera work or lighting. No ridiculous props, just a great band playing live with strong Greek accents. Classic.

This album has been on continual rotation for the last two years and I can't say a thing against it except that I wish that I'd found it sooner. The melodies, the riffs, the lyrics...man this album is too good for words. "Reality of a dark age" and "non serviam" were the two stand out tracks for me because they are the ones that I still remember almost note for note and the ones that initially had caught my attention. Don't think that the others are filler though because they aren't.
It has elements from all genres of metal and the growl vocals are understandable which adds something as well. The solos and melodies are great and it's nice to hear them in a "Black Metal" album, Dark Fortress blew me away on their "Profane Genocidal Creations" album using melodic elements that showed a certain level of technicality, but also never weakened or distracted from the music itself which remains killer and intense. The keyboards in this album are subtle and mainly provide a bit of atmosphere, never taking center stage. This album just has something for every headbanger out there and is addictively good. You will be playing it in your head for years, trust me on that one. My only debate is that it's not really black metal in the true sense, but more of a thrash/death hybrid of the best kind (God Damn I hate labeling stuff). Oh well, it kicks @ss, so pick it up and never be disappoointed.I guess if I had to draw comparisons it would be to very early Metallica, perhaps Bathory for the raw thrash feel,and great death metal such as Death.

This is the single greatest black metal album of all time, the vocals are very unique and the guitars,keyboards and drums are all exceptional. What impressed me the most about this album is that its black metal and i never found myself saying a song was to repetetive or boring. This album ROCKS!! if you are a true conisure of metal, you will love this album. five stars. Its made my top 10 list of favorites.