After 27 years and 12 albums Rotting Christ is releasing their first official live album. With over 1.200 shows they are taking you back with Lucifer Over Athens to December 2013. This record contains 2 discs with a total of 32 songs. The show starts with the track 666 and clearly sets the tone for the whole album. It sounds more like a studio album than a live show. Athanatoi Este, track 3 on the first disc gets you pumped right away. The intro is really great and the banging drums are getting you pumped for the rest of the set. Another great head banger is After Dark I Feel. A bit slower but still heavy. Other songs that really stand out in the first disc are Sorrowfull Farewell, Forest Of N’Gai. The hardest or fastest song is The Sign Of Evil Existence, a great track but really misses that live feeling you need on a live record.
The second disc starts with Demonon Vrosis. A great song but when the next one Quintessence starts you are back in headbanging modus. Grandis Spiritus Diavolos is the track that should have been the standard for this double album. The guitars, drums and vocals are blasting through Athens. When the song is finished, they bring you Welcome To Hel. This makes you wonder why they went for 2 discs instead of 1 and drop some songs that kills the great vibe these songs have. Archon is really mind blowing. A fast paced track where you just want to jump into the pit and go nuts. If that was not enough for you then go crazy again on the next track Exiled Archangels.
With a couple of more songs they end the show with Noctis Era. One more time to go wild in the pit. A great track to end it all. Overall this live album is pretty good but maybe it was a smarter move if they just went for 1 disc with the best songs on it. The live sound that is missing is not that bad once you’re in the right mood. But for the fans, this is a must have.
