LABEL: Peaceville
VINYL RELEASE DATE: 10/14/2022
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 1997
VARIANT: Black Vinyl LP

1997s EPIC MELODIC BLACK METAL BREAKTHROUGH OPUS FROM THE GREEK LEGENDS, MARKING 25 YEARS SINCE RELEASE. PRESENTED ON BLACK VINYL.

Greek black metal legends Rotting Christ formed in 1988, with their early demo recordings containing strong grindcore elements as the band quickly evolved their style into something altogether darker. Spearheaded by brothers Sakis & Themis Tolis, Rotting Christ have remained one of the strongest & most respected forces in the black metal scene since their debut release Passage of Arcturo. Their legacy towards greatness was cemented even further by the genre classic follow-up Thy Mighty Contract, helping to firmly establish the Greek scene as being among the most essential black metal movements of the early 90s. Through continuous live work & an extensive body of releases, Rotting Christ continue to be one of the top names of the black metal scene.

A Dead Poem the bands fourth full-length studio album – was originally released in 1997 & was the follow-up to Triarchy Of The Lost Lovers which, with a more melodic & dynamic scope to the compositions, saw Rotting Christ achieve acclaim beyond the black metal spectrum. This direction was further developed on A Dead Poem, for what was to become the bands most successful album to date. With a by-now finely honed craft of darkly atmospheric composition & an aura of anthemic melancholy combined with a few more gothic-styled elements throughout, A Dead Poem achieved a certain accessibility & acceptance within a broader demographic, leading to a further ascension through the ranks of metals greats for Rotting Christ.

A Dead Poem was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Germany, with production duties aided by Xy of Swiss legends Samael, who also contributes keyboards. Fernando Ribeiro of then-labelmates Moonspell lends his vocals to the track Among Two Storms.

This edition of A Dead Poem is presented on black vinyl, with printed inner sleeve including lyrics.