Interview to Sakis Tolis of Rotting Christ

Interview by Luis Landeo

Hello sakis how are you man?
Greetings there Luis, nice talk with you, I am ok, we are with new album ready to start touring the world.

For me is a good pleasure man, I like a lot Rotting Christ, well I want start this interview with how you do feel you come to play to peru? and what do you expect for this show?
Is perfect for us, the first visit to your land was a big experience and we had really good time, I like very much the fans, but the only bad thing is the attitude is very higher, you cant not breath, thats the only problem, thats the only problem we had this in Colombia-Peru and stuff like that, but the the rest of things are perfect an this look to be back in your ancient land.

Have you in mind tape a dvd in South America?
No, no. I want record a dvd, but definatly will have some suits in Youtube.

Sorry I forgot say: congratulations for the release of the new album, I would like say the name but I dont speek greek. What means the name of this album? and how pronoun?
No problem, No problem thats the good spirit. Yes, is entitle: "KATA TON DAIMONA EAYTOY", in ancient greek it means: "DEMONS TO YOUR OWN SPIRIT".

How was record this full lenght? 
It was for me, more perfomance, everyday in studio, in more than in a year to compose the whole album.

I had the chance to check the cover of this full lenght is very different than the rest of the full lenght cover arts of rotting christ, because this are like 2 scultures of demons, where did you find this scultures? why do you took the desition of take a pic of scultures dont contract or ask to someone to paint the cover? 
Right, You know something, we are very tired with colors, photoshop, with many colors, stuff like that, before to concept the right the have the album, the album cover in black and white like the old days, with 2 demons that represent the title of the ne album, the name of the album: "KATA TON DAIMONA EAYTOY" means: "Demons to your own spirit" we discover that demons.

Rotting christ with the time lost many members, everybody knows that, the last member left the band was Andreas Lagiosy and Giorgos Bokos why the band had that lost of members and what was difficult compose the music only with your brother? you know 2 members. 
Actually, the main thing, the most important thing for the band, they still have 2 member there, 2 former members, me and my brother we still in the band, so we dont have any problems with the line up with the recording of the whole album, because I use to compose the albums, i use to compose rotting christ music, and i dont say no, we dont have problems with lost members.

One of the songs call me the attemption is the title of the first track: "In Yumen - Xibalba" are you interested in latin culture? and as every body knows xibalba was the land of deads in the world of the aztecs and mayans, similar with the Uca Pacha in the Inkas world in South america, and the underworld in greek mithology 
Exactly, I wonder this album, is a trip in general to ancient civilization, you can hear, you can see, you can read elements refference of ancient civilizartions of mayas, of inkas, of ancient greeks, of Slavs, of rumanians, trasylvanians, samoans, greek everywhere, I wonder to create a multicultural album this time, this is a multicultural puzzle, the refferences to offenssive undeground gods, like mayans, xibalba, a good refference to start with something different. If you see the titles isnt english titles at all in this album, we have different options about metal to create something different this time.

I want talk about: "AEALO" there is a song entitle: "Santa Muerte", but when I listen the song, is in english, so why title a song in spanish and write the lyrics in english? 
I wanted Luis, write the lyrics in spanish but I dont speak that good spanish: "Yo hablo español pero un poco" so no that good sacrifice a title just this song, my spanish isnt that good to express myself more easy.

If you want some classes in spanish just tell me man. 
Wish I have time. I promise to make my spanish better, to improve my spanish, I like your culture, is similar with the greek one, the mediterranean one, so I like very much, I want really speak your language.

Rotting Christ will always be kings of the underground, and that is admirable for me and many fan around the world, but what is your opinion about the mainstream? When an underground band becomes popular are they still part of the underground or do they become part of the mainstream?
Yes more or less, sometimes your band become more famous this is something you cant above, but with the other hand you just keep the underground spirit, this is what I am doing with Rotting Christ, Rotting Christ is a band is always dedicate music to the underground we have doing this 25 years, and for us is important keep this spirit alive, is very important to be part of this, we are fans, we are involve with the underground music this is very important, so AEALO, is bigger and bigger is ok and with the other hand keep the idea alive thats the important thing for us, Rotting will stay underground if become famous and more famous.

One of my friends ask and say: Rotting Christ is like the good wine with the time it gets better, and the full lenght are proof of this, and I bet that is like a challenge for you, because when a full lenght is a masterpiece the next full lenght have to be much better, so how was the challenge to compose a better full lenght than AEALO? how was record it? 
Yeah thats very difficult for us, big challenge man every album will be every 5/6 years is a challenge because many will consider this album our best, and sometimes is difficult for us, to get to over ourselfs, the limits for me is really important the composition mother, we take very serioulsy, and the best took for myself to have deep in this and I go ahead with another one with another new album,this is the reason the band still great is very important for us to take seriously what we are doing, so your friend is very right when he says Rotting Christ is like the "old wine", with more time it get better, we liked, is very true.

I remember an interview in a Metal Hammer spain, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth told to one event promoters of dont let Rotting Christ play in an event, because he is christian and he didnt like the name of the band, I know this is an old thing, but many fans will want to know it, what is your opinion about Dave Mustaine? and how you took that? 
Yes, you know something the only I feel is pity, I feel pity with some kind of conservative ideas, this dont feed with the metal spirit in general, metal is a kind of rebellion music, is music that goes against any conservative ideas, is such conservative ideas, dave mustaine dont have nothing with metal spirit in general, metal is a fight, metal is something different, so really I feel pity when i cant say, i have not same ideas about dave mustaine. thats bullshit!!!

I read you wrote to Eurynomius of Mayhem and he was thinking sign rotting christ in his label: "Deathlike Silence Productions" but it was true? and how you contacted with him? 
 I used to be in contact with old black metal bands when they perform in the late 80s and early 90s, but we dont had any computers, cellphones, just nothing only letters, he was a really good friend, eurynominus, after his death, after his murder, this release never happened.

How was the greek scene in the 80s and 90s? 
We had very good greek scene in the 90s, bands like Necromantia, Rotting Christ of course, ezemial, first bands in create this Helenic Black Metal style, back in the 90s, good days, good music, some of them are very re active, afortunatly.

Sakis your voice is amazing for me is very different than the rest of black metal bands because usually black metal bands have the black metal shrieks, your voice have other elements like death metal, what is your tecnique? 
I have not technic Luis, I never got any lessons in my life, and I always, act spontaniously, I feel to sing like this, i do my best, I feel like an animal, i go ahead with the song, thats all no technics, no tricks.

How do you compose your lyrics? in what you take inspiration? 
I inspire in the deep of my soul, when i have the lyrics Firts I have a time to meditation, I took the darkside of myself. Just happen to expresse the darkside of myself to do the lyrics, from crazy things, weird things, if i am happy i dont write, I write when i am agressive, when i am in a bad mood is when I write.

Rotting Christ obviusly is a big band with many years, do you have more dreams and plans to Rotting Christ? 
We have always have always plans, because if you dont have plans, you dont have reasons to live, to keep the band alive, so yes of course we have plans, to play in all around the world, keep creating album can tag your soul, and of course to keep alive and thats the most important thing for us, dont play money, dont play glory, just play to in order with you and your soul.

Everybody knows in Argentina and Europe, bands pay to play, how do you take this, like musician? do you thing is offensing?
Rotting Christ never happen something like this of course, but we exist to do that, but they have some reasons to do that, they ask money, because all this bases, are very expensive it cost like 1000 dollars per night, they dont ask money, they cast money, just to contribute the expensive of the base.

I know you are very interested in occultism, black magic, but what do you think about people label themselves like "satanist"? 
Is a very big conversation Luis, because satanism, is something very inner so much disgust and really it depends, dont say satanism, dont say that proud, dont say "I am Evil" no, doing your practice, doing your things, do your believes and thats all, ok? thats the most important thing, you know, if you are "I am satanist, listen to me" this people dont have nothing to be with that so satanist are an inner expression of thing I dont really want to be with really fair at the momment.

The interesting thing of "satanism" is about people take esoteric things like "the pentagram", they are atheist, but they took that things, obviously for believe in satan you have to believe in god and viceverse do you think write a post or comment to promote people have to read than take things like a joke? 
Yes Of Course, kids take this seriously sometimes, I dont undesrtand new kids pretend be satanist, doing bad things, you know this is a kind of revolution they have, but if you going to be satanist or ocultist, this is a seriously thing and is better dont be say loud everywhere.

Sakis I dont want bored you, this was a long interview in skype, thanks for play good music. any last message?
Keep the spirit, thank you so much, believe you make me proud, hope meet you up in your land. Nom Serbiam.

To know about Rotting Christ:
http://www.facebook.com/rotting.christ.tr

This interview was taken of original audio interview by interviewer and journalis: Luis Landeo:

Interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEUGKpZLy4o