The date many have been impatiently waiting is November 14, 2025 – the Rotting Christ performance in the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia, for the first time in three years.
There are concerts you look forward to and know what to expect from the start. Rotting Christ’s visit to Cyprus was no exception. 35 years of evil existence – the band is celebrating their creative journey with a major tour.
The Royal Hall in Old Nicosia was full. One might say that it is not surprising that the Greek band is so strongly supported by Greek Cypriots. But I was specifically watching the people in the Hall, listening to their speech, and it became clear that in the extremely open Cypriot community, a diverse audience had come to support the band and enjoy the performance: the most diverse nationalities, the most diverse ages, the most diverse music fans. This is precisely the case when music was truly able to unite several generations under one roof, making them put everything aside and come here to the Royal Hall in Nicosia for the Rotting Christ concert.
Stormcast
The evening was opened by two Cypriot bands. The first was Stormcast – an atmospheric melodic metal band known and loved by many. It’s hard to imagine a better start for the evening! It was the kind of perfomance that lingers long after the final notes fade, echoing in that quiet place where melody and chaos meet.
Besides their best songs, they filmed a live performance, which really fired up the crowd and got them pumped up. You absolutely have to see the results of this performance – I’m sure it’ll be something special.
Frozen Winds
After a short break, avant-garde black metal band Frozen Winds continued the show. They’ve been performing a lot over the past year, but I’ve never been able to get to them, which I’ve always deeply regretted. And finally, it happened! Frozen Winds concert is a true show, a very memorable event that requires a separate review.
Elements of stage and theatrical performance, expressive and emotional movements make you keep your eyes glued to the musicians. They created an environment that intertwined with their sound – immersive, massive, and strangely beautiful.
After such strong support, the level of passions and emotions reached its peak. Even in a venue as large as the Royal Hall, the heat was felt. People came and went from the venue, but their numbers did not decrease. And here comes the long-awaited Intro. The evening’s headliner is on stage.
Rotting Christ
The first song was “Pro Xristou” from the same name album from 2024. And then, song after song, Rotting Christ performed one from each previous album, restoring in the memory of fans a wide variety of remembrances that could be associated with the last decade of released albums. After “Nemecic” and “Keravnos Kivernitos” from Theogonia album 2007 the most devoted fans heard “Non Serviam” song from the same name album 1994. The culmination of this action was the fan’s banner in the front row with the inscription in Latin Non Serviam (translates to “I will not serve”, and Biblically refers to Satan’s refusal to serve God).
During their existence, Rotting Christ has released 14 full-length albums, and the most iconic songs from almost all of their albums were performed that evening. Only the debut album and albums from 1997 to 2000 remained untouched.
It was a joy to watch the fans: some methodically repeat the guitar chords after the lead guitarist Kostis Foukarakis, some actively sing along with vocalist Sakis Tolis, some beat out the rhythm and masterfully wave virtual drumsticks after Themis Tolis, someone has completely withdrawn into themselves and nervously playing the virtual bass with their fingers after Kostas “Spades” Heliotis.
But there were also some desperate ones – there was a mosh pit at almost every song.
The testosterone levels and the air temperature inside the mosh pit were so high that people couldn’t stand it and, mid-concert, furiously removed their shirts. For me, this spectacle brought special pleasure and there was only one question: why so long and why make the girl wait? :-)))
Credit must be given to Sakis – the vocals, the energy – everything came from him so strongly and it seemed so easy that he still had the strength to smile at the fans, interact with them and encourage them.
Sometimes it seemed like every move the musicians made was practiced down to the second: headbanging, position changing, deliberately moving closer to the audience, playing guitar solos together. The only thing that gave away that these were not movements memorized to the point of automatism, but truly sincere and living emotions was their burning and predatory gaze.
The dedication of the Rotting Christ’s musicians and the audience was so strong that it created a real synergistic effect – time was lost, one song flowed into another, there was no chance to catch your breath, and the feeling of FOMO did not leave, because if you turn away or get distracted, you can miss something important.
I didn’t want to miss it and I didn’t have the chance. Rotting Christ played 19 songs in one breath. If I said at the beginning of the review that this was one of those concerts where you know what to expect, well, that’s it – I knew that a band with over 35 years of experience, history, an active concert program, and crazy fan support could only smash this venue to hell and truly show what Hellenic Black Metal is all about.
Special thank’s to Rock Island Events
