At the end of autumn, Greek black metal icon Rotting Christ heads to Bratislava
November will bring a concert by two legends to our capital city. They will come from different, yet very closely related metal waters. The first emerged from the house of Hades, found itself in Athens and will now return to our region once again. The second was spewed out by our domestic hell. In the first case, you may already have guessed who it is. ROTTING CHRIST will return to Slovakia on November 20 this year to play their eleventh concert. It will take place at Randal in Bratislava. The domestic support will be the legend of the Slovak metal scene DOOMAS.
The formation of Rotting Christ dates back to 1987, when it was founded by the siblings Sakis and Themis Tolis. At first, for two years they experimented in the fields of death and grind. Over time, after releasing the demo Satanas Tedeum in 1989, they began to shape their black metal identity. From the recording Non Serviam onwards, their music took on a very specific character with elements of heavy metal, death metal and gothic, while at the same time they have remained faithful to their black metal roots. It was precisely thanks to their uniqueness that they did not remain in the underground for long, but were catapulted straight among the headliners of stages. With their ninth album Theogonia in 2007, they left their mark on metal with a touch of Greek mythology, once again slightly changing their character and gaining an even more specific identity.
Since their formation, they have operated as a four member band. Some positions changed, but since 2019 they have had a stable line up – Sakis Tolis (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Themis Tolis (drums), Kostas Heliotis (bass guitar, backing vocals), Kostis Foukarakis (lead guitar, backing vocals).
The band has been active on the scene for 39 years. During this period, they have played more than 1,400 concerts worldwide, released 14 studio albums – their latest so far, Pro Xristou, was released in 2024 -, several EPs, a demo, singles and DVDs. They are regularly described as the best Greek metal band and for the 2024 recording Pro Xristou they received a nomination for the prestigious Metal Hammer Awards in the category of best international album of 2024. Their work is often positively reviewed by critics and many of their studio recordings boast the status of cult works. For example, the 1993 album The Mighty Contract is globally recognized as a groundbreaking pillar of Hellenic black metal. The albums Aelo (2010) and Rituals (2016), in turn, earned success among reviewers through their innovative combination of metal with Greek folklore and mythology.
Doomas were formed under the patronage of Peter Beťko in 2006 in Nová Baňa. Over 20 years on the scene, where they serve a mixture of melodic doom mixed with elements of death metal, they have rightfully earned legendary status. They are known here, but partly around the world as well. This included, for example, a tour with Galadriel through Romania. Doomas are certainly not among those who could be overlooked.
They currently have three permanent members – Peter Beťko (vocals, bass guitar), Martin Kalmancai (solo guitar), Erik Šabo (drums) - and several live members – Braňo Krška (guitar), Juraj Pažický (guitar), Tomáš Gajda (guitar). The band performs abroad more often than at home in Slovakia.
So far, the band has three albums, one demo and one EP to its name. Their latest release so far came out in 2023 under the title R'lyeh.
In November, autumn will already be drawing to a close, winter will knock on the door and the weather will cool down considerably. So you definitely need to go somewhere indoors to warm up with good music. Therefore, mark the 20th day of this month in your calendars right away so you do not miss the legendary evening at Randal!
📍Bratislava - Randal Club
📅 20.11. 2026
🕕 from 19:00
🎟️ Tickets via Predpredaj.sk