Interview mit Sakis Tolis von Rotting Christ

I was quite surprised to see that you did a re-recording of the „Aealo“ album. How come?
First of all, I’m not a fan of re-recordings. Second, I didn’t have any plans to do something like that. And third, there is a new generation. I’m around for 35 years now, I have recorded so many albums, I have written so many songs … more than 200. Why not introducing these songs to the new generation? This is very important for me as a composer. Who is paying attention to a new album? I mean, you are in the media for one week or one month, and then everyone forgets about it. So I try to introduce my old songs to the new generation. And how? By remaking some albums! And when I say remaking, I don’t mean taking the album and making it completely different. No, just little differences, like a retouch. So I have plans to remake some albums. Of course, respecting very much the first recording and doing only very few changes, including a new mixing and a new mastering.

But why did you start with this album in particular, and not, for example, one of the very early ones?
Because this album is one of my favorite albums. But I think that there are some traps in the production. So I said, all right, let’s start with this one, and I made everything new from the beginning. And the result is very good! I’m really surprised that the result turned out to be that good. Usually I’m a very negative person, but I felt like the people like the new edition. It was done really respectful to the original version.

So let’s talk about the obvious first. You changed the cover artwork as well. Were you not happy with the old one or what was the reason why you changed also the look of this one?
I like the original one very much, but it is a remake, so I wanted to vary it a little bit from the first one. So I changed the cover too.

And what about the instruments, did you really re-record every single guitar track and everything or did you just use the old DI signals for a new re-amping?
I made everything completely new. I re-recorded them, just exactly the same as they were, and re-amped them, as everyone is doing these days. But I know exactly what to do, because I also played the guitars back then. So I just did it all the same.

„It’s easy for me, because I know myself.
I have spent all my life recording music“

That’s pretty impressive: many musicians don’t even remember exactly what they played on their old albums, let alone still be able to play it…
There are new applications , so nowadays you can separate all the instruments, so you can listen very clearly. And of course, I also had the files. Because I write all the guitars, and I’m the guy who records everything. So I still have all the files from the first recording. So why not do that again?

It’s easy for me, because I know myself. I have spent all my life recording music, writing the riffs and music for ROTTING CHRIST. So I know exactly how I play them. Of course, I don’t remember. I’m not famous for my memory, I cannot remember everything 16 years later, of course not. But when I listen to it, of course – because I have spent three months recording this album. But I paid more attention to the vocals.

Why that?
The vocals were very bad … not bad, but I didn’t like them at all, it just didn’t turn out as I wanted on the original recording. Now I put a little bit more emphasis in it, and I also gave more emphasis to the choirs.

But for the guest vocals you used the old takes – or did you re-record these as well?
No, the guest vocals and choirs not. But I recorded all my vocals new.

Interestingly, for mix and master you did not work with Jens Bogren and Tony Lindgren, as for the last four albums, but with Dimitrios Douvras who did the original Mix and Master for „Aealo“ back then. Why that?
Yes, I did the mix and mastering with the same guy that did it for the original version, so he knew very well what to expect. We did it together. He’s a friend of mine, and he’s very talented. I think the result is really good – much better than the previous one.

So, are you 100 % satisfied with the new version? Or do you think you will redo it again in 15 years?
I’m never 100 % satisfied in my life. But I don’t think that I will do that again, as long as I have so many other albums that in my opinion need a remake … some old albums for me need a remake in order to introduce them.
Also, there are some other things that I have to mention: If you re-record an album, you get the rights back to you. That is also an issue with some of the very old albums: The old labels still explore them. It’s unbelievable how bad the contracts were that musicians, who are in my age now, have signed. We need to take the things back in our hands.

„I don’t do it for money –
I lose money“

But of course, that was not the reason here. Many people might say, you do it for money. No, I don’t do it for money – I lose money. Do you know how much it costs to re-record an album? A lot of money. And how much do you think you get per Spotify stream? Very few, almost nothing. So you lose time and money. Because recording something takes a lot of time. So, this is not the reason. Of course, it can be a reason for the next 15 years, just to own the rights from some albums. Maybe it’s a very long-term investment. But you feel well when finally you can exploit your own music.

We have spent all our lives writing music. We are in the music business so many years. Do you know, what we, all the musicians, get nowadays? Very, very few money. So, at least we are proud and happy to have something in our hands. This is another reason that you do that. But this is not the main reason for me. The most important aspect is just to introduce my music to the new generation. And as I believe in myself, as I believe that I have recorded some good albums, I think that this album should sound different.

Were you tempted to take this opportunity to change more than some details?
I put a couple of solos in there, changed some details, but in general I don’t want to change a lot. Some albums I leave as they are – like our very first albums. It’s something historical now, I don’t want to touch them. But some albums from the middle period of the band need to be remade, from my point of view. But I will never change something completely. I will just try to make them as much better as possible.

I find it interesting that you don’t want to touch the old albums. Most bands that make new recordings choose their early albums for this purpose, such as the Cavalera brothers with SEPULTURA’s early work, in order to bring these historic albums back into the spotlight…
I know … and it sounds good! But I don’t want to touch the very old albums, the first four. No way. I don’t want to say to someone that „Thy Mighty Contract“ will sound better than the previous version with a new recording, no. I leave it as it is. But the middle albums, like „Khronos“, „Genesis“ or „Aealo“, I think they can be introduced in a better way.

„I like what I’m doing. I feel very young …
maybe it’s the midlife crisis“

There is a new album with your solo project SAKIS TOLIS, which was released very unexpectedly recently: “Everything Comes To An End”!
I don’t know what’s going on with me, I feel like a machine. I’m always writing riffs, and I want to have something new. Actually, I don’t have any plan. Can you believe this? I like what I’m doing. I feel very young … maybe it’s the midlife crisis, I don’t know. (laughs) I’m 53 now, and I feel like I would like to return back to my roots. But how? I mean, OK, it is very easy for me to play something from that period of time, but the most important thing is to feel like in the old underground days. Now I have the rights for, let’s say, „Aealo“. Now I have released a new album for my solo project. I released it without label. I give it out for free digitally through my channels. I put it in Spotify. I feel like I’m doing this like I used to do back in the days.

Yes, it seems very „underground“ – I didn’t see any announcement for this album either, and was surprised when I searched through your channels and stumbled across another new album there.
I don’t announce something, no. I don’t have any purpose, actually. I don’t want this album to be famous. I just would like to speak to other people. I’m a social person. I’m traveling since I remember myself. I know so many people around the world. I would like to talk with them with my music. I hope, I can help some people to have five good minutes by listening to my music. This is the meaning of music. The more I grow up, the more I realize that my dreams were achieved, but not all my dreams can be achieved. So I’m returning back to my roots somehow, at least in how I speak to people, how I react. Musically not – I don’t return back, even if I have some plans … but I want to live the moment. I want to live what makes me happy. So I offer some music to the people out there. Some people like it, some people don’t. I don’t have any purpose. I just do it because I feel it, spontaneously.

Yes, that sounds very idealistic, and really great. But on the other hand, you put a lot of work into these projects. Isn’t it a shame that many people miss out on your new music because of poor or no promotion?
There is no promotion. I don’t care. Those that care just can find my music on my channel on YouTube, where I put all my music. I also have my music in Spotify, like everyone. And that’s all. If someone discovers my music, it’s OK. I don’t care. Because my purpose is not to be famous. I have ROTTING CHRIST, I’m very happy with this. I’m also very busy with them. But I have some other musical ideas I would like to expose though my solo album.

„I’m finally happy because
I’m doing what I want“

But doesn’t it also cost a lot of money to do these albums, which you don’t get back if there’s no merchandise and so on?
Youn know something? The solo-things do not cost that much. Because I don’t use any promotion. I don’t care about the quality of the physical copies or whatever. It costs me the recordings, but I record many things at my home, I have some friends in the house. So it doesn’t cost me a lot … more than money it costs me time. That’s the thing that I worry about. This fucking time, it’s an enemy for me. I have so many ideas, I would like to record so many things, but it’s impossible. But for the first time I feel happy. I’m finally happy because I’m doing what I want. No stress from labels, no stress from agencies, no stress from deadlines. I like it – I release it. You want to listen to it? Listen to it.

Will we still release the album physically? The only physical copies I’ve seen so far were released by the Russian label GS Productions…
Yes, only for the Eastern market, for Asia. But I have a plan to release it with one guy from Greece, Floga Records … they will release it officially. But I’m not that much into that, the promotion, who is releasing it … I don’t want to play this game this time. You want to release it? Take it. I don’t go on the rights, just give me some copies or whatever. This is how it works nowadays, and I’m very happy. I’m very lucky that I can earn my living with ROTTING CHRIST, because I play so many shows. But with the solo project, I would like to write and record whatever I want – with no deadlines.

Which is a pretty cool approach, I think. But you also started playing shows with SAKIS TOLIS as well, as I saw …
Oh, very few. Three, four, five per year. I play one in Munich in April, by the way, at Dark Easter Metal Meeting 2026!

Will there be SAKIS-TOLIS-Merchandise?
I don’t know yet. Probably no. I don’t want to write „Sakis Tolis“ on my T-Shirts. I don’t like that. That sounds like Michael Jackson. Maybe, if I have a good idea, I will make something. But if not, not. Maybe I will not bring anything. If I have the new CD, yes.

„ I try to make it a cheerful concert,
so the people will be happy“

You have played some ROTTING CHRIST material at the previous SAKIS TOLIS shows, but only old songs…
Not old ones – just from the middle of our career. Songs we never play with ROTTING CHRIST. I play very few ROTTING CHRIST there songs, I try to make it a cheerful concert, so the people will be happy. That’s my only concern. I have to pay, of course, my musicians, all the people that are involved with this. I share the money, because it’s very important for musicians to get some money to pay their bills. So I have a very different, ideological approach with my solo project. I feel like I’m free. If I feel like I want to release something, I release it. I don’t care what the people say or what the labels will tell me.

You also released one album in 2023, with a project called Χ Ξ Σ, which means „666“ in Greek language. Is that another SAKIS TOLIS album, or something different?
It’s my album, so it’s a SAKIS TOLIS project, but it’s different, that’s why I decided to use a different name. It is my second solo album, even if it doesn’t write my name on it. So, alltogether, I have three. And nobody knows about this so far, but I have another two songs that I’m currently working on. And then I will put out an album with all the singles that never were released. So I will have a new album ready next month, maybe or whenever I feel like. It’s amazing. I’m very tired, but I know that I forget all my problems by writing music. You know, there are so many bad things nowerdays, very negative things. Let’s try to make our lives better – like we used to live back in the days. So making music is very important for me to escape somehow from everything that’s going on worldwide. And I’m very happy that some people like it. So I feel that I did something. I have more than 200 songs out there. If I make some people happy, that’s very important.

Are you already working on new material for ROTTING CHRIST as well?
I’m trying to pick up my mind and writing some new music. I’m starting a little bit, so yes, I write some music. Let’s say I write some music.

Is it for you a completely different approach when you start writing a song for ROTTING CHRIST or for SAKIS TOLIS?
Yes, it’s a different approach. Usually ideas come, when I go to bed. When I’m about to sleep, ideas come to my mind. Bam, bam, bam, bam … I’m bummed like crazy with ideas.

„ROTTING CHRIST has a certain concept.
They have fans who expect something“

At which point do you decide if it will be a ROTTING CHRIST or a SAKIS TOLIS song?
ROTTING CHRIST has a certain concept. It’s different. ROTTING CHRIST should sound like ROTTING CHRIST. They have fans who expect something. So when I get the idea, I just feel what is for ROTTING CHRIST and what is not.

When you’re saying the fans expect something particular from ROTTING CHRIST. How does that fit to the fact that the style of the band has changed so many times over the years?
Yes, I know, I know. This is me! (laughs) I cannot stand still. I would like to move all the time, I would like to explore things. I would like to change the world. In my mind, everything is really chaos. So I have changed styles many times, but I don’t think that I can change more from now on because I have changed my style three or four times. It was quite successful, but I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do another change at the moment. Maybe I will be based more in the classical riffs of ROTTING CHRIST. It’s also what many people are expecting from ROTTING CHRIST.

But isn’t it kind of limiting for you as an artist if you just try to write what people are expecting?
Everyone says „I don’t do that, I don’t play music for the people.“ That’s not true. If you are a band for 35 years, I’m sure that you think also about the people. It’s a lie, if you are saying „I don’t care about what people say!“ No – you care about what people say! That’s why you write music. That’s why you are around for 35 years. You have a strong fan base and sometimes they influence you. It’s normal.

However, the last album, “Προ Χριστου (Pro Xristou),” also received negative reviews from people who thought it sounded too much like something they already knew. Isn’t that also a risk?
Yes, maybe it’s true, but on the other hand: How can you avoid this? When you do something different, they complain that you change your style. When you don’t do anything different, they say, „you alsways sound the same!“ I have 15 albums. I have more than 200 songs. Yes, some songs sound a little bit like each other. The same goes for IRON MAIDEN, for SLAYER, for everyone. After so many years, you cannot escape from this. And if you change your style, then things are getting worse, and people say that you betray your roots. What shall I do? Tell me!

Nothing… you are trapped. Or just what your heart tells you! (laughs)
Exactly. I like to be as honest as possible to everyone out there. I’m here so many years and I’d call me faithful to my roots. My musical anxiety sometimes makes me think differently, musically, but I cannot satisfy everyone. The most important thing is just to be happy. That’s very important.

Publiziert am 16. Februar 2026 von Moritz Grütz

Fotos von: Afra Gethöffer-Grütz, Andreas Brückner und Hannes Fuchs