Christian Death
Encyclopedia
Christian Death is an American deathrock
band formed in Los Angeles
, California
in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams
. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain
.
After the release of their third album, Ashes
, Williams left the band in 1985. He was replaced by guitarist Valor Kand
as the lead vocalist.
in 1979, having grown up in the eastern suburb of Pomona
in a Christian family. Originally, the 16-year-old Williams called his group the Upsetters, which also included guitarist Jay, bassist James McGearty, and drummer George Belanger. The band took off after they changed its name to Christian Death and added past Adolescents guitarist Rikk Agnew
. In 1981, they made their recorded debut with several tracks on the L.A. scene compilation Hell Comes to Your House
.
Their appearance on the Hell Comes to Your House compilation helped to get Christian Death signed to Frontier Records
, which released their debut album Only Theatre of Pain
in March 1982. Only Theatre of Pain was released in Europe by the French label L'Invitation au Suicide, which was followed by the record's release in Japan
.
After having booked a European tour, the original lineup of Christian Death left the band due to fighting and drug abuse. Williams quickly assembled a new version of the band in 1983 by merging with their scheduled opening act, another L.A. deathrock band called Pompeii 99. This lineup included guitarist Valor Kand
, keyboardist/vocalist Gitane Demone
, and drummer David Glass. The band went on to record their next two albums, Catastrophe Ballet
and Ashes, under this lineup.
In mid-1985, Rozz Williams left the band, partly due to his increasing interest in experimental music and surrealist performance art. Valor Kand took over leadership of Christian Death, now serving as lead vocalist and songwriter. The band then recorded an EP for the Italian label Supporti Fonografici called The Wind Kissed Pictures, which was credited to The Sin and Sacrifice of Christian Death. The EP was subsequently issued in the English-speaking world credited to Christian Death.
Their first post-Williams effort was 1986's Atrocities, a concept album about the aftereffects of World War II
on the European psyche, which was followed by 1987's The Scriptures under the revamped lineup of Demone, Glass, guitarist James Beam, and bassist Kota. Longtime drummer David Glass left the group following the release of The Scriptures and returned to California, where he eventually worked with several of Rozz Williams' side projects.
During the late '80s, Rozz Williams resurrected his own version of Christian Death with his wife Eva O
contributing guitar as well as vocals. Billing themselves as the original Christian Death, they were rejoined by first-album guitarist Rikk Agnew for a 1989 tour of Canada. The band was signed to Cleopatra Records
, which released The Iron Mask, Skeleton Kiss EP, The Path of Sorrows, and The Rage of Angels under the Christian Death name. A 1993 show featuring Only Theatre of Pain-era members Williams, Agnew and Belanger, along with bassist Casey Chaos
, performing live from Los Angeles
' Patriot Hall was recorded and later released in 2001 as a DVD
by Cleopatra Records
.
Williams' reclamation of the Christian Death name sparked a fierce court battle with Valor Kand, who eventually won trademark rights and forced Williams to bill his version of the band as "Christian Death Featuring Rozz Williams". After this, Williams' version would not release another full album of original material and went on to pursue other projects. Williams committed suicide on April 1, 1998.
Valor's Christian Death began recording again, offering the double live set Amen in 1995, and 1996's Nostradamus-themed Prophecies. In 2000, they added drummer Will Sarginson and toured Europe with Britain's Cradle of Filth
.
Deathrock
Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...
band formed in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams
Rozz Williams
Rozz Williams was an American vocalist and musician of several varieties, most famous for fronting the band Christian Death, then later Shadow Project with musician Eva O, though his main project throughout his career was the industrial, Premature Ejaculation...
. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain
Only Theatre of Pain
Only Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album of American deathrock band Christian Death, originally released by Frontier Records in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock....
.
After the release of their third album, Ashes
Ashes
Ashes may refer to:* The Ashes, the Test cricket series between England and Australia* The Ashes , the rugby league Test series between Great Britain and Australia...
, Williams left the band in 1985. He was replaced by guitarist Valor Kand
Valor Kand
Valor Kand is the current vocalist/guitarist/songwriter of Christian Death, an American deathrock/goth rock band once fronted by Rozz Williams. He is an ex-lover of Gitane Demone, with whom he has two children, Sevan Kand and Zara.-External links:...
as the lead vocalist.
History
Rozz Williams founded Christian Death in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 1979, having grown up in the eastern suburb of Pomona
Pomona, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Pomona had a population of 149,058, a slight decline from the 2000 census population. The population density was 6,491.2 people per square mile...
in a Christian family. Originally, the 16-year-old Williams called his group the Upsetters, which also included guitarist Jay, bassist James McGearty, and drummer George Belanger. The band took off after they changed its name to Christian Death and added past Adolescents guitarist Rikk Agnew
Rikk Agnew
Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
. In 1981, they made their recorded debut with several tracks on the L.A. scene compilation Hell Comes to Your House
Hell Comes To Your House
Hell Comes to Your House is an American Deathrock and punk compilation that chronicles the emergence of Deathrock as a genre.The album was originally released in 1981 but reissued in 1998...
.
Their appearance on the Hell Comes to Your House compilation helped to get Christian Death signed to Frontier Records
Frontier Records
Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....
, which released their debut album Only Theatre of Pain
Only Theatre of Pain
Only Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album of American deathrock band Christian Death, originally released by Frontier Records in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock....
in March 1982. Only Theatre of Pain was released in Europe by the French label L'Invitation au Suicide, which was followed by the record's release in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
After having booked a European tour, the original lineup of Christian Death left the band due to fighting and drug abuse. Williams quickly assembled a new version of the band in 1983 by merging with their scheduled opening act, another L.A. deathrock band called Pompeii 99. This lineup included guitarist Valor Kand
Valor Kand
Valor Kand is the current vocalist/guitarist/songwriter of Christian Death, an American deathrock/goth rock band once fronted by Rozz Williams. He is an ex-lover of Gitane Demone, with whom he has two children, Sevan Kand and Zara.-External links:...
, keyboardist/vocalist Gitane Demone
Gitane Demone
Gitane Demone is a singer and musician. She was a member of Christian Death in the 1980s, and is currently a solo artist.-Pompeii 99 and Christian Death:...
, and drummer David Glass. The band went on to record their next two albums, Catastrophe Ballet
Catastrophe Ballet
Catastrophe Ballet is Christian Death's second studio album. This is the first album that featured Valor Kand. Besides Rozz, the lineup was completely different from Only Theatre of Pain. In addition, Rozz said that he got the idea for the bizarre looking album cover from a shroom...
and Ashes, under this lineup.
In mid-1985, Rozz Williams left the band, partly due to his increasing interest in experimental music and surrealist performance art. Valor Kand took over leadership of Christian Death, now serving as lead vocalist and songwriter. The band then recorded an EP for the Italian label Supporti Fonografici called The Wind Kissed Pictures, which was credited to The Sin and Sacrifice of Christian Death. The EP was subsequently issued in the English-speaking world credited to Christian Death.
Their first post-Williams effort was 1986's Atrocities, a concept album about the aftereffects of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on the European psyche, which was followed by 1987's The Scriptures under the revamped lineup of Demone, Glass, guitarist James Beam, and bassist Kota. Longtime drummer David Glass left the group following the release of The Scriptures and returned to California, where he eventually worked with several of Rozz Williams' side projects.
During the late '80s, Rozz Williams resurrected his own version of Christian Death with his wife Eva O
Eva O
Eva Ortiz better known as Eva O is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project...
contributing guitar as well as vocals. Billing themselves as the original Christian Death, they were rejoined by first-album guitarist Rikk Agnew for a 1989 tour of Canada. The band was signed to Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
, which released The Iron Mask, Skeleton Kiss EP, The Path of Sorrows, and The Rage of Angels under the Christian Death name. A 1993 show featuring Only Theatre of Pain-era members Williams, Agnew and Belanger, along with bassist Casey Chaos
Casey Chaos
Casey Chaos is the frontman and guitarist of punk rock band Amen. After numerous line-up changes he is the only remaining founding member of the band. He is known for his energetic stage performance...
, performing live from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' Patriot Hall was recorded and later released in 2001 as a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
.
Williams' reclamation of the Christian Death name sparked a fierce court battle with Valor Kand, who eventually won trademark rights and forced Williams to bill his version of the band as "Christian Death Featuring Rozz Williams". After this, Williams' version would not release another full album of original material and went on to pursue other projects. Williams committed suicide on April 1, 1998.
Valor's Christian Death began recording again, offering the double live set Amen in 1995, and 1996's Nostradamus-themed Prophecies. In 2000, they added drummer Will Sarginson and toured Europe with Britain's Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
.
Albums
- Only Theatre of PainOnly Theatre of PainOnly Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album of American deathrock band Christian Death, originally released by Frontier Records in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock....
- 1982 - Catastrophe BalletCatastrophe BalletCatastrophe Ballet is Christian Death's second studio album. This is the first album that featured Valor Kand. Besides Rozz, the lineup was completely different from Only Theatre of Pain. In addition, Rozz said that he got the idea for the bizarre looking album cover from a shroom...
- 1984 - Ashes - 1985
- The Iron Mask - 1992
- The Path of Sorrows - 1993
- The Rage of Angels - 1994
Unofficial live releases
- Catastrophe Ballet Live - 1984
- Heavens and Hells - 1990
- Iconologia - 1993
- Sleepless Nights - 1993
- The Doll's Theatre - 1994
Unofficial Compilations
- Mandylion (released solely in Europe under the name Christ Death) - 1993
- Invocations 1981-1989 (live and studio archival recordings) - 1993
- The Best of Christian Death - 1999
- Death Club 1981-1993 - 2005
- Six Six Sixth Communion - 2008
Albums
- AtrocitiesAtrocities (album)Atrocities was Christian Death's fourth album and the first with Valor Kand taking over main duties after Rozz Williams' departure. The album's subject matter deals almost exclusively with the Holocaust including songs about Auschwitz and Josef Mengele...
- 1986 - The ScripturesThe ScripturesThe Scriptures was Christian Death's fifth album and is seen as an essay on comparative world religions. The liner notes state that the work is "a translation of world beliefs by Valor." The album, like Atrocities, is split into two acts, though later reissues would omit these subtitles...
- 1986 - Sex and Drugs and Jesus ChristSex and Drugs and Jesus ChristSex and Drugs and Jesus Christ is the sixth album for Christian Death.-Album Cover:The cover for Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ is an image of Jesus Christ in a self-made tourniquet, using heroin, an implicit attempt to incite controversy. The cover had an impact on the band, leading to a...
- 1988 - All the Love All the Hate (Part 1 - All the Love) - 1989
- All The Love All The Hate (Part 2 - All the Hate) - 1989
- Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordiaque - 1990
- Sexy Death God - 1994
- Prophecies - 1996
- Pornographic Messiah - 1998
- Born Again Anti-Christian - 2000
- American InquisitionAmerican InquisitionAmerican Inquisition is the thirteenth studio album by the band Christian Death. The album was released on Season of Mist on October 15, 2007 worldwide, and on October 23, 2007 in USA and Canada in an exclusive digipak complete with embossing and spot lacquering...
- 2007
Singles
- Believers of the Unpure - 1986
- After the Rain - 1987
- Sick of Love - 1987
- The Loving Face - 1987
- Church of No Return - 1988
- Church of No Return [Endured Version] - 1988
- What's the Verdict - 1988
- This Is Heresy - 1989
- Zero Sex - 1989
- The Nascent Virion - 1989
- We Fall Like Love / I Hate You - 1991
Live
- Jesus Christ Proudly Presents - 1987
- The Heretics Alive - 1989
- Amen - 1995
Compilations
- Anthology of Live Bootlegs Vol. 1 - 1988
- Anthology of Live Bootlegs Vol. 2 - 1989
- Past Present and Forever - 1988 (Re-release of The Wind Kissed Pictures)
- Jesus Points the Bone at You? - 1991
- The Bible - 1999
- Love and Hate - 2001