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About:
CHRISTIAN DEATH https://youtu.be/PNKVhN3dAg8
www.facebook.com/christiandeath
“The founding fathers of American goth rock, Christian Death took a relentlessly confrontational stand against organized religion and conventional morality, with an appetite for provocation that made Marilyn Manson look like Stryper. Regardless of who was leading or performing in the group, Christian Death set themselves up to shock, both in their cover art and their lyrics, which wallowed in blasphemy, morbidity, drug use, and sexual perversity. Their self-consciously controversial tactics set them apart from the British goth scene, having more to do with L.A. punk and heavy metal, and thus the band dubbed its sound “death rock” instead; however, their sensibility was ultimately similar enough that the “goth” designation stuck in the end. Their music also relied on slow, doomy, effects-laden guitar riffs and ambient horror-soundtrack synths, and their theatrical performances were strongly influenced by British glam rockers like David Bowie and Roxy Music, as well as industrial provocateurs Throbbing Gristle. The latter was especially true of the band’s first incarnation, led by vocalist and founder Rozz Williams, – When Williams left in 1985, guitarist Valor Kand took over leadership and sent the group in a more intellectual, political, and metal-oriented direction. A subsequent dispute over ownership of the Christian Death name, – lead many of their fans to take sides. – Christian Death had an enormous influence on the American goth scene, shaping the sensibility of countless goth, metal, and even industrial acts that followed. Sadly, the Kand-Williams dispute ended in tragedy in 1998, when a heroin-addicted Williams took his own life.” ~ Steve Hue VH1, ROLLING STONE
There has been a ridiculously huge revolving door of membership in the Los Angeles band known as Christian Death. In the beginning, not long after the local California release of the first album, “Only Theatre of Pain”, the band irrevocably and formally broke up. This left “Rozz”, at home with his overtly religious parents in Pomona California, to contemplate his insufferable boredom, his only relief being found on the pages of his lyrics. After being invited to the record release party for “Pompeii 99″a band already enjoying success in L.A., where Rozz met band leader, singer and guitarist “Valor”. Before long they were inseparable friends and Rozz was invited to join Pompeii 99. Together as Pompeii 99, while rehearsing for a planned European tour, the head of a French record label that Valor had been negotiating with, proposed the notion of renaming his band Christian Death. Neither Valor nor Rozz wanted to entertain this, however, the incentives proposed by the label eventually prevailed and thus Pompeii 99 was reborn as Christian Death . The second Christian Death album, “Catastrophe Ballet”, which resulted from this deal, was recorded in Wales UK, (a place where several future Christian Death albums were also to be born). A month before the release of Catastrophe Ballet, the French label head released a compilation which he called “Deathwish” comprised of previously recorded, unreleased outtakes and single tracks he had licensed.
Recording the second album was followed by the very first Christian Death tour which began in Paris and on to most European countries. The emotional stress of this first tour was hard on Rozz causing him to return to Los Angeles months before the other members that remained in Europe. Upon Valor’s return to Los Angeles, work began immediately on the third album, “Ashes”. Meanwhile, the release of a “live” album called “The Decomposition of Violets” recorded in Hollywood was also released.”
After the release of Ashes the following year, plans were underway for the second European tour when, Rozz, just weeks before the first scheduled date in Italy, announced his plans to quit the band. With no intention of cancelling the tour, Valor returned to lead vocals, the bass player became the guitarist and the guitar tech became the bass player and the tour proceeded as planned but without Rozz.
Now fronted by Valor, they left California and settled in London England which they used as a base to tour Europe relentlessly in the midst of controversy, riots, bomb threats and protests by extremist Christian groups. Many concerts were canceled as a result of direct pressure by influential religious organizations.
From England a further “nine studio albums” and four live albums were released in the territories of England, Germany, Italy, France, Japan and USA with each release in each territory having different
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Artists: Christian Death, Ghost Dance, West Wickhams
