Christian Death did what Bauhaus, The Cure, and Siouxsie and The Banshees did for the UK; they created a new style of music, called Goth-Rock. Christian Death is the founding father of American Goth-Rock. Although they were significantly different from the British Goth scene, learning towards Heavy Metal with a sort of punk-rock style, Christian Death was often referred to as “Death Rock” rather than Goth-rock. Although they are indeed a Goth-Rock band mimicking the slow, morbid, angst-ridden sound of there British counterparts. Famous for their extreme opposition against religious establishments, Christian Death had a famous provocative and controversial style to them; making Marilyn Manson seem like a trip to Sunday School compared to these blasphemous rockers. Dealing with sex, drugs, and all the morbidity of a funeral, Christian Death is one of the most famous Goth-Rock bands. With their shock tactics, devilishly good looks, and religious opposition Christian Death, no doubt influence such major industrial/black metal artists such as Marilyn Manson, Korn, Type O Negative, Morbid Angel, Cradle of Filth, NIN and many others. Christian Death became quite an influence band, Rolling Stones Magazines calling it “One of the Top Ten Goth Band of All Time.”
Rozz Williams (born Roger Allen Painter, Roger adopted the name Rozz Williams from a tombstone in his favorite cemetery.) took the role as lead singer, Jay on guitar, James McGearty played the bass, and George Belanger on drums. The band then formed in 1979. Although Rozz Williams was the creator of the band, he would later leave the band in 1985, having left behind perhaps some of the best of the Christian Death’s work. After a short break-up in 1981 the little band living out of Rozz parents’ garage, finally scored performed in Los Angeles, during one of these performances Rozz began to eat, then regurgitated a dead cat. Also in the summer or 1981, Jay left the band and was replaced by Rikk Agnew. With some studio time, financed by McGearty, Christian Death produced “Deathwish“, and then the “Hell Comes to your House” compilation LP. As interest in C.D. grew, Lisa Fancher signed the band to Frontier Label, and their debut album, “Only Theatre of Pain” was released in March of 1982. With Ron Athey and Eva Ortiz as back-up vocals, and a cover drawn by Rozz himself, things were getting very good for Christian Death.
Soon however, Christian organizations began to take notice of the band, and during a religious special about “Satanic Influences” one of the show’s hosts broke a copy of their new record on the air. Also their performances began to improve, with Rozz singing in a wedding dress, mock communions and a re-enactment of the crucifixion. And as these wild antics continued, religious activists began burning copies of Christian Death’s music outside their performances, and in several stores their music was banned.
Near the end of 1982, both Rikk Agnew and James McGearty left the band and were replaced by previous back up vocalist Eva Ortiz, on guitar and a new coming percussionist China. After Eva left, Michael Montana replaced her. During a party Rozz discussed the possibility of a duel performance with Pompeii 99, Valor Kand and David Glass, members of Pompeii 99. However, by the end of 1982, Christian Death had disbanded due to drug related problems.
After the break up, Rozz decided to join Pompeii 99, which later adopt the name, “Christian Death” and became the new incarnation of the band. The new Christian Death consisted of Rozz as vocalist, Valor as lead guitarist, Gitane DeMone on the keyboard, (but also provided back-up vocals) David Glass as percussionist, and Constance Smith on bass. In 1984 after several performances and European tour, Constance Smith left the band and was replaced by Dave Roberts (Ex Sex Gang Children band member) after the release of the album, “Catastrophe Ballet.”
Autumn that year the band returned to America and created their own record label entitled, “Nostradamus” and released the LP, “Ashes” featuring Randy Wilde (bass), Eric Westfall (violin, accordion synth), Sevan Kand (crying), Bill Swain (tuba), Richard Hurwitz (trumpet) and Michael Andraes (clarinet). The band performed shows in America to promote the Ashes album, climaxing with The Path of Sorrows extravaganza at Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre on 6 April 1985. This “extravaganza” featured a banquet, films and a program. Subsequently this tour spawned another album, “Decomposition of Violets”
Rozz Williams officially left the band in 1985, and although he asked Valor, who took up the role as leader of the band, to drop the name, “Christian Death” (Rozz considered the band his creation and believed he had the authority to decide whether or not the band continued even after his departure) the band still continued as Christian Death. Supposedly Kand and Williams came to a deal that the band would change its name to “Sin and Sacrifice” during the Italy tour. However, Italian fans still assumed they were watching Christian Death, after being defrauded by the tour promoter, Sin and Sacrifice was forced to release “ The Wind Kissed Pictures” to generate money. The album was then credited to, “The Sin and Sacrifice of Christian Death.” The album created enough money for the band to go to England, which became the home base for Sin and Sacrifice, while all this was going on, “The Wind Kissed Pictures” had been introduced to the English-Speaking world as another Christian Death album and fans failed to catch on too the band’s name change. After settling down in England, Christian Death added Johann Schumann to their line-up as a new bassist. They then cut a remake of “Catastrophe Ballet,” however they did not create their first Post-Rozz album until 1986 entitled, “Atrocities” the album was experimental and was based upon the effects of WWII on Europe. After Atrocities Christian Death released a collection called, “Jesus Christ proudly presents: Christian Death” the set consists of EP’s released from 1986 to early 1987. After the release of “The Scriptures” in 1987, the band’s line-up was revamped, featuring, Demone, Glass, guitarist James Beam, and bassist Kota. “The Scriptures” was an important album in Christian Death history; it marks the beginning of Valor’s use of the band as a soap box, voicing his thoughts on political corruption and organized religion (the Catholic Church in particular.) As time progressed Valor’s incarnation of Christian Death release a couple of new tracks, and began to suffer problems, and eventually collapsed in 1989.
During the above events, nothing was heard from ex-Christian Death vocalist Rozz Williams; although Rozz had release smaller unnoticed albums under several different ventures and experiments. To help put an end to wild rumors such as he was dead or being held in a mental institution Rozz William reformed Christian Death after Valor’s Christian Death broke up. Calling his Christian Death, “The Original” Rozz signed with Cleopatra records and recorded several albums including, “The Iron Mask” and “Skeleton Kiss” with himself as lead vocalist, his wife Eva Ortiz as guitarist and occasionally pitching in female vocals, and Rikk Agnew also on guitar.
However as time progressed something quite interesting happened. Valor Kund was angered by Rozz’s revival of the band and soon a court battle ensued, in which, Valor won the rights to the name Christian Death, forcing Rozz Williams’ band to change its name to, “Christian Death featuring Rozz Williams” soon after Valor created another Christian Death. This caused fans to pick sides. It is important to realize that both bands had two distinctly different styles, Valor’s being more cerebral, and Rozz’s being more anti-religious. Two different bands, one name, and one group of fans. Soon a battle ensued, a war between the bands.
In the end however, the battle ended, with the death of Rozz Williams in. His death is attributed to his addiction to heroin. Fans around the world the mourned the death of the pioneering rocker, even rival band leader Valor Kund mourned his death, producing a tribute album, “Pornographic Messiah” to Rozz.
Christian Death is a very important band that affected the history of Goth Rock as well as several genres of Metal. While perhaps left in the shadows compared to newer bands like Marilyn Manson or Slipknot, Christian Death is THE band. And anything else is only poor copies of this American Gothic legend.
Bio written by: TheVampireArmand |
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