Christian Death is an American death rock band from Los Angeles, California. He was trained in 1979 by singer, poet, writer, director and composer Rozz Williams.
Christian Death was formed in October 1979 in Los Angeles, California >>>. This first training includes Rozz Williams (vocals), Rick Agnew (guitar), James Mc Gearty (bass), and George Belanger (drums), aided by a certain Eva O. - who does some chorus on Cavity - and Franck, the brother of the guitarist.
Their first studio album, Only Theater of Pain, was released in 1982. Although little known in France, the group knows its hour of glory thanks to the French label Invitation au Suicide, created by Yann Farcy, who chooses to release deluxe editions of the album Only Theater of Pain, and the EP Deathwish published in 1984>, all enhanced with texts and photos, just like what the IAS had done for the Heresie concept album of the Virgin Prunes. Tension, dark energy, pain and romantic poetry are all features of the nascent American Gothic movement. It includes, among other songs marked by the California post-punk trend, the Romeo's Distress hit. From this stream, other groups will emerge such as Grave, The Adolescents, Superheroines (with Eva O.), and Pompei 99.
In late 1983, Yann Farcy commissioned Rozz Williams a new album of Christian Death; it will be Catastrophe Ballet, in tribute to André Breton.
However, the original Christian Death separates, especially because of drug problems. The group Pompei 99 (composed of Valor Kand, Gitane Demone and David Glass), who shared the poster with Christian Death several times, proposes to continue the adventure, even if Rozz would have preferred that they take the name Daucus Karota . But that's without counting on Farcy and especially Valor, who are committed to the concept of Christian Death. The result of this collaboration is less tense than the first opus, and gains in atmosphere what it loses in raw energy. Catastrophe Ballet, recorded in Scotland, is a milestone in the discography of Christian Death, Valor putting his arranger talent at the service of sometimes old ideas (Sleepwalk on the album and a version of Mysterium Iniquitatis under the name of Theater of Pain during concerts) and in tracks like The Blue Hour. The voice and keyboards of Gitane Demone contribute a lot to the sound of the band.
