Christian Death - The Wind Kissed Pictures 12"

The Wind Kissed Pictures is a pivotal 1985 extended play by the American deathrock band Christian Death. Released under the temporary, extended moniker For Sin and Sacrifice Must We Die a Christian Death, the EP stands as a major turning point in the band's history. It was their first official release following the departure of founding frontman and goth icon Rozz Williams. The record marked the vocal and creative debut of guitarist Valor Kand, whose leading voice was heavily contrasted by the ethereal, operatic backing vocals of keyboardist Gitane Demone, supported by musicians Barry Galvin, Johann Schumann, and David Glass.

Musically, the EP moved away from the traditional, guitar-driven punk energy of their earlier work toward a highly avant-garde, experimental sonic landscape. It prioritised atmospheric dark ambient textures, intricate tape loops, and lengthy, theatrical arrangements. Tracks like "Believers of the Unpure" blended mythological themes with haunting instrumentation, utilizing percussion elements like tubular bells. Though initially polarizing to fans loyal to the Rozz Williams era, the EP has grown to be regarded by music critics as some of the most inspired and definitive material from the band's mid-1980s catalog.

Christian Death - Ashes

Christian Death's 1985 album "Ashes" is a landmark in gothic rock and the final collaboration for founder Rozz Williams, showcasing intense artistic complexity just before the band's lineup shifted towards guitarist Valor Kand. The album represents a major stylistic shift towards a theatrical, neo-classical sound, featuring complex arrangements with instruments like cello and piano.

This dark, avant-garde work features dramatic vocals, haunting harmonies, and poetic themes of religion and madness. It stands as a significant, atmospheric masterpiece within the genre's history, marked by its departure from the raw punk sound of the band's earlier work.

Christian Death - Catastrophe Ballet

Released in 1984, Catastrophe Ballet is the second studio album by American deathrock pioneers Christian Death, marking a shift toward an atmospheric, romantic, and avant-garde gothic rock sound. Featuring a new lineup, including guitarist Valor Kand and keyboardist Gitane DeMone, the record was recorded in Wales and showcases a blend of art-rock, post-punk, and surrealist poetry.

The album, known for tracks like "Sleepwalk" and "The Drowning," is considered a masterpiece of 1980s alternative music and influenced the global gothic subculture. Its distinct style, featuring tribal drumming and melancholic hooks, also established the lineup that would later lead to a long-running legal dispute over the band's name.

Christian Death - Deathwish

Released in 1984 by L'Invitation au Suicide, Christian Death's "Deathwish" EP is a seminal release compiling 1981 studio sessions from the band's original lineup, including Rozz Williams and Rikk Agnew. It merges early punk energy with dark gothic elements, serving as a foundational recording for the deathrock genre just before their debut album.

The EP features six tracks, including the title song, "Dogs," and "Desperate Hell," showcasing a raw, atmospheric sound that defines their early style. It also contains early takes of future classics like "Romeo's Distress" and "Spiritual Cramp," marking it as a significant, heavily-regarded artifact in California's post-punk history.

Rikk Agnew - All By Myself

All By Myself is the acclaimed 1982 debut solo album from American punk icon Rikk Agnew, showcasing his multi-instrumental talents by having him write and play every instrument on the record. Released via Frontier Records, this DIY masterpiece bridges aggressive hardcore with melodic, post-punk textures, featuring standout tracks like "O.C. Life" and "Falling Out."
The album, co-produced with Thom Wilson, highlights Agnew's significant influence on the Southern California punk scene following his departure from the Adolescents. It serves as a precursor to his later work with Christian Death, solidifying his reputation as a versatile and singular force in the punk genre.

Christian Death - The Decomposition Of Violets

Originally released back in 1985, Christian Death's classic Live in Hollywood had finally been made available on CD (it was only previously available on cassette). It's disheartening that the year it's finally been re-issued, Christian Death singer Rozz Williams committed suicide. The band was one of the first goth/death/rock bands out there, and Live in Hollywood is a fine example of how influential they were. The music can be comparable at times to Bauhaus and early Jane's Addiction, but Christian Death was much more morbid and dark. Most of their classic tracks reside here, such as "Awake at the Wall," "The Drowning," "Electra Descending," "The Blue Hour," as well as the out-of-control "Cavity," which makes it a highly recommended introduction to this great, far-reaching band.

Christian Death - Only Theatre Of Pain

And thus was American Goth rock born. Perhaps an extreme statement, as one could argue 45 Grave beat Christian Death to the punch, if with a lot more intentional humour. Still, it's about the only thing that can be said upon listening to Christian Death's debut, Only Theatre of Pain, released in 1982 and influencing more bands that can be counted since then. The member who got the most attention was, unsurprisingly, singer Rozz Williams, but guitarist Rikk Agnew is the secret weapon that makes this album so good. With the first phase of the Adolescents (and a solo album) behind him, he brings his punk-inspired guitar work to the fore here, and with the help of long-time producer Thom Wilson, the two created a perfectly ominous world of tolling bells, heavily treated guitar, and general spookiness. Bassist James McGearty and drummer George Belanger keep the murky energy going and thankfully are not afraid to kick up a storm when needed either. The most memorable song is "Romeo's Distress," a catchy slice of doomy punk-pop that admittedly has one of the most un-PC lyrical starts around. Throughout, the band either kick out the melancholy jams, McGearty's purring bass leading the way, or sheer atmospherics, some quite effective. Witness the slow wash of sound concluding the first side and kicking off the second, or the combination of noise, keyboards, and treated vocals on the closing "Prayer." And then there's Rozz Williams -- those who accused Bauhaus singer Peter Murphy of delivering up pretentious lyrics and overwrought performances must have flipped upon hearing this record. Sodomized boys in front of furnace altars, hilariously naïve reversed words meant to be spooky ("Reficul!"), incense-laden sex, "roses and candles, silver knives and spoons," "necrophiliac relationship," song titles like "Mysterium Iniquitatis" and "Spiritual Cramp," all delivered with a breathless moan at once low and whiny. His weird charm comes through after a while, but it usually takes a couple of listens to get the giggles out.

This CD version contains the Deathwish EP as a bonus. Recorded at Orange County Studios in 1981, these 6 songs were the first recordings Christian Death recorded in a studio before the band signed to Frontier Records for Only Theatre Of Pain. They were asked to provide some songs for the “Hell Comes To Your House” compilation album, however only "Dogs" ended up being used.