Christian Death album

Album   Released Publisher Rating
Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordia Que (Bonus Track) 1990 Candlelight Records
Scriptures (Bonus Track) 1987 Candlelight Records
Ashes (2009 Bonus Track) 1985 Season Of Mist
Ashes (Bonus Tracks) 1985 Candlelight Records
Back to the topInsanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordia Que (Bonus Track)
Review by Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Released:
1990
Label:
Candlelight Records
Rating:
Styles:
Goth Rock
Heavy Metal
Alternative/Indie Rock
Goth Metal
Insanus, Ultio, Proditio, Misericordia Que conveniently compiles Valor-era material, although it must be said that the guitarist's excesses were beginning to get the better of Christian Death, and the album illustrates both his best and worst points. [The 2003 reissue includes the bonus track "Infans Vexatio."]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Sevan-Us-Rex 3:49 Valor
2 Malus Amor 5:41 Valor
3 Tragicus Conatus 2:48 Valor
4 Vexatio 6:55 Valor
5 Somnium 5:11 Valor
6 Venenum 4:54 Valor
7 Mors/Voluntaria 6:44 Valor
8 Vita - Voluntaria 2:51 Valor
9 Infans Vexatio (*) 6:59 Williams
Price: $11.99
Full title - Insanus Ultio Proditio Misericordiaque. 2002 reissue originally released in 1990. Includes the bonus track 'Infans Vexatio'. Candlelight.
Back to the topScriptures (Bonus Track)
Review by Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Released:
1987
Label:
Candlelight Records
Rating:
Styles:
Goth Rock
Heavy Metal
Alternative/Indie Rock
Goth Metal
Guitarist Valor Kand gets even more ambitious on his second album as the lead vocalist of Christian Death; Scriptures is as much his take on comparative world religions as it is a goth rock album -- in the words of the liner notes, it's "a translation of world beliefs by Valor." It's rather grandiose and pretentious, of course, but that's often what Christian Death does best, and those are the qualities that give their music its impact. The balance provided by Rozz Williams is missed, but Scriptures is still one of the band's strongest albums without him. [The 2000 reissue includes the bonus live track "Sick if Love."]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Prelude 1:57 N/A
2 Song of Songs 5:21 N/A
3 Vanity 1:55 N/A
4 Four Horsemen 4:51 N/A
5 1983 (C.D.) 10:01 N/A
6 Omega Dawn 3:23 N/A
7 A Ringing in Their Ears 1:39 N/A
8 The Golden Age 3:30 N/A
9 Alpha Sunset 2:00 N/A
10 Spilt Blood 0:58 N/A
11 Raw War 6:34 N/A
12 Reflections of the First Sesom Fo Koob 6:27 N/A
13 Sick If Love (Live)(*) 5:38 N/A
Back to the topAshes (2009 Bonus Track)
Review by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
Released:
1985
Label:
Season Of Mist
Rating:
Styles:
Goth Rock
Heavy Metal
Alternative/Indie Rock
Goth Metal
The second and final studio album done as a full collaboration between Rozz Williams and Valor Kand, Ashes finds Christian Death at what might have been simply the beginning of a long-term partnership of quality rather than a final break. Williams' vocals are now much more controlled and immediately powerful than the overwrought early days, substituting a quieter sense of later, Bowie-inflected drama instead of, say, Ziggy-era Bowie squealing. Kand's lyrics aren't any less laden with images of religion, twisted sex, insanity, and mystic rites -- a ritualism well matched throughout by the music -- but the near-adolescent goofiness of earlier times now feels much more considered and focused. Kand, in the meantime, brings a much more consciously artistic edge to his music than Rikk Agnew did on Only Theatre of Pain; here the aggressive power is tempered by a huge theatricality that still works, almost in spite of itself. Not to say that this era of Christian Death can't rage as hard -- the conclusion of the opening track, "Ashes" itself, is a frenetic explosion of sound, where drummer David Glass and singer/keyboardist Gitane Demone also earn their keep. Restraint, though, is a key element to what's going on -- consider the almost psych/frug-worthy "Face," or the wonderful "When I Was Bed." The title may be a bit nonsensical, but the shadowy pulse of the music, ratcheting up just a bit on the verses, is attractively paced throughout. Williams and Demone make for a good harmony team on the chorus, and the whole is equal to the post-punk hooks-and-vibe of bands like Echo & the Bunnymen. A great detour from the overall mood is "Lament," an oompah/music hall anthem that sounds like a twisted carnival anthem, where Demone gets to sweetly intone things in German and Williams really exercises his Bowie fetish. [This version of Ashes contains the bonus track "Before the Rain."]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Ashes 7:03 Williams, Valor
2 Ashes, Pt. 2 2:35 Valor
3 When I Was Bed 8:09 Valor, Williams
4 Lament (Over the Shadows) 2:52 Westfall, Reumschussel, Williams
5 Face 3:54 Williams, Valor
6 The Luxury of Tears 7:06 Valor, Williams
7 Before the Rain (#)(*) 4:53 N/A
8 Of the Wound 5:03 Fuller, Williams, Valor
Price: $14.98     1 Review
Christian Death -Ashes, diligently restored original master and artwork done by a surviving member, Kand. He carefully enhanced the sound by remastering keeping the Goth Essential'...
Back to the topAshes (Bonus Tracks)
Review by Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
Released:
1985
Label:
Candlelight Records
Rating:
Styles:
Goth Rock
Heavy Metal
Alternative/Indie Rock
Goth Metal
The second and final studio album made as a full collaboration between Rozz Williams and Valor Kand, Ashes finds Christian Death at what might have been simply the beginning of a long-term partnership of quality rather than a final break. Williams' vocals are much more controlled and immediately powerful than in the band's overwrought early days, substituting a quieter sense of later, David Bowie-inflected drama instead of, say, Ziggy-era Bowie squealing. Kand's lyrics aren't any less laden with images of religion, twisted sex, insanity, and mystic rites -- a ritualism well matched throughout by the music -- but the near-adolescent goofiness of earlier times feels much more considered and focused here. Kand, in the meantime, brings a much more consciously artistic edge to his music than Rikk Agnew did on Only Theatre of Pain; the aggressive power is tempered by a huge theatricality that still works, almost in spite of itself. Not to say that this era of Christian Death can't rage as hard -- the conclusion of the opening track, "Ashes" itself, is a frenetic explosion of sound, where drummer David Glass and singer/keyboardist Gitane Demone also earn their keep. Restraint, though, is a key element to what's going on -- consider the almost psych/frug-worthy "Face," or the wonderful "When I Was Bed." The title may be a bit nonsensical, but the shadowy pulse of the music, ratcheting up just a bit on the verses, is attractively paced throughout. Williams and Demone make for a good harmony team on the chorus, and the whole is equal to the post-punk hooks-and-vibe of bands like Echo & the Bunnymen. A great detour from the overall mood is "Lament," an oompah/music hall anthem that sounds like twisted carnival music, where Demone gets to sweetly intone things in German and Williams really exercises his Bowie fetish. [This version of the album includes bonus material.]
Track # Track Time Composer
1 Ashes 7:14 N/A
2 Ashes, Pt. 2 2:25 N/A
3 When I Was Bed 8:06 N/A
4 Lament (Over the Shadows) 2:54 N/A
5 Face 3:54 N/A
6 The Luxury of Tears 6:57 N/A
7 Of the Wound 5:03 N/A
8 (Untitled Track) 3:24 N/A
9 (Untitled Track) 2:45 N/A
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