Well, I am back from another wonderful visit to Alameda. Unfortunately, I have not bene feeling as active as I should with the blogs, but I have begun my tenure as a featured writer on SleepWalKing, where I wrote (surprise) a review of Sleep Convention. Well, as much as I love it here, listening to my favorite track from this record reminded me of how much I need to return to more of my own fair city.
Seems odd, but yes, Los Angeles is the home of American goth. I had always been curious about the domestic side of the style as I have long been a fan of Joy Division, Bauhaus and the Cure. Our contribution to the style is a bit more on the side of the common mall-goth stereotype. Yet unlike Los Angeles peers and arguable super-group 45 Grave, Christian Death (name actually a play on words for "Christian Doir" rather than mere anti-Christian angst) is only arguably intentionally funny. All the drama (see "theatre" in title) would have to be intentional if only frontman Rozz Williams had been past his teen years. However, it is hard to deny either the fun of this over-the-top band or the creative guitar playing of former Adolescent Rikk Agnew. While Marilyn Manson copped much of Williams' style, the original can speak to anyone with a good sense of humor more than the 90s shocker. By far the album's best track, "Romeo's Distress" exemplifies the album's best charms the punky minor-chord bass line is a catchy pull and Agnew breaks into some of the most enjoyable goth guitar - basically Bauhaus with some real SoCal-style chops. Then Williams comes in with one of the most beautifully tasteless shock lines of all time "a burning cross is on a nigger's lawn." Obviously not for the easily offended. Though at a lower level the rest of this album is not a far cry from that masterful track.
Like my last article attempted to wash off some stigma around pop-metal this one should encourage you to give goth a chance. This is true rock 'n' roll in perhaps the most fun way. It gets dark, offensive, and even disturbing but remember, it's only theatre... OF PAIN!!!
Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain (1982)
