Christian Death – Ashes (1985)

Country: United States

Tracklist

1. Ashes 07:05
2. Ashes Part II 02:24
3. When I Was Bed 07:56
4. Lament - Over The Shadows 02:48
5. Face 03:52
6. The Luxury Of Tears 06:54
7. Of The Wound 05:00

Christian Death is an American gothic rock band formed in Los Angeles County, California, in 1979

by Rozz Williams (November 6, 1963 – April 1, 1998) when he joined by guitarist Rikk Agnew of the band Adolescents,

James McGearty on bass guitar and George Belanger on drums.
This line-up was responsible for producing the band's best known work,

their 1982 debut album "Only Theatre Of Pain", which was highly influential

in the development of the style of music known as deathrock, as well as on the American gothic scene.
The original band broke up in 1983 amid band infighting and drug abuse.
Williams assembled a new version of the band later that year by merging with another L.A. rock band, Pompeii 99.
This lineup included guitarist Valor Kand, vocalist/keyboardist Gitane Demone and drummer David Glass.

The new version of the band recorded their next two albums,

"Catastrophe Ballet" (1984) (with bassist Constance Smith) and "Ashes" (1985) (with bassist Randy Wilde).
Following the release of the band's third album, "Ashes", in 1985, Williams left the band

and was controversially replaced by Valor as frontperson, with no original members of the band remaining.
At one point during the 1990s there were two bands with the name Christian Death.
During the late 1980s, while also recording as Shadow Project, Williams 

resurrected his own version of Christian Death,with his wife Eva O contributing guitar as well as vocals.

Billing themselves as the original Christian Death, they were rejoined by first guitarist Agnew for a 1989 tour on Canada.
The band was signed to Cleopatra Records, and released "The Iron Mask" and the "Skeleton Kiss" EP in 1992,

"The Path Of Sorrows" in 1993, and "The Rage Of Angels" in 1994, all under the Christian Death name.
A 1993 show featuring Only Theatre Of Pain-era members Williams, Agnew and Belanger (along with bassist Casey Chaos)

performing live at Los Angeles' Patriot Hall was recorded and later released in 2001 as a DVD by Cleopatra Records.
Williams' reclamation of the Christian Death name sparked a fierce battle with Kand.

However, Kand already had the rights to the name due to Williams' departure and subsequent neglect of the moniker.

Williams consequently billed his version of the band as Christian Death Featuring Rozz Williams.

After this, Williams' version would not release another full album of original material

and he went on to pursue other projects before committing suicide on April 1, 1998.
Valor's Christian Death continued performing and recording, releasing 12 studio albums since 1985.

Memory