Christian Death "Deathwish" 1984(release) 1981(rec.)***

I've had a few of these "dark" records sitting in my drafts folder since spring, but I thought I'd present them at a more appropriate time. Who'd like to listen to the likes of Christian Death when it's still sunny and warm outside, right? It turns out that weather has nothing to do with it: I may have previously connected the moroseness of Sisters Of Mercy and Red Lorry Yellow Lorry to the weather of their native Leeds, but Christian Death come from sunny South California: shouldn't they by rights only be singing about the sun, surf, girls?

Instead, this is how this EP starts "I see the end, and I see the end well it was open so I crawled inside/ And someone up ahead was crying, well someone up ahead was dying/ Lost in the darkness, lost in today". This is from the title track "Deathwish", a short piece with a heavy metallic riff by guitarist Rikk Agnew and dramatic vocal by singer/bandleader Rozz Williams. Agnew, already a mainstay of the California punk scene (having played for Social Distortion, The Detours, and The Adolescents) attended an early gig and, being struck by their outlandish appearance and performance, offered to join them as second guitarist. By the time of these recordings he was the only guitarist left. Before I continue the review I should warn you that these are early demos not initially intended for release, which explains/excuses the poor-to-middling recording quality. They predated their debut Only Theater Of Pain (also produced by Thom Wilson of Offspring fame) but were released a few years later, initially in Europe only. Despite the lo-fi sound they retain a certain murky charm, which is why this EP is highly regarded by many Christian Death fans. These tracks would later be added to the O.T.O.P. CD reissue, which I guess diminishes the need to seek out this EP - if not for the great booklet with the freaky engravings and gothic poetry in both English and French versions, a great vinyl edition that every Goth is sure to appreciate. I have it on CD myself, but it's still nice as CD booklets go. The song that stands out, both here and in the final version released on O.T.O.P., is the speedy post-punk classic "Romeo's Distress". "Dogs" features atmospheric synths and semi-spoken vocals, and the menacing "Desperate Hell" is full of shrieks and horror effects. The EP closes with two more early versions of O.T.O.P. tracks, the punky "Spiritual Cramp" and the more psychedelic "Cavity". The music of this line-up was generally punkier and more guitar-based than what followed, partly because of Agnew's influence. After he left, the band's sound would become less rock'n'roll and more theatrical and atmospheric. By 1985 lead singer Rozz also left, with bandmate Valor Kand taking over the reins. While the Valor Kand line-up lasted decades instead of mere years and it is the one most people are familiar with, the original Rozz Williams line-up still is the most revered by fans. They would get better in time, but these early versions also make for a fascinating glimpse into the beginnings of one of the most original post-punk/goth bands.

***** for Romeo's Distress

**** for Deathwish

*** for Dogs, Spiritual Cramp

** for Desperate Hell, Cavity