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Christian Death - Sex And Drugs And Jesus Christ review



Reviewer:
8.6

4 users:
7.25
Band: Christian Death
Album: Sex And Drugs And Jesus Christ
Release date: 1988


01. This Is Heresy
02. Tragedy
03. Wretched Mankind
04. The Third Antichrist
05. Erection
06. Ten Thousand Hundred Times
07. Incendiary Lover
08. Window Pane

"From the grievous wounds flow solemn tears in the nightmare knavery of his 3 stigmata?"

Christian Death have to be one of the sacred beasts of the dark scene of the 80s, not only they were one of the most important and influencial death rock acts, they also never tended to remain the same, offering throughout the 80s many fabulous releases. At first there was the charismatic persona of Rozz Williams, "Deathwish" and the legendary "Only Theatre Of Pain" were reality, then he joined forces with another charismatic and obscure figure, Valor, "Catastrophe Ballet" and Ashes" turn to life, Rozz Williams leaves, "Atrocities" and "The Wind Kissed Pictures" etc get released and 1988 arrives. A release to cause controversy everywhere gets composed, "Sex And Drugs And Jesus Christ", probably the last great Christian Death release (including not the releases of Rozz Williams' Christian Death in the 90s, they were definitely amazing) that had a lot to say to the audience.

The cover speaks for itself, one of the most blasphemous covers ever, a cover that many black metal bands would love to have in one of their albums, how would you find Jesus Christ with tattoos getting shots of heroine? Not something beautiful to the eye of the church, the believers and the "ethical" people, but definitely something utterly controversial and radical, turning a figure so pure to pieces. And the artwork of the whole booklet paces in the same blasphemous manner, being more extreme to the eyes of common mortals.

The album flows in death rock soundscapes, taking the sound of the scene a bit further with Valor pouring his soul once again in the core of Christian Death. This time the guitars sound heavier, in fact there are moments that sound definitely metal-oriented, like the groovy and heavily distorted passages in "This Is Heresy" with Valor sounding utterly ecstatic while singing "Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph on earth?", I guess he never got a question. Something that catches the attention of the listener is the haunting melancholically devout atmosphere of "Sex And Drugs And Jesus Christ". Everyone in the band contributes the most to the final outcome which evokes bitterness for the fall of mankind and the triumph of "ethics", "love" and "peace" on earth, just listen to "Wretched Mankind" and if Valor's heart-rending interpretation won't convince you then nothing will. Valor sounds so vivid, full of hate and sorrow unleashes his chanting, either full of anger or more emotional and melancholic he never fails to convince. Gitane DeMone, one of the most characteristic female voices of the 80s, shows for one more time what a gifted vocalist she is (like on the ecstatic "Incendiary Lover" and the fabulous "Erection" - Valor offers some awesome guitar work, both his heavily distorted riffing and the melancholic acoustic passages are inspired in this piece), forgetting not to offer some beauteous keyboard passages that enrich the atmosphere of the album. The guitars, whether they have a heavier tone or sound more mourning, interpret their role really well and in a simplistic yet quality way, whereas the rhythm section with its pulse lends groove and power to the compositions.

Fans of the 80s death rock scene and gothic metal/rock adorers should give this release a listen, definitely, it is a really representative Christian Death release, Valor at his best after the legendary and wailing "Atrocities".

"They know what is RIGHT by the righteousness that abounds them?"


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 9
Production: 8





Written on 30.05.2006 by "It is myself I have never met, whose face is pasted on the underside of my mind."



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