Just as the theatrically-minded LA punk scene was beginning to give rise to such morbidly themed outfits as 45 Grave and the Flesh Eaters, an androgynous teenaged street performer named Rozz Williams (n\u00e9 Roger Painter) founded CHRISTIAN DEATH, one of the most prolific, enduring, and beloved gothic acts of all time.<\/p>\n
Williams\u2019 otherworldly groan can make \u201cOnly Theatre of Pain\u201d difficult going for those that aren\u2019t the gothic faithful, but the loud\/not-too-fast music (courtesy of ex-ADOLESCENTS guitarist Rikk Agnew and the walking-dead rhythm section of bassist James McGearty and drummer George Belanger) is appropriately doom \u2018n\u2019 gloomy, with inventive arrangements and clear sound \u2013 thanks to Frontier Records\u2019 go-to punk production legend, Thom Wilson\u2014 capturing the mood in full B-movie fidelity. The lyrics sacriligiously address horror topics and religion: they\u2019re overwrought (the backwards masking of \u2018Mysterium Iniquitatis\u2019 being one clever exception) but easy to overlook in the wash of inspired rock noise.<\/p>\n
The original lineup\u2019s recorded debut is a gem. Artists inspired by CHRISTIAN DEATH include Danzig, Craddle of Filth, Paradise Lost, Korn, Type O Negative, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Jane\u2019s Addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cA depraved masterpiece, this was punk rock made poetic, subversive, and gracefully savage.\u201d- AV Club<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe Gothic\u00a0album to out-gothic all others\u201d – Melody Maker<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOnly Theatre of Pain<\/em>‘s influence should not be underestimated\u201d – Record Collector<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CHRISTIAN DEATH was formed by Rozz Williams in Los Angeles, California in 1979. Williams was eventually joined by guitarist\/songwriter Rikk Agnew of ADOLESCENTS, James McGearty on bass and George Belanger on drums. This CHRISTIAN DEATH line-up was responsible for recording the band’s iconic 1982 debut, ONLY THEATRE OF PAIN, widely regarded as the #1 American goth album of all-time. This is one-time only, strictly-limited edition box set, never to be sold as a set once these are gone. <\/p>\n This box set is a Frontier Records\/Cult Epics co-production, exclusively distributed by Distrolux. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":108044,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[300,231],"product_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-109292","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-afterpunk","7":"product_cat-dark-wave-en","8":"product_shipping_class-librocd-en","9":"pa_formato-box-2lp-book-en","11":"first","12":"outofstock","13":"taxable","14":"shipping-taxable","15":"purchasable","16":"product-type-simple"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/109292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=109292"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=109292"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/munster-records.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=109292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThis exclusive double-LP version of OTOP commemorates its 40th anniversary\u2014 the first disc is the digitally remastered, original version of the album while the second disc is comprised of \u201cDogs\u201d from HELL COMES TO YOUR HOUSE, four pre-Frontier demos, two studio demos made for a second Frontier Records\u2019 LP that never happened and two alternate studio mixes from OTOP. The gatefold LP jacket is printed in its original its black and metallic gold, includes a Colver collage poster and a hardcover copy of the photo book, ONLY THEATRE OF PAIN and all come in a hard slipcase.
\nThe oversized 12\u201d x 12\u201d book features rare and never-before-seen photos of CHRISTIAN DEATH as well as new interviews with photographer Edward C. Colver, the surviving band members, Frontier\u2019s Lisa Fancher and others. Colver befriended the band and followed them around in late 1981 and early 1982 at more than a dozen concerts as well as photo shoots in Rozz Williams\u2019 family home (used on the back cover and insert of ONLY THEATRE OF PAIN) and a session of now famous images at a Pomona CA cemetery.<\/p>\n