Catastrophe Ballet

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Catastrophe Ballet
Christian Death studio album

Publication
(s)

1984

Label (s) Contempo Records

Format (s)

LP , CD

Genre (s)

Death rock , Gothic punk , Gothic rock

Title (number)

10

occupation
  • Guitar , backing vocals: Valor Kant
  • Keyboard , backing vocals: Gitane Demone

production

Eric Westfall, Valor Kant, Christian Death

chronology
Only Theater of Pain (1982) Catastrophe Ballet Ashes (1985)

Catastrophe Ballet is the second music album by the death rock band Christian Death .

background

Catastrophe Ballet is the first studio album in the new line-up. This came about when Rozz Williams emigrated to Europe and then re-founded Christian Death together with the post-punk band Pompeii 99 . The album is considered the second essential album of the forefathers of American Gothic . While the band's predecessor, Only Theater of Pain, was strongly oriented towards Gothic Punk , this album not only features songs in the typical Gothic-Punk manner such as B. Sleepwalk , in addition, typical Gothic-Rock structures can also be heard in songs like The Blue Hour or The Drowning . In general, the album is quieter than its predecessor. Sometimes clear, long and calm melodies are used and the once dominant bass is now sometimes less dominant and often plays an accompanying role on Catastrophe Ballet . Rozz Williams ' vocals, supported by Valor Kant, are more romantic, dramatic and depressive on this album and illustrate the band's Dadaist worldview at this point in time. Here the great influence of icons such as David Bowie , Lou Reed and Jim Morrison is clearly reflected in the singing style of Williams. Williams was already experimenting heavily with drugs and had the idea for the bizarre cover while under the influence of magic mushrooms .

Valor Kant commented on this album as follows:

"The concept of Catastrophe Ballet reflects the forces of birth and death acting side by side, the omnipresent backdrop of the catastrophe that we choreograph with every step in this ballet that we call life."

- Valor

On May 14, 2014, Christian Death played an exclusive 30 Anniversary Tour just in time for Catastrophe Ballet's 30th birthday .

Track list

  1. "Awake at the Wall" (Valor, Constance Smith, David Parkinson, Gitane Demone, Rozz Williams)
  2. "Sleepwalk" (Valor, Williams)
  3. "The Drowning" (Williams)
  4. "The Blue Hour" (Valor, Williams)
  5. "As Evening Falls" (Valor, Williams)
  6. "Androgynous Noise Hand Permeates" (Valor, Parkinson, Eric Westfall, Williams)
  7. "Electra Descending" (Valor, Williams)
  8. "Cervix Couch" (Valor, Smith, Demone, Williams)
  9. "This Glass House" (Valor, Williams)
  10. "The Fleeing Somnambulist" (Valor, Westfall, Williams)

QAH Music USA, arrangements: Valor

Re-releases

In 1987 the album was re-released under the name A Catastrophe Ballet With Rhapsody of Youth and Rain with three bonus tracks:

  1. "The Somnolent Pursuit" ("The Fleeing Somnambulist" backwards)
  2. "Between Youth" (B side of Believers of the Unpure )
  3. "After the Rain" (B side of Believers of the Unpure )

In 1999 it was also re-released with additional live recordings under "Awake at the Wall" and "The Drowning". In addition, there are pictures of concerts on the CD as a bonus.

In 2009 the album was released again, this time with the further unreleased bonus track Beneath his Widow feat. Rozz Williams.

criticism

Like Only Theater of Pain and its successor Ashes , this album is described by ssmt.com critic Alec A. as a post-punk essential .

Critics described the change in music as follows:

" The sound of Christian Death was about to change and become more affected and various remaining in the death rock, which is in fact the American gothic rock, quite different from the UK gothic scene of the 80s, fields that Rozz Williams formed with Christian Death with "Deathwish" (1981) and "Only Theater Of Pain" (1982). "

“The sound of Christian Death influenced and permanently changed Death Rock, which is actually the American Gothic Rock, which differs from the British Gothic Rock scene of the 80s, a style that Rozz Williams with Christian Death with" Deathwish "(1981) and" Only " Theater Of Pain "(1982)."

- The Rozzengarten

credentials

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=2058
  2. ↑ http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=2058
  3. ↑ Satan Stole My Teddybear ( Memento from March 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Rozz Williams / Gitane Demone - Dream Home Heartache - Gothic / Darkwave ( Memento from March 18, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/album/only-theatre-of-pain-mw0000314515
  6. ↑ Christian Death Catastrophe Ballet Review on Sputnik Music
  7. ↑ http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=2058
  8. ↑ http://www.metalreviews.com/reviews/album/5255
  9. ↑ a b Der Rozzengarten: Christian Death - Catastrophe Ballet review. Metal Storm, accessed March 21, 2014 .
  10. ↑ CHRISTIAN DEATH 'CATASTROPHE BALLET 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR' ( Memento from April 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive )