Month: April 2018

words: Guilherme Lucas (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Guilherme Lucas

Christian Death are one of those rock groups that are unique and perfect to be the subject of an in-depth analysis by any underground rock lover. Not only because they have a very extensive and varied quality discography but also because their entire existence is, to this day, haunted by the presence of its founder Rozz Williams, who initially formed the band by “merging” with the musicians of another band – Pompeii 99 – in an attempt to give a second life to the group.

But from then on, there is an history of musicians coming in and out, culminating with the departure of Rozz himself, claiming tour exhaustion. Valor Kand inherits the band and steers it until today, dispite undergoing judicial storms (won) about a later dispute for the name Christian Death, when Rozz Williams’s new return to the stage, who, again, reclaimed to himself the group that he had created. It is the whole set of eccentric personalities that have passed through the band that gives it its unique imprint, as is the case of Eva O and Gitane Demone. And then, there Rozz Williams’ suicide, April 1st, 1998, done in na enigmatic and cinematic fashion that serves to increase the band’s dark history.

If one connects all that with an anti-religious discourse against established morality,of sex, drugs and pure debauchery and perversion, with shocking initial performances, as well as the connection to the occult and magic of some of its members a long time ago, like the 80s, it can be understood why Christian Death are a pioneering and revolutionary band in lots of what is nowadays current practice in some underground market niches, where many bands that, far beyond them, have reached world success.

If, in its origins, the group owes much to Alice Cooper or David Bowie, to Roxy Music or to The Stooges (assumed at the time as structural influences), it can also be said that without Christian Death, bigger and current names like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, or even Diamanda Galas would not have been the same, as they also are aesthetic consequences of this group.

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With a stage serenely decorated with red roses, that involved every stand hardware and the drums, as well as a small memorial dedicated to the founding member of the American band – Rozz Williams – Christian Death, the founders of the American deathrock scene , performed in Hard Club’s Sala 2, their only gig in Portugal included in their current European tour, called the Romantic Death Euro Tour.

They began the show with a long introspective solo, like an intro, and with conviction, attacked with the theme The Nascent Virion, giving the motto to what was to follow. It is with the second theme that the group, managed by guitarist-vocalist Valor Kand, reaches depth and eloquence. Penitence Forevermore is possibly the biggest theme of their latest work, from 2015 album’s The Root of All Evilution, it’s a completely overwhelming theme regardless of the aesthetics in which it is inserted.

From then on, there have been other equally perfect themes as far as intensity of emotions is concerned, highlighting We Have Become (the main riff and the doom tempo are completely and delightfully Black Sabbath; all it takes is listening to it and compare it with Black Sabbath’s theme ); Secrets Down Below, Worship Along The Nile and Iluminazi, on all these themes, Maitri, the bassist- vocalist is just perfect … and fabulously sexy. In the end, and after a much requested encore by the audience, the band withdrew definitively, despite the efforts for them to return for one more theme.

The Christian Death that I saw at Hard Club are a very solid stage band stage, but they do what is strictly necessary to keep a rhythm balanced between themes, that is, they are very directed to offer a concert within a very specific aesthetic, deathrock and gothic. In that sense, since they are not highly evolved instrumentalists (one is often thankful for it, as in the case at hand), they can do a very good job at a collective level. They have in their bass player, the very exuberant Dutch Maitri, a powerful voice, in a soul registry, that dominates the entire spectrum of the songs when she is called to intervene.

I recognize that it is upon drummer Jason Frantz (a non-permanent member) that lives much of what the band reflects live … let’s say he is the one who holds the entire structure and accentuates the details of each theme. And Valor Kand is the band’s warrior and brains, the one who on nights like this pays tribute to the memory of their founder. His solos and electric guitar sound define a whole aesthetic of deathrock subgenre, and in such, he is one of the few existing masters. One can not ask for more than this.

texto e fotos: Guilherme Lucas

Os Christian Death são daqueles grupos de rock únicos e perfeitos para ser alvo de uma análise aprofundada por qualquer amante de rock underground. Não só porque tem uma discografia de qualidade, muito extensa e variada, mas também porque toda a sua existência é assombrada até aos dias de hoje pela presença do seu fundador Rozz Williams, que forma inicialmente a banda por “fusão” com os músicos de uma outra banda – Pompeii 99 – numa tentativa de dar uma segunda vida ao grupo.

 

Mas a partir daí é todo um historial de saídas e entradas de músicos, culminando com a saída do próprio Rozz, alegando esgotamento de tours. Valor Kand herda a banda e dirige-a até à atualidade, embora tenha passado por tormentas judiciais (ganhas) de posterior disputa do nome de Christian Death, aquando de um novo regresso aos palcos de Rozz Williams que reclamava para si de novo o grupo que havia criado. É também todo um conjunto de personalidades excêntricas que passaram pela banda que lhe dá um cunho único, como é o caso de Eva O e Gitane Demone. E depois há o suicídio de Rozz Williams no dia 1 de Abril de 1998, feito de forma enigmática e cinemática e que serve para aumentar o histórico negro da banda.

Se ligarmos tudo isto a todo um discurso antireligioso e contra a moral instituída, de sexo, drogas e pura devassidão e perversão, com performances iniciais chocantes, bem como a ligação ao oculto e à magia de alguns dos seus membros para uma época já longínqua no tempo, como foram os 80, entende-se porque os Christian Death são uma banda pioneira e revolucionária em muito do que hoje em dia é prática corrente em alguns nichos de mercado do underground, onde muitas bandas que, muito para além deles, atingiram sucesso planetário.

Se o grupo nas suas origens deve muito a um Alice Cooper ou David Bowie, a uns Roxy Music ou a uns The Stooges (assumidos na época como influências estruturais), podemos também dizer que sem os Christian Death, nomes maiores e atuais como uns Nine Inch Nails, um Marilyn Manson, ou até uma Diamanda Galas não teriam sido a mesma coisa, pois são também eles consequência estética deste grupo.

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Com um palco decorado serenamente a rosas vermelhas, que envolvia tudo o que era ferragens de tripés e bateria, bem como um pequeno memorial dedicado ao membro fundador da banda norte-americana – Rozz Williams – os Christian Death, fundadores da cena deathrock norte-americana, apresentaram-se em concerto na sala 2 do Hard Club, na sua única data em Portugal da sua atual tour europeia, denominada de Romantic Death Euro Tour.

Iniciaram o espetáculo com um longo solo introspetivo, em jeito de intro, e atacaram com convicção o tema The Nascent Virion, dando o mote ao que se seguiria. É com o segundo tema que o grupo, gerido pelo guitarrista/vocalista Valor Kand, atinge profundidade e eloquência. Penitence Forevermore é, eventualmente, o tema maior do seu último trabalho, datado de 2015, o álbum The Root of All Evilution, e é um tema completamente arrebatador, independentemente da estética em que está inserido.

A partir daí, sucederam-se outros temas igualmente perfeitos no que à intensidade das emoções diz respeito, destacando We Have Become (o riff principal e o andamento doom é completamente e deliciosamente Black Sabbath; é ouvir e fazer a comparação com o tema Black Sabbath); Secrets Down Below, Worship Along The Nile e Iluminazi, onde em todos estes temas, Maitri, a baixista/vocalista é simplesmente perfeita… e fabulosamente sexy. No final, e após um encore muito pedido pelo público, a banda retirou-se definitivamente, pese os esforços do mesmo para que regressassem para mais um tema.

Os Christian Death que vi no Hard Club são uma banda muito sólida em palco mas que só faz o estritamente necessário para manter toda uma cadência equilibrada entre temas, ou seja, estão muito direcionados para oferecer um concerto dentro de uma estética muito específica e que é deathrock e gótica. E nesse sentido, não sendo instrumentistas muito evoluídos (muitas vezes agradece-se isso, o que é o presente caso), conseguem executar um muito bom trabalho a nível coletivo. Tem na sua baixista, a muito exuberante holandesa Maitri, uma poderosa voz, em registo soul, que domina todo o espetro das músicas quando é chamada a intervir.

Reconheço que é no baterista Jason Frantz (membro não permamente) que reside muito do que a banda reflete ao vivo… digamos que é quem segura toda a estrutura e acentua os pormenores de cada tema. E Valor Kand é o guerreiro e o cérebro da banda, aquele que em noites como esta, presta tributo à memória do seu fundador. Os seus solos e som de guitarra elétrica definem toda uma estética do subgénero deathrock, e nisso é um dos poucos mestres existente. Não se pode pedir mais do que isto.

Beats,  loops, pre-recorded sounds with added live effects and manipulations, is what can be listed to on a André Fonseca live set/concert. Fonseca’s electronics are pleasant, ranging from more experimental landscapes to a dancable ones, always without going to extremes.

Personally, what fascinates me the most with this kind of music, is, literally, the assemblage of the gear, its interactions and the manipulations of the various devices on a live context.

Candelabro was a perfect place to watch those. There is no stage, the artist gear and hands are visible, allowing the observer, if interested, to see what is being done.

There is however, one risk with this type of music, especially in the evening in places that are also bars/clubs, at a point, people start to talk, spipping their drinks, turning their attention off the musician. Even because, if the venue is full, it can be hard to know if the music is live or a DJ/the venues’ ambient music.

words & photos Raquel Pinheiro

Regardless of how many Sereias concerts one sees, they are never alike, even if, paradoxically, it is always possible to know it them that are playing.

The differences, often, aren’t so much on the general structure, but more on the details, the type of little and bigger inserts, the toning the always overwhelming frantic, chaotic, but controlled, energy, a notch down or up, and in adapting themselves to the venue and audience.

At Candelabro, a small place, from where the usual tables and chairs had been removed, they were staggering, hypnotic, rapturing the audience that was going along the band’s flow, at times, as berserked as Sereias.

Split in two parts, a very intense, breathless, noisy, furious, with manic drums, bass and electronics at full speed wreaking havoc, the guitar’s metallic, acute, spasm throwing confusion, the saxophone adding another lawyer to the intensity, and the vocals, floating equally on a tone of insanity. The “second half”, could be called calmer, more peaceful, even if calm and peace, with Sereias, are euphemisms, but some parts were quieter, especially the theme before the last one, where the saxophone shone, and, then was absent on the final track.

Sereias’ music always affects the audience that absorbs it, mimicking the feelings conveyed by the band. It is impossible to watch them and remain the same.