This week, Season of Mist Records announced the limited vinyl LP re-issue of this long out-of-print classic album Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ from Christian Death, available on September 25th.
From banned and protested gigs to burned records and bomb threats in Germany, no other album in the history of gothic rock has caused the level of controversy as Christian Death's Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ, but the ground-breaking album also yielded profound substance beyond the symbolic cover.
With well-known tracks like "This Is Heresy" and "Wretched Mankind," Christian Death weaves themes of hypocrisy, corruption and rebellion against subjugation. The themes of the record seem to resonate with the consequences of, and argument against oppression in free world. Christian Death suggests a pursuit for truth regardless of faith and a non-conformity to the status-quo. Or as Valor Kand has said, "Don't just take the world as you see it. Research it."
The official press release offers up a little history lesson regarding the importance of the album's cover.
"The ground-breaking album, Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ, which was first released in the UK in 1988, had as its original and official cover, the image of what "appears to be" Jesus shooting up something with a needle into his arm.
The album cover was designed and planned by Valor. Brian Neesam photographed the model in the image; a friend of Valor's known as "Bonano” from Milan, Italy. Ironically, Bonano was actually at the time a heroin addict. Meanwhile during the recording of the album in an abandoned London building, Valor had to perform CPR on the girlfriend of Bonano, who was herself, at the time, in the throes of an overdose. Valor's effort ultimately saved her life.
All of this was a very profound experience for Valor and thus, this official cover is very important to the band. At the initial time of production, Normal Records in Germany refused to issue the album with the image of Christ-like Bonano appearing to inject something into his arm with a needle. Normal further acted of their own accord issuing the album with an alternate cover inspired by a Dutch master's painting of a 3-headed Christ. Nevertheless, this original image was and still is the official cover."
"The picture of Jesus taking drugs is a conflict of righteousness. It was quite a symbolic record cover," says Kand. "I wanted to reach a few people and let them explore the inner depths of meaning that has been accumulated for over 1,700 years. That doesn't disrespect anyone's religious beliefs whatsoever. It is not meant to insult belief because people need belief. It just drew attention that there is maybe more to this than we have ever allowed ourselves to consider."
Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ will be issued in black (600 copies - 1st pressing), dark green (300 copies) and clear (100 copies), and is now available to pre-order from the Season of Mist website.
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