Christian Death
Past, Present And Forever

"Everyone Hates Valor Kand" Act II

As already extensively stated in the previous review of "Pornographic Messiah," everyone hates Valor Kand, even the kind readers of DeBaser who wisely left a post to affirm and underline their absolutely legitimate hatred towards our non-hero/usurper.

And so I said to myself: damn it, I've always loved playing the Devil's advocate (allow me, in this joyful Christmas, to write the name of the "enemy" par excellence, the hated one par excellence, with a capital letter, right?), so I will try to bring to light, to the eyes of the many, all those works, those albums, those collections, where good old Valor has managed to leave a mark of that artistic ability that the vast majority denies attributing to him.

Such is the case with "Past, Present and Forever," a collection released in 1994 by our own and now-defunct Nostradamus Rec., assembled with singles from "Believers of the Unpure," "The Wind Kissed Pictures," and the elusive "Lacrima Christi."

Well, since the LP under review is merely an impromptu collection, it's difficult to talk about evolution or changes compared to the regular music releases of the time period under consideration: after all, we are talking about tracks written between 1985 and 1989, thus far removed (thank goodness!) from the abhorrent early '90s productions of Christian marked by Valor (because in the meantime, good old Rozz, after a decade-long absence, reappeared in 1993 with "The Path of Sorrows," his first album of new material since "Ashes," under the name "Christian Death featuring Rozz Williams").

The work of assembling is executed so positively that anyone not previously aware could very well mistake "Past, Present and Forever" as an album conceived and recorded for a true original release. Only the powerful and truly biting "Believers of the Unpure," which alone is worth the purchase of the record in question, is so evocative in its expression throughout 7 minutes of sulfurous and highly rhythmic gothic rock, presenting a slightly less effective recording than songs like "Lake of Fire," tribal and ascetic in its "reversed" and perverse riffing, or the famous hit "The Wind Kissed Pictures," a classic "minimalist deathrock" song by Berry Galvin, whose lyrics are written by Valor in honor of the birth of his first son Sevan, with the group's female singer, Gitane Demone.

The album in question presents itself as an alternation of what we might call traditional pieces, like those already mentioned, and others that instead have a strongly evocative and introspective flavor, short instrumental suites in which certain gothic and funerary noise takes the listener into an ethereal and dreamlike world, a melting of fears and phobias. Songs like "Blast of the Bough" or "Amaterasu" bear witness to this.

Lastly, let's talk about the little gem, the small jewel contained in this collection: the song "Lacrima Christi." "Past, Present and Forever" contains both the English version, which is nothing more than 9 minutes of unsettling voodoo noise, chilling to the core, as well as the Italian version.

Now, as many know, "Lacrima Christi" is a notorious sweet and fruity white wine from Campania/Lucania; that said, it is likely that the good Valor used it to enter a Dionysian ecstasy and compose the admirable Italian version of the eponymous song, which presents itself as a delicate but inspired gothic song, with a commendable vocal phrasing in the chorus.

The even more extraordinary thing is that as a hidden track there is a version of the song in question even sung in Italian, with a delirious text about sodomized pagans and whatever else makes a paradise lost for the good savage as an accompaniment. Spectacular.

What else to say, try listening to it and maybe the bad reputation of our/your Valor Kand will improve a bit (or perhaps worsen, who can say).

Ah, I forgot, in honor of the magnificent DeBaserian colleague Emanuele, the cover of the album in question portrays the beautiful Gitane Demone naked, languidly laid out like a modern siren on a marvelous seabed.