Valor Kand
Valor Kand is an Australian-born musician, singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the longtime leader, vocalist, and primary creative force of the American deathrock and gothic rock band Christian Death since 1985.[1][2] Originally from Australia, where he spent part of his early life before living in England, Europe, and the United States, Kand began his music career as a drummer before expanding to keyboards, horns, and guitar to achieve the sounds he envisioned.[3] In the early 1980s, he formed the Los Angeles-based band Pompeii 99, which disbanded after meeting Christian Death founder Rozz Williams; this led to Kand joining Christian Death in 1983 as a guitarist and contributing to the band's seminal album Catastrophe Ballet (1984).[2][3] Following Williams' departure in 1985 amid internal tensions, Kand assumed full leadership, relocating the band to London and steering its sound toward more intellectual, political, and metal-influenced territories while retaining its signature dark, rebellious themes critiquing organized religion and societal norms.[2][4] Under Kand's direction, Christian Death has released over a dozen studio albums, including The Scriptures (1987), Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ (1988), Pornographic Messiah (2002), American Inquisition (2007), The Root of All Evilution (2015), and Evil Becomes Rule (2022), alongside extensive global touring and collaborations with his wife, Maitri, who joined as bassist and vocalist in the 1990s.[4][2] Kand secured legal ownership of the band name after disputes with Williams, allowing his version of Christian Death to continue as the primary iteration, though Williams formed a parallel lineup before his death in 1998.[2] As of 2025, the band remains active, with Kand and Maitri maintaining its eerie, medieval-inspired aesthetic and influence on the goth and deathrock scenes through ongoing performances and releases.[2]Early Career
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Valor Kand was born in Australia and spent parts of his early years living in England, Europe, and other locations, shaping his diverse cultural background. He grew up in a family of musicians, including grandparents, parents, and relatives, which introduced him to music from a young age. Kand began playing multiple instruments around age 4 or 5, drawing initial inspiration from his family's musical talents as well as innovative artists like David Bowie, whose boundary-pushing style encouraged him to experiment with original sounds.[5] Kand initially pursued drumming as his primary focus in music. To better capture the unique sonic textures he sought, he transitioned to learning and incorporating other instruments, including guitars, keyboards, and horns, often adapting them in self-directed ways to suit his creative vision. This hands-on approach allowed him to develop versatility without formal training, emphasizing practical experimentation over traditional methods.[3] Relocating to California, Kand became immersed in the vibrant Los Angeles music scene of the late 1970s, where he encountered the rising punk, alternative, and experimental movements that profoundly influenced his artistic outlook. Bands like Psycom, part of the local underground circuit, exemplified the raw energy and innovation he admired in these subcultures, which blended elements of proto-goth aesthetics with aggressive, boundary-testing sounds.[4] These formative experiences culminated in informal jam sessions and performances at small, intimate venues in the Los Angeles area, where Kand connected with like-minded misfit artists in a supportive, communal environment. Such gatherings, distinct from mainstream rock scenes, sparked his deeper interest in songwriting by providing opportunities to test ideas collaboratively and refine his compositional style.[4] Building on these skills, Kand formed the band Pompeii 99 in Los Angeles during the early 1980s, marking his entry into structured musical projects.[3]Pompeii 99
Pompeii 99 was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by guitarist and vocalist Valor Kand and vocalist-keyboardist Gitane DeMone, following DeMone's response to an advertisement placed by Kand in the local classifieds paper The Recycler seeking collaborators for an art-punk project.[6] The band quickly assembled a lineup including drummer David Glass and bassist Cram Netod, positioning itself within the burgeoning Los Angeles post-punk and deathrock underground, where it shared stages with acts like 45 Grave and early Christian Death.[7] Kand's instrumental proficiency, honed from earlier musical explorations, contributed to the group's raw, experimental sound that drew from punk aggression and nascent gothic atmospheres. The band's debut album, Look at Yourself, was self-released in 1981 on their newly founded independent label, Nostradamus Records, embodying the DIY ethos of the early 1980s L.A. scene. Recorded in a straightforward, low-budget process typical of underground productions at the time, the album captured the group's blend of punk's urgent rhythms with gothic influences, including haunting vocals, reverb-heavy guitars, and themes of alienation and introspection. Its track listing comprised:- Metamorphosis
- Love Me For My Mind
- Sitting In This Room
- The Nothing Song
- Android Police
- The Curse of a Gypsy's Son
- Look at Yourself