With major line-up changes over the years, Christian Death has retained "a relentlessly confrontational stand against organized religion and conventional morality".

[1] Williams was eventually joined by guitarist Rikk Agnew of the band Adolescents, James McGearty on bass guitar and George Belanger on drums.

[1] Following the release of Only Theatre of Pain, Christian Death's line-up fell apart, and by the time of the band's second studio album, Catastrophe Ballet (1984), Rozz had been joined by Valor Kand of tour mates Pompeii 99 on vocals and guitar.

[1] Guitarist John "Jay" Albert, vocalist Rozz Williams, bassist James McGearty and drummer George Belanger formed Christian Death in October 1979.

[4] Their first live performance was an impromptu set at the Hong Kong Cafe in Los Angeles supporting Castration Squad, replacing Killer Pussy after they were booed off stage.

[6] Subsequently, Christian Death was halted, with Albert and Williams forming noise band Daucus Karota with drummer Mary Torcivia.

Subsequently, six months after Christian Death's disbandment, Williams joined Pompeii 99, which at that time consisted of only guitarist and vocalist Valor Kand and drummer David "Glass" Parkinson.

Recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, much of this album's instrumentals were written by Kand, with Williams contributing entirely to lyrics and partially to melody writing.

[1] In mid-1985, Williams departed from the group, frustrated by Kand's increasing control of the band and perceived disregard for how touring affected the members' ventures outside of music.

[22] Augmented by bassist Johann Schumann and guitarist and keyboardist Barry Galvin, the band recorded an EP for Supporti Fonografici titled The Wind Kissed Pictures, credited to "For Sin and Sacrifice Must We Die a Christian Death".

During the late 1980s, while also recording as Shadow Project, Williams resurrected his own version of Christian Death, with his wife Eva O contributing guitar as well as vocals.

A 1993 show featuring Only Theatre of Pain-era members Williams, Agnew and Belanger (along with bassist Casey Chaos) performing live at Los Angeles' Patriot Hall was recorded and later released in 2001 as a DVD by Cleopatra.

[1] In 2014, the band embarked on the 30th Anniversary Catastrophe Ballet tour, beginning in Europe and continuing through the year's end in North, South and Central America.

[1] According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, Christian Death's music "relied on slow, doomy, effects-laden guitar riffs and ambient horror-soundtrack synths".

[35] Liz Ohanesian of LA Weekly wrote that Christian Death experiments "with dirgey guitars, tribal drums and overtly spooky imagery".

[35] Artists that have been inspired by Christian Death include Celtic Frost,[38] Tribulation, In Solitude, Tombs,[39] Type O Negative, the 69 Eyes,[40] Prayers,[41] Marilyn Manson,[42] Ghostemane,[43] Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost,[44] Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction,[45] Aesop Dekker of Agalloch and Ludicra,[39] Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails[42] and Jonathan Davis of Korn.