Only Theatre of Pain was the debut studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 of American deathrock

Deathrock

Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...

 band Christian Death

Christian Death

Christian Death is an American deathrock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1979. The band was founded and fronted by Rozz Williams. Christian Death is most notable for their first album Only Theatre of Pain....

, originally released by Frontier Records

Frontier Records

Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....

 in 1982. The album is considered the harbinger of deathrock

Deathrock

Deathrock is a term used to identify a sub-genre of punk rock incorporating horror elements and spooky atmospherics, that emerged on the West Coast of the United States in 1979.-Characteristics:...

.

All tracks after "Prayer" (on the later published CD version only) actually comprise the earlier EP, "Deathwish". The writing of Only Theatre of Pain was vocalist Rozz Williams' rebellion to his religious upbringing as well his own personal attacks against organized religion.

History

Christian Death's appearance on the Hell Comes to Your House compilation helped to get them signed to Frontier Records

Frontier Records

Frontier Records is an independent record label, started in 1980 in Los Angeles by Lisa Fancher, a former employee of Bomp! Records and writer of the liner notes for the first album by The Runaways....

, which released their debut album, Only Theatre of Pain, in March 1982. James McGearty paid for the studio.

Track listing

1. "Cavity - First Communion" (Rozz Williams, Rikk Agnew) 4:06
2. "Figurative Theatre" (Williams) 2:41
3. "Burnt Offerings" (Williams, Agnew) 3:43
4. "Mysterium Iniquitatis" (Williams, Agnew) 2:46
5. "Dream for Mother" (Williams, Agnew, James McGearty) 3:21
6. "Stairs - Uncertain Journey" (Williams, McGearty) 3:06
7. "Spiritual Cramp" (Williams) 2:55
8. "Romeo's Distress" (Williams, Agnew) 3:15
9. "Resurrection - Sixth Communion" (Williams, Agnew) 3:45
10. "Prayer" (Williams, Agnew) 2:41

CD version only

11. "Deathwish"
12. "Romeo's Distress" (Demo)
13. "Dogs"
14. "Desperate Hell"
15. "Spiritual Cramp" (Demo)
16. "Cavity" (Demo)

Personnel

• Rozz Williams
  Rozz Williams
  Rozz Williams was an American vocalist and musician of several varieties, most famous for fronting the band Christian Death, then later Shadow Project with musician Eva O, though his main project throughout his career was the industrial, Premature Ejaculation...
  
   - vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  
• James McGearty - bass
  Bass (instrument)
  Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
  
  
• Rikk Agnew
  Rikk Agnew
  Richard Francis Agnew, Jr. , more commonly known as Rikk Agnew, is an American guitarist who has played in some of the most influential bands of the Orange County hardcore punk scene, as well as the influential deathrock band Christian Death.- Biography:With Casey Royer, Agnew played in Social...
  
   - guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , keyboards
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• George Belanger - drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Eva O
  Eva O
  Eva Ortiz better known as Eva O is a music artist most notable for her previous works in Christian Death and a band she formed with her then husband Rozz Williams called Shadow Project...
  
   - backing vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  
• Ron Athey
  Ron Athey
  Ron Athey is an American performance artist associated with body art and with extreme performance art. He has performed in the U.S. and internationally . Athey's work explores challenging subjects like the relationships between desire, sexuality, and traumatic experience...
  
   - backing vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  , sound effects ("Prayer")