Killing Joke

Killing Joke are one of the most bulletproof post-punk bands still around. Releasing their first single in 1978, they were right there with Wire and Gang of Four as indisputable early pioneers of the genre. In an era of Cold War hostilities and Reaganomics the band's (dead serious) brand of apocalyptic beats and conspiracy-oriented lyrics hit home with an entire generation raised on imagery of impending destruction. "Nervous System" was a decent if inauspicious introduction to the band, essentially blending the choppy, jagged chords of Wire with the whiteboy reggae affectations that The Clash had become known for.

1980's "Wardance" was where it all came together: lead-fisted, martial beats combine with Geordie's own innovative guitar textures to set the template for things to come. "Requiem" goes much farther toward establishing a unique identity, the band dialling back the guitars and laying the keyboards on THICK with its endgame lyrical imagery and air raid synth patches. That such a bleak and furious album could have such a widespread influence is a testament to its importance. Certain parts of the album have not dated well; the vocals and drums are mixed in such a way that they lose some of their effectiveness, and the fact that so many other bands have used this same formula does take some of the visceral feeling away. At this point Jaz Coleman's vocal delivery was the primary point of differentiation between Killing Joke and their contemporaries, although the song writing was immediate enough that the aforementioned influences would have been proud to call these tunes their own. This is an underground classic and deserves better than its relative unknown status. Fans of most kinds of heavy music will probably find something they like about this band, and this is a good a place as any to start the collection.

Killing Joke taken from the 2005 remastered edition to MP3 @ 320kbps

Killing Joke; Killing Joke

  

1.      Requiem

2.      Wardance

3.      Tomorrow’s World

4.      Bloodsport

5.      The Wait

6.      Complications

7.      SO36

8.      Primitive

9.      Change

10.   Requiem [Single Version]

11.   Change [Dub]

12.   Primitive [Rough Mix]

13.   Bloodsport [Rough Mix]