Killing Joke - Killing Joke
#400
by Chris Roberts
October 5 1980
Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Genre: Industrial Rock
Allen’s Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Chris’ rating: 5.0 of 5.0
Allen’s Highlights:
Requiem
Wardance
The Wait
Complication
Chris’ Highlights
Requiem
Bloodsport
Wardance
The Wait
$,O,36
Change
Killing Joke’s Killing Joke is the Blade Runner of rock albums. It is almost impossible to imagine that this music came out in not just “the eighties,” but 1980. Really. It drizzles post-apocalyptic texture all over raspy, snarling punk rock and broken robot disco. One of my all time favorite albums is A Brief History of Ambient Volume 1, a 1993 Virgin Records collection that introduced me to Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream. It also included Killing Joke’s “A Floating Leaf Always Reaches the Sea Dub Mix” of “Requiem,” the first song on their classic self-titled debut. It is not an ambient song here. On Killing Joke, it’s the band’s sing-a-long anthem, a Thunderdome chant amid swirling proto-shoegazer guitars.
(Moment of truth: I knew about My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver, Slowdive and Ride long before I discovered Killing Joke, but more on that later).
We don’t look at our shoes long. “Wardance” picks up the pace, adding glitchy noise at punk pace. “Tomorrow’s World” slows it back down to a jagged little PiL. “Bloodsport!” This has a slick industrial dance groove.
A decade later, Love & Rockets will have #1 hits with this same formula. Terry McGuiness will dance around futuristic Gotham City in his black and red batsuit to this song.
“The Wait” is the snotty kid brother of “Wardance.” I think Metallica covered this. (Confirmed) “Complications” keeps it moving.
“SO36” we get some German radio and it the whole vibe is super bleak. We are living in the world portrayed in the great album cover photography.
“Primitive” is fine, but I got it mixed up with “Change,” trying to keep the songs in the original 1980 order.
“Change” threw me for a loop with its groovy, bass, which reminded me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and I made the connection that RHCP have bassist named Flea, and KJ have a bassist named Flood. So, hell yeah!
It was great to listen to this again. I guess Killing Joke are now mostly known because Nirvana consciously ripped off the song “Eighties” for “Come As You Are.” I’m sure that’s when I discovered them. Now, I think every 90s band owes KJ a couple bucks. Pony up guys. I’m looking at you, Crash Test Dummies.
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