release date: Aug. 11, 1980
format: digital (2005 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Killing Joke
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "Requiem" (4 / 5) - 3. "Tomorrow's World" - 5. "The Wait" (4,5 / 5) - 6. "Complications"
Studio album debut by English post-punk band Killing Joke originally released on E.G. Records. Killing Joke is from London's Notting Hill area and was originally formed by lead vocalist, keyboardist and primary lyrical composer Jaz Coleman (aka Jeremy Coleman), guitarist Geordie Walker (aka Kevin Walker), bassist Youth (aka Martin Glover) and drummer Paul Ferguson.
Stylistically, Killing Joke are regarded as one of the first real sources of inspiration to what emerged as industrial rock in the 1990s, but at the time of the release the music was labelled as post-punk just as much other music, which wasn't easy to categorise as popular genres / styles and had obvious links to the punk rock scene.
Killing Joke is characterised by it's heavy use of drums and bass, which bonds closely to a heavy metal rhythm and on top of that the band has put a distorted punk rock guitar sound and synthpop synthesizer. The vocal of Coleman is another particular trait known for his aggressive tone, and all-together the band makes a highly original music that also bonds with gothic rock with its near ceremonial darkness.
I didn't come across the album until after purchasing The Bum's Rush (1983) at a local record store, only to discover years later that it's actually a bootleg album. I didn't fully appreciate the music by Killing Joke in the early '80s. Yes, I knew of and truly enjoyed "Requiem" and "The Wait", but thought of the band as too inconsistent and with a too bold heavy sound.
In retrospect, I understand why the band has been attributed much glory and for being a major source of inspiration for bands of industrial rock. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Select 5 / 5, Mojo, SputnikMusic 4 / 5, Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]
