Killing Joke "Night Time" (1985)

Night Time
release date: Mar. 1985
format: vinyl / digital (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,92]
producer: Chris Kimsey
label: E.G. Records - nationality: England, UK

5th studio album by Killing Joke released on EG, sub-label of E.G. Records.

Killing Joke "Me or You?" (1983) (single)

Me or You?, 7'' single
release date: Oct. 1983
format: vinyl (EGO 14)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: John Porter, Killing Joke
label: EG Records - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: A) "Me or You?" - - B) "Wilful Days"

Single release by Killing Joke is two non-album tracks, and the single peaked at position #57 on the UK singles chart list.

Killing Joke "The Bum's Rush" (1983) (unofficial)

The Bum's Rush (unofficial bootleg)
release date: 1983
format: vinyl / cd (2007 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: none
label: A Skidmark Record - nationality: England, UK

Unofficial album by Killing Joke released by 'Skidmark'.
It took me a couple of years before I realised that the album wasn't an official one as I bought it in an ordinary record store, and it had a sticker attached saying 'Sam import', which was a much used distribution company selling official albums. Also, the recording sound isn't all that different from what you were used to in the early '80s. Although, being a bootleg product, the album itself has been pirated and re-distributed in various issues, and with many covers. The original issue came with a still image from an early slapstick comedy. Furthermore, tracks A2 to A4 were later officially issued as the second part (second John Peel recordings) of The Peel Sessions 1979-1981 (2008) and tracks A1, A5, B1 to B4 officially released in 2003 on the compilation album The Unperverted Pantomime (2003).
In an attempt to deal with the abundance of pirate albums and recordings featuring songs by Killing Joke, the band released two 3-disc compilation albums in 2007 with selected pirated material: Bootleg Vinyl Archive Vol.1 and Bootleg Vinyl Archive Vol.2 issued by Candlelight Records, which includes The Bum's Rush on disc 1 of "Vol. 2".

Killing Joke "What's THIS For...!" (1981)

What's THIS For...!
release date: Jun. 22, 1981
format: digital (2005 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Killing Joke, Hugh Padgham, Nick Launay
label: Virgin Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Fall of Because" - 2. "Tension" - 3. "Unspeakable" - 5. "Follow the Leaders" - 8. "Exit" - *9. "Follow the Leaders (Dub)"
*Bonus track on 2005 remaster

2nd studio album by Killing Joke originally released on E.G. Records continue the style laid out on the debut by adding a more complex stylistic shape to its already highly individual sound. An overall label would be art punk within a post-punk sphere. Today, critics would be tempted to point to obvious industrial metal traits. What may not seem like a big issue from a modern perspective is what had evolved into an unwritten law of punk rock and (to some degree also) post-punk of the day: to play short compositions lasting from 1:30 mins to 3:50 and not much longer than that. Occasional tracks lasting longer was not uncommon but to have five tracks with a running time above 5 mins, and the shortest composition, track #7 "Who Told You How?" lasting 3:37 was quite unconventional.
What's THIS For...! doesn't build much on obvious chants like "Requiem" and "The Wait" from the debut - only track #5 comes close to that, but the album's strength is the unconditional approach playing with a highly unique sound.
Killing Joke had often been scheduled together with Joy Division when playing live, and I think one will find bolder examples of inspiration on this particular album - especially, in the rhythm section.
Listening to the album today, is a strange experience. There's no doubt that the band was one of a kind and made extraordinary songs that seem to share more with bands of the 90s than hardly any of the band's contemporaries and although the music, as well as the band, isn't an absolute favourite of mine, I still find it fascinating obscure.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Killing Joke "Killing Joke" (1980)

Killing Joke [debut]
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 ]