more later.

I have a dreadful feeling though that if I was Japanese I'd think the same things about Keiji Haino that I do about Jaz Coleman.

Bought the new Primal Scream album. Everyone raving about it. "Wardance" from the Joke blows that whole damn album away. And as for not being heavy enough; listen to Extremities and Exorcist off of Pandemonium.

Honor, Intensity, Integrity, First Rate Musicianship and having a profound influence on many popular bands: KILLING JOKE!

Or, for that matter:

Jez

Bez

Baz

Gaz

Jem

Cressa

Sorry, that story isn't true.

I have seen 'the bastards' live, Nicholas, which was as dispiriting and boring as any gig I've ever been to.

You are talking out of your arse.

You've seen them live ? Did you have your eyes closed & your fingers in your ears ?

Honour The Fire.

T.

Sometimes when Killing Joke don't like a crowd they aim to f**k 'em off. They probably didn't like the look of you.

"HONOUR THE FIRE" !!, ..."THERE IS NO-ONE MIGHTIER"

See what I mean. As I said - Pomp-post-punk at it's most preposterous.

Like so many other things, I first stumbled across them thanks to the 1989 _Trouser Press_ guide, and being a Questing Young College DJ Type, I searched and listened. As that was arguably the era of Wax Trax dominance and I was duly (and pleasantly) scarred for life, early KJ made perfect sense to me as proto-Ministry. If you want proof, dig up "Burning Inside" from _Mind is a Terrible Thing..._, which is a *total* KJ homage. And Chuck Eddy noticed it as well. ;-)

End of the eighties, total muck. Nineties stuff, mixed to indifferent. I think I'm also glad I've never actually seen them live. The first three albums, though -- they still rock. "Requiem," "Wardance," "Follow the Leader," and of course the godlike "The Wait," which not even Metallica could really screw up -- all reasons to say they had a definite something.

As for the Primal Scream album, I didn't like it either. I can quite see why KJ fans would have a problem with a record which kicks off with "Kill All Hippies", mind you.

What ever next! This thread is already chaotic, complex and intense just like Killing Joke passionate music.

Maybe Killing joke fans can address, Tom's question:

What are Killing Joke communicating? What makes Killing Joke's music different from other artists? What albums would you recommend?

and Tanya there are a few female fans on the KJ mailing list!

Rather than trading personal insults, lets focus on the music, lets keep the debate intelligent.

My full reply on why Killing Joke are one the most important British bands of all time will arrive later.

Not for the first time in the last few days, an enthusiast has told us that we can't judge a band on merely one or two albums. I would like to register my strong disagreement with this, and suggest to them that, by their own logic, they are not qualified to talk about music until they have heard EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF MUSIC EVER RECORDED. Then they can come back to me with their valid opinions.

As for KJ, I quite like a couple of things off their first LP because they mostly remind me of being 11 years old. Now I think they're pretty much rubbish but nostalgia leads me back to 'Wardance' Requiem' and 'Psyche' once in a while. Note to regular readers: I'm not proud of this.

As far as being 'the forefathers of industrial music' I'd be much happier looking at Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle (whose label gave industrial its name, let's not forget), both of whom were funnier and less obvious than KJ. And frankly better.

Anyway, Tim Hopkins deserves the highest praise for his "every single piece of music ever recorded" comment.

And I quite like Killing Joke's first album, but I'm starting to feel embarrassed about it.

And I did appreciate Tim's zinger. But my point on the Swans still holds. ;-)

As for not liking the music, what specifically? The guitars? The drumming? Dub influence? The melodies? oh wait, the song titles. thats it.

with the joke integrity is never an issue.

Certainly the likes of Ministry, Nine Inch Nails & other "industrial" heavyweights have profited in Killing Joke's slipstream. Have you heard the first Ministry album "With Sympathy" from 1983 ? Sounds like the f*ck*ng Thompson Twins !

Killing Joke soon developed their own "tribal" style of music which was plagiarized by the lesser likes of Sex Gang Children, Play Dead, 1919, Danse Society & a host of others. Fair enough, I can well appreciate that people do not like their music but to deny their importance in rock's rich history is being sadly ill-informed.

As for Jaz's classical projects, I sense an obvious air of inverted snobbery from the mainstream music press - never seems to get a mention. With the demise of Melody Maker & Sounds, the poor old NME cover laughable pop tripe cos it's desperate for readership.

They are acknowledged as being major influences on the likes of Faith No More, Soundgarden, Metallica and Nirvana. Musically, there's nobody quite like the Joke - they've been brave enough in the $$ driven world of commercialism to explore different sounds and rhythms.

Yeah, you either love them or hate them. I'm a Joker. I love the combination of the frenetic drums, driving bass and edgey guitar delivered like nobody else does. I get the adrenalin spike whenever I hear 'Wardance', 'Whiteout' or 'Exorcism'. The lyrics, while I don't always agree with the sentiment, compliment the music perfectly.

Definately paved the way for some classic acts. Definately more classic than dud.

The Joker in me says "if you don't like them, then fuck you". Good thing I have him under control...

-S

KILLING JOKE: THE BEGINNING

The first four albums are worth exploring Killing Joke (1980) and What’s this for (1981) Revelations (1982) Fire Dances. (1983)

The first two had a raw intense feeling, that merged punk, and to my ears Black Sabbath and even the stooges and dub influences into a new sonic blueprint. The next built two built and extended Killing Joke reputation as an individualistic band that stood apart from other bands.

The tribal drumming, the pounding rhythms, the use of keyboards, powerful bass guitars, and guitars that shatter with intensity and Jaz's passionate vocal delivery style.

KILLING JOKE: THE MID EIGHTIES

1985 – January saw the release of the Killing Joke most famous song “Love Like Blood” this was my first introduction to Killing Joke as 14 year old going on 15. The immense power and build up in this song, to me is as important as Love will tear us apart. The influence of this song alone inspired Faith No More to create similar intense tracks on their Introduce Yourself album.

Night time is one of my personal favourite album of the 80s, injected melody with power - and one of the classic alternative rock singles of all time - Love Like Blood. Although released in 1985 this still sounds contemporary with a razor sharp production by Chris Kimsey.

Brighter than a thousand Suns - was more melodic, but very atmospheric and arty. Listen closely the tempos were complex. Adorations was a fine single that should have been a hit, but just missed out.

MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF KILLING JOKE

Back in 1985 ! over 16 years a go! The band music have been with me ever since. There are few British artists that were making music over twenty years that still have integrity, of believing music as an art form Killing Joke are one of them along with Wire, The The – recording music only when the need to make music arises, not as a quick short term career cash in releasing bullshit to appease the NME and Lammo.

WHAT ARE KILLING JOKE COMMUNICATING? WHY ARE KILLING JOKE IMPORTANT?

Killing Joke stand alone as band in their approach to music. They don’t belong to any one genre - Killing Joke stand alone. Killing Joke stand for individuality, integrity, a real escape for the mundane every day life routines.

INFLUENCE OF KILLING JOKE ON MUSIC

Voivod, Tool, Red Harvest, Solefald, Jane’s Addiction, early Faith No More, Modern English, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Rico, Nine Inch Nails, Scorn, Godflesh, The God Machine, Nirvana and many more.

Indeed my favourite album of 2000 Red Harvest – Cold Dark Matter, was influenced by Killing Joke

Red Harvest

A highly recommended for everyone who likes challenging edgy powerful intense music.

Fact Killing Joke are one of the most important British bands in influencing other artists across a wide spectrum of artists. Killing Joke have inspired, I can’t see dull plonkers like Cast, OCS, and Stereophonics ever inspiring anything creative! Can you? No

THE 90S LEGACY: Fact Killing Joke released two of the finest albums by a British band in the 90s, that they have written out of history by the NME/ Enemy and a generation of Britpoppers/ and dad rockers are not even aware of Killing Joke existence is despicable!

Tom stated "And is it just be or are they not anywhere near as heavy-sounding as they're made out to be." Tom, honestly have you heard 1990 Extremities album - one of the most sonically powerful albums by a British group over the past 25 years.

KJ Released two of the finest albums of the 90s: Extremities, Dirt and various Repressed Emotions - that was like Joy Division, Big Black and thrash metal (that they influenced in the first place) combined with the Killing Joke blueprint crushed into a molten breakdown of immense complex sonic power. Not since The Cure unleashed Pornography has psychotic power felt this multi dimensional and visceral extreme. Then in 1994 Pandemonium - Killing Joke injected 3D vibe into their music that transcended their previous peaks the tribal early sound, the supreme melodic power of Night time and the intensity of Extremities..

In 1994 Killing Joke stood alone there was no British band doing what they achieved with this album. This was not only an artistic success for the band, but also there most successful sales wise worldwide. They even achieved a few top 40 hits, all be it minor ones. At the start of the dull brit pop retro trip that we were to suffer throughout the 90s, this Killing joke shined like a beacon in a sea of conformist shit.

In 1994 I rated Bark Psychosis -hex, O rang - herd of instinct and Killing Joke - pandemonium as a reinvention in innovative British guitar music, each adding their own individual axis of invention. If you have never listened to Pandemonium give it a try, this was complex music, that was powerful with an inventive streak running through it, the intersounds of bass guitar, powerful guitar, synth mixed brilliantly by Youth.

No British band matched this album in this style throughout the 90s, and only Earthtone 9 arc’ tan’gent in 2000 attempted to get close with their excellent Killing Joke inspired sounds.

In half a decade of dull retro britpop, Killing Joke injected orginality and intensity, their pandemonium album is sublime.

THE FUTURE: Why we still need Killing Joke in the future more than ever?

Looking at the gormless bands in the NME/on Steve Lammo’s show, I thought that a new millennium we had seen the back of verse-chorus- verse 60s and rehashed influences. Have you seen the cunts flooding back this year Travis, Bluetones, Dodgy, The Divine Comdey, Stereophonics, The Manics, Ash, Gay Dad, Ocean Colour Scene, Cast, Shed Seven, and newer duds such as Clearlake, Lowgold, Coldplay, Terris, Toploader, Starsailor… it is enough to make anyone vomit in this MOR mid paced indie shit, that I know that many regulars of I Love Music detest as much Killing Joke fans!

We need Killing Joke to inject originality, vitality and passion back into rock music.

Singles collection album Autumn 2001.

A new album with Jaz, Raven, Geordie sometime in the future

However Killing Joke will release a new album, that was stated by Jaz Coleman last year will be the most violent opus yet! and Paul Raven has confirmed.. that moves are being made in preparation for the new album, which he has predicted will be a "crushing masterpiece". So the WAIT goes on !!!!

SUMMARY

I am looking forward to a future new Killing Joke, even if this delayed to 2002!. There are a very few bands to match them, although the forthcoming albums by Tool and The Chameleons are two that I am looking forward to in the interim.

Also turn the volume right up and feel the power and intensity of Killing Joke music shudder through you, I recommend the 1992 compilation Laugh I nearly bought one, and 1994 Pandemonium as excellent starting points.

Killing Joke passionate music for passionate people. Tom I hope you don't mind the take over of this thread, Killing Joke are a special band that deserve greater exposure, the likes of NME and Xfm have ignored them - they deserve respect.

By the way I don't think we ever will convert DC ! So leave it that !

For more information I Recommend Killing Joke: The Last Laugh The Last Laugh

DJ Martian DJ Martian

The thing about KJ lyrics is they seem to be advocating a kind of neo-primitivism; implying that humans are not animals with souls, but rather that they have souls *because* they are animals... it's an admirably unique stance, and you can see where the techno scene got a lot of it's philosophies from.

Now, as for their music: the only albums I've heard are Pandemonium and Democracy (and the psy-trance remix album, of course!). I loved Democracy, but Pandemonium struck me as a bit one-dimensional... nevertheless, I'm leaning towards "classic".

DJ Martian - Thanks for the intelligent post on KJ. That's why I enjoy ILM - it's a chance to get a fresh perspective on old stuff, as well as get a range of opinions on what's happening now. If only the KJ mailing list were able to express their passion in a similar way... After reading your thoughts, I almost want to give KJ a second listen. Maybe I will. After all I have heard little since the late 80's, although I'm familiar with most of the earlier albums. As I said, I didn't like them, but you never know.

I don't really go for tribal rhythms and grinding guitars in large doses, and 'violent intensity' ad infinitum is just dull. I also have a problem with the way that it seems to be equated with some sort of 'macho' punishment stance - 'are you HARD enough for KJ'. No doubt Jaz has a world-view which makes sense to him - and some kind of integrity. It's just that the way it's presented appears bleak, cynical and depressing - TO ME.

Influences on - well apart from Janes Addiction and Nirvana I don't much like any of the bands DJM mentions. In fact I don't like the late 80s/early 90's 'industrial' scene at all. I do dig some of the pioneers of the late 70's/ early 80's - Cab Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, 23 Skidoo, Coil.

Influenced by - the claim that KJ have no predecessors is just plain wrong. What about PIL, Pere Ubu, Joy Div (early)?

The totalitarian attitude of most of the KJ Fanclub (do you get a monthly magazine and a little badge for joining?) started out as a laugh, reinforcing my perception of the band. But ultimately their response to a little criticism of 'their boys' is fairly repulsive. Do these people roam the internet stamping outany critisism of KJ? What a depressing way to spend your time. Calling me a sheep is pretty ironic.

Alex - your comments are interesting, I hadn't thought of The Pop Group, but good call.

All I wanted to add -- my opinion having already been made clear -- is that whoever told them _Outside the Gate_ was another close to a good idea needs a talking-to.

And whoever mentioned Play Dead and Sex Gang Children as ripoffs -- oh, perhaps, but such *fun* ripoffs. I only discovered Play Dead recently, and they're quite enjoyable.

You say you like '' Intellect '', I love it too, but I must warn you: you won't find anything similar. Killing Joke is a band under continous evolution. (Similar to Intellect??... maybe "Hollywood Babylon", awesome song incuded in the Showgirls soundtrack).

Killing Joke is a about social and political problems, but more than that is about joy and love to life... if you really give'em a listen --but a serious listen, not an easy ride in the stereo on your car or something like that-- you will find that Killing Joke is charged with a unique and very special vibe and power... I'm sure you won't regret.

Regards

Right! another K.J. fan

Javier "La broma mortal de Mexico"

Since the mighty Joke have not toured the UK for 6 years, maybe we're all suffering from PMT (pre manic tension) ! Inukko admitted only hearing post 1994 work - there is a treasure trove of stuff to indulge yourself in - go ahead, enjoy.

And as for the objection to the robust defence, abuse !?! Those living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. We're not the elitest ones. Honest.

saying things like "do you get a monthly magazine and a little badge for joining?" (um... no), "Have they gone yet?", continually trying to emphasise some sort of 'us-and-them' situation. "Do these people roam the internet stamping out any critisism of KJ?" - no. someone who reads ILM is also a member of the gathering. (can you reconcile those two apparent contradictions?) they sent through a link to this page. quite simple really.

not that i'm defending everything said by the various members of the gathering. some of it was pretty moronic. but that's the point - i shouldn't have to defend it. try to see us a individuals, please. don't lump us all into one category.

if you choose to describe kj as "hopeless" then you should expect some people to get a bit pissed off, y'know? i'm sorry, but they _are_ a very influential band. and it's 'exorcism', not 'exorcist'. the song title is an analogy, it's about the release of suppressed emotions and aspects of our minds that perhaps we don't face up to because we find them ugly. it has nothing to do with "A goth- apocolyptic version of Spinal Tap".

i suggest dr c should think twice before he dismisses a generally well-respected and certainly very original band's entire output as "hopeless" and "preposterous". or at least be prepared to justify his claims when people who like said band unexpected turn up, rather than get all defensive and try to paint a false picture of the fans as a bunch of internet bullies. c'mon, of course we're gonna fight back!

anyway, on a separate note - i agree with jerry when he says kj isn't something you should want to like. it's a feeling you either identify with or you don't. it can sometimes take time to happen, but you'll know when you've got it. and it you don't know what i'm talking about then you don't like them.

Well why are you offering such arrogant and ignorant criticism of one of the industrial scene's most influential groups then?

We discuss music and bands. A lot of bands. There are no set ones we like, there are no set ones we don't. It's about individuals expressing their individual tastes.

All the threads "classic or dud" involve people saying whether a band is 'classic' or a band is 'dud'. Bands are generally used to criticism and rightly do not give a fuck what we think on the incredibly tiny chance that they would even encounter this forum anyway. So everything from reasoned discussion to jokey abuse *of bands* is fair game. Killing Joke have hardly been alone in getting slated by a couple of posters.

If teasing, mocking or abusing bands bothers you, you're probably better off in another forum. We, collectively, did not 'pick a fight' with anyone.

What isn't generally accepted is abuse between posters, because it turns threads into huge boring slagfests. Now some people who post here regularly have overstepped the mark and some people who don't post here regularly have overstepped the mark too. The mark is pretty much an unwritten and unspoken one so that's going to happen occasionally. But as moderator I'm now suggesting that people take the personal stuff to e-mail and any further discussion in the thread is taken to be about the band and not a personal slight on anyone.

Thanks to everyone - regulars or not - who contributed intelligently.

I pity him so.

I'm getting into this..

Trying again:

http://thepolywog.com/copshootcop/posters/images/livedemo-01.jpg

Martyn Atkins has some interesting things to say about Jaz....

To Alex -- okay, looks like what you're trying to do is put a picture here rather than create a link, correct? You've got the address, but you're not putting in the right HTML tags to make it work. Do this instead:

http://thepolywog.com/copshootcop/posters/images/livedemo- 01.jpg

Now, I've added extra spaces here so you can see the code -- when you try it, remove the space before IMG, both spaces on either side of the equal sign, and the final space between the end quote mark and the end caret. That should result in presenting the image as a post.

http://www.maliciousdamage.com/gallery/jaz/jaz86.htm

Only joking, Alex ;)

1) It's basically a proto-type for Jay-Z-Nas-Throwdown, innit? Except all the nutters are on the same side.

2) I'm not sure, but this may be the first recorded case of Alex in NYC using the word "pabulum" on ILM.

I wuv this board so.

Not that this means I loathe / love the Joke, mind you. The one clip I heard @ Amazon this morning (whilst shopping) didn't do much for me, except make me giggle a bit. (I'm on antibiotics, though, so don't mind me if I laugh @ inappropriate times.)

For the record, information on the offending symphonic records (aided & abetted by a Mr. Jaz "Not Pazz" Coleman) can be found here. And here. AND here. AAAAAAAAAAND ... oh, just check his list of credits. (Working for Disney - how's that for HONOURING THE FIRE!?!)

Anybody up for forming a band with me called the Fire Honourers? I'll play drums.

(ain't no hole in the washtub, jess.)

this thread took 25 minutes of my life and i want it baaaaack.

http://www.maliciousdamage.com/gallery/jaz/jaz83.JPG

I'm just reviving this thread, because I think the time for the return of the Joke is close at hand! Discuss.

...their material as of late is just too muddled for me...

Well done Dr C for withstanding the full onslaught of what reads like the Metal Hammer letters page. My Band Is Bigger Than Yours Is. And Tom for his well worded (and apparently effective) intervention.

I hope I don't relight the fire with the above comments...

I thought I'd join in at this point becuase I think KJ's first two albums are extraordinary. I can see why they might turn people off and am trying to think where I would point the unconvinved listener.

I give them credit in my personal listening biography for turning me on to the bass guitar, but I guess I could have 'found' it through several other bands you cite.

The one piece of music by them that I find truly uncanny is 'Requiem'. It's quite terrifying - which may not be your bag - but there's a martial beauty to the riff and an industrial groove to the bass that sets the hairs standing up on the back of my neck. I can see where the High Romantic classical comparisons come from.

The album version of 'Wardance' is a close second. I think the power of it can be compared to films like Apocalypse Now, in that it can take you right into the heart of something very violent and very evil: a neo-primitivist total war.

You may not want to go there, of course, but it's quite an achievement. The bass riff holds the song together, and is just a split second too slow: 'music to march to', indeed. The single chord guitar 'riff' does nothing until the last verse, when it goes up an octave, an extraordinary effect.

'Tomorrow's world' off that album has a kind of glistening, glass like beauty ... but only on the Peel session. So my fantasy c60 (sorry, fans) would go there next...

...and then into the version of 'Turn to Red' from the first 12" with the extraordinary (in 1978) statement that is a Diana Ross synth line over a lyric that is straight outta Nietschze.

Then, I guess, from the second album, 'Unspeakable' - for claustrophobia and wierd production - and 'Tension' - for a kind of post Nuclear sub Motown vibe. I've always enjoyed putting it after 'Knock on Wood' on mix tapes.

What were they about?

At this period at least I think they're very consistent and thorough in their ideology and I'd stick them somewhere in the highly individualistic/anarchistic (and, like it or not intelligent) post-Nietschzen Far Right. That is, there's was the ultimate 'free market': a world peopled by instinct-following supermen who have a right to ignore moral strictures and who exist in a state of total war. Those who cannot suvive in this Darwinian nightmare go sheep-like to the wall.

To these ears, it all turned to sub-HM mush after Jaz's little sojourn in Iceland and everything from Revelations on is ugly in the ugly way rather than ugly as in beautiful. But I might have missed something great as I lost interest.

I actually saw the Brighton gig at which Jaz 'lost it' and vanished to Iceland and it was one of the most uncanny experiences of my life - at a couple of moments I swear something supernatural was going on. If so, it didn't appear to do Jaz any good. The other three stood there as always, looking like a Sid Vicious/Syvester Stallone android studying for his A levels.

I also saw them on their pre-Revelations post-Iceland comeback tour and it was all horribly, horribly rockist, really.

I hope all this provides some insight.

Incidentally, if you'd really like to know what Jaz was on about, feast thine eyes (and prepare your aspirin bottle) for his original manifesto, "An Irrational Domain", which some poor soul handily transcribed:

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/odic/aid-odic1.html

As noted, the band are purportedly back in the studio as we speak, with both Raven and Youth sharing bass duties, Andy Gill of Gang of Four producing and Ted Parsons on Prong on the drums.....rumors of a return of original drummer Big Paul Ferguson remain in the wind, but no concrete confirmation as of yet.

That's nice.

"Your turn, Raven"
"No it is thine, Youth. For your mighty bass doth conjour a magick most strange and mysterious"

(Jaz) "Come on you guys, decide! I said I'd be home by 9. Mum gets awfully worried if I'm late"

somethign tells me this thread has not really persuaded Dr C (or perhaps several silent others) that KJ have more to offer than some over-serious music hall post-Black Sabbath heebie geebies..

post-1981, I feel somewhat similar.

But I agree that the words to Butcher are extraordinary.

And, Jon, calling you a cretin for qausi-disrespecting the Joke is hardly an insult. Wait `til I really get rolling (i.e. when a frothing Killing Joke zealot insults you.....YOU'LL KNOW IT!)

I'm going to get out my battered old pope-and-nazis t-shirt tonight and write 'qausi-disrespect the Joke' on the front. Surely a mantra to live by.

Dr C. - was that in Reading when Sub-Active supported them?

If so, are you sure you didn't get confused and leave after the support band?

(former lead vocalist of Sub-Active....)

I mentioned The Joke on another thread about bands I used to love but just don't listen to any more.

This is true, but I feel I should make it clear that the reason I don't find myself wanting to listen to them any more is because I hear their influence ALL THE TIME; reproduced, corrupted, distorted and diluted in every pompous, over-blown goth-rock / industrial band that's spewed out it's ill-conceived drivel in the last 20 years.

It's easy to mock them as a combination of metal and punk - but let's not forget that Nirvana have been put on a pedestal for doing PRECISELY THAT, a full 10 YEARS later (I defy anyone to listen to "Bleach" and deny the Killing Joke influences at work there, presumably before Mr Cobain had encountered The Pixies!).

The influence of Killing Joke is enormous and largely unheralded.

Fwiw, I don't listen to Nirvana these days either, because of the hordes of unisnspired second-rate they too have inspired.

More important point - isn't it odd to avoid a band *because they inspired some crap*. I mean, why not avoid the crap instead? Someone start a thread!

It's not that I'm consciously avoiding KJ, just that I very seldom find myself actually wanting to listen to them any more.

I think the issue is that my taste for that type of music has been diminished by all the crap.

HA! HA! HA! - That's farfuckingoutasite funny. And to think I always thought that band had all the earthshaking power of the last time Noel Coward went on a bender, smudged his lipstick and smashed a Waterford goblet or two. Thanks for the correction.

Jawohl, dem Nordic pagan fire eaters, dey so visceral extreme, nicht wahr? And dat Jaz Boorman mit der dingdang fiery spear of destiny: no mark begets a lineage of village oaf no marks. Big fucking deal.

Roll Over Adorno ... and tell Tanya Headon that lines like this inspire me to hate all music too. If not that, well, hating all music fans is a good place to start.

But to contribute to this very constructive thread, I hasten to mention that my favorite Killing Joke songs have always been "Saucy Jack", "Deutschland über alles", "My Ding-a-Ling" and "We Didn't Start The Fire" - in that order. Leni Riefenstahl I find to be the sexiest member of the group. She so visceral extreme to the utmost methinks; not to mention being approximately half the age of Jaz Boorman.

I cant speak for Cheap Trick, but Pixies lyrics are some of the best in rock history.

http://216.127.66.72/a/albums/albun09/aab.sized.jpg

yes, no, maybe so -- and that's an important part of what makes them good.

I'll take even midly evocotive nonsense over almost anything too pat and linear.

Please....I don't know where these allegations come from, but Killing Joke are **NOT** Aryan white supremacists. Maybe they're not the nicest guys in the world, but they're not racist rabble-rousers. You're thinking of Skrewdriver.

The only possible reason I can think of off hand is a rather unfortunate photo shoot for one of the weekly music papers around the time "Revelations" came out, which involved the paraphernalia from certain freemasonry rituals....

http://music.dartmouth.edu/~dupras/kj/d.gallery/d.band/d.lrg/KJ.NME.1982.lrg.jpg

Maybe I don't know enough about Freemasonry, but I gathered it had more to do with the occult than with Aryanism/white supremacy.

Honour The Set Square And Compass.... and those nice little little aprons!

With the weather like it is at the moment - I'm busy honouring the fire.

Editor place acronym for LAUGHING OUT LOUD here.

Paula G., meanwhile, has done nothing of the sort, and continues to spout whistle-headed nonsense (not least accusing the Joke of being Goths), so PISS OFF!

ooooooh stop me

I just got Psychopharmacology though, Alex. I love it.

Killing Joke wise, I'm not going to get all winded about it. Seek out the first album......

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc300/c309/c309332s0t8.jpg

....and if that doesn't grab ya, don't bother pursuing it further.

If I'd only heard the version _without_ he rap I'd probably have liked it.

I've heard the rap. Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

And what Alex said about the first album, even though I prefer the second one myself.

KILLING JOKE ACTUALLY MENTIONED IN THE N.M.E!!!!!

http://www.nme.com/news/103951.htm

Whoohoo!

Tom chirped: "And is it just me or are they not anywhere near as heavy-sounding as they're made out to be." I dare say that without
Killing Joke, most of your precious "heavy sounding" bands wouldn't even exist. Killing Joke have indulged in a myriad of different
musical styles and sounds well beyond the monochromatic "heavy," yet when they choose to go that route, there is no one mightier.
To judge Killing Joke by one or two tracks is an excercise in blind-sighted stupidity. Do your homework before submitting an
opinion! Moreover, if you're put off by the conceptual/lyrical content of Killing Joke, why not toddle home and slap on a Pixies or
Cheap Trick album and celebrate the meaningless and banal. At least Killing Joke have something to say. You may not like it, agree
with it...or even understand it....but at least there something of substance there. Killing Joke credit their audience with higher
standards and a modicum of intelligence. Try getting that from Korn.

note: i agree that Big Black owe A LOT to KJ.

These bands weren't predecessors of Killing Joke, they were peers.

i find it extremly hard to beleave that Jaz Dosen't even Like New Order, what about their synth rock/pop tracks? they weren't the first.

Whoever said the Joke don't like New Order? Jaz has gone on record a few times saying Joy Division were one of the few of their fellow bands he actually liked and respected. Moreover, Peter Hook actually filled in on bass detail for Killing Joke for a very brief spell.

shur they were inspirational!

Awfully big of you.

... but i don't see them as the most inspirational Post Punk band.

Who said they were? My point, however, is that they don't get the recognition they rightfully deserve.

There were lots of Post punk bands that were far more inspirational for the "heavy sound" today than KJ, doesn't anyone see that?

Post-Punk in itself wasn't exactly a wellspring of 'heavy,' though. The Joke paired the fresher, spartan approach of what was turning into "post-punk" and paired it with a heavier sound that owed more to the more conventional Punk Rock and Metal before it. I defy you to name a post-punk band who were heavier than Killing Joke. Gang of Four? No. Joy Division? Not quite. Public Image Ltd.? No.

"I defy you to name a post-punk band who were heavier than Killing Joke"
i woun't argue with you on who's heavier, but just trieng to slagg of someone with a different opinion then you is revoulting.

hahaha yeah, sorry for getting carried away there.

And I'd still disagree with you about the Birthday Party being "heavier" (which is in absolutely no way to disparage the Birthday Party). I'm merely speaking of these two bands' respective sounds. The Birthday Party's rather brooding demeanor may rival Killing Joke's, but their literal sonic output doesn't match the sheer weight and brute force of the Joke's.

http://www.an-irrational-domain.net/images/geordie/geordie16.JPG

In any event, here's a shot of Jaz with the Foo Fighters onstage recently in Auckland. HE LIVES!

http://www.foofighters.com/blackbox/pictures/2003_01_16_auckland/images/FF_2003_AUCKLAND_GALATOS0066.jpg

Ah, yes, Dave "Put Me In Your Band Please!!!" Grohl. What the hell? Does he go thru cash MC Hammer-style or something?

What is there to like about New Order? Apart from their name, obviously.

Personally, I fuckin' love New Order, but y'know....whatever.

The wife's favorite song of theirs, actually.

'My Love of this Land' was a great single.

http://www.killingjoke.com/

http://www.maliciousdamage.co.uk/

So that'll be my special limited edition original 1980 cassette version devalued by about 99% then!

ME BIG HAPPY!

Forgot to say thanks for this. I've now read I think every article they've got on both of those.
It's certainly put a new spin on the music for me.

Great to see how their behaviour in interviews has evolved over the years and how they, Jaz in particular, have changed.

Looks like there'll be a new album sort of soon too, which I'm equally aprehensive and excited about.

Regarding the new album, The Death & Resurrection Show, word `round the campfire is that Dave Grohl has completed recording the drums tracks for the new album, and they're currently being mixed by a gent named Clive Goddard.

Front Cover
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Alex, it says that Fugazi have covered KJ, do you know what/when/where?

But this thread made me greatly miss my Killing Joke T-shirt, which I wore until there was nothing left of it to wear. That was like the best damn T-shirt I ever had, the Daisy Buchanan of my T-shirts.

Yeah, I saw that too. I think it's a mistake. The bands I'm aware of who have attempted to cover the Joke (usually with shite results) are: Metallica ("The Wait"), Foo Fighters ("Requiem"), Icehouse ("Love Like Blood"), Helmet ("Complications"), Godflesh ("Requiem"), Amen ("Europe"), the Mad Capsule Markets ("Wardance"), Love like Blood (lamentable Goth band take who not only butchered the song, but sullied its good name by adopting it as their moniker). I've heard rumours that Sarah McLachlan covered "Love Like Blood" live, but I've never heard it.

On a different point, I wonder what ol' Courtney Love has to say now that Grohl has gone public about working with the Joke.

I've got a cover of 'Primitive' done by Helmet, but not 'Complications'.

I know Grohl doesn't like Love or maybe vice-versa.

Personally I think KJ should cover Heart Shaped Box, which is supposedly about Courtney, but change the lyrics and claim it's their own.
Then send her a Christmas card telling her they've never heard of her.

Ack! You're right, it is "Primitive." Sorry about that.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=17876

http://www.foofighters.com/press/press_entry.php?id=207

Also, it's been said in the above, but anyway, from www.blabbermouth.net:

FOO FIGHTERS frontman/ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl has laid
down the drum tracks for the new KILLING JOKE album, tentatively titled "Axis of Evil", according to Billboard. The project, which will be out in June on Sony worldwide, was produced by GANG OF FOUR's Andy Gill and is the veteran U.K. rock act's first since 1996's "Democracy".

Grohl, who is said to be a huge KILLING JOKE fan, met the group's leader, Jaz Coleman, in New Zealand recently and agreed to play on the album. They recorded the drum tracks the last week of March in Los Angeles. Grohl has no plans to tour with the band, like he did with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE last year in support of their Interscope album "Songs For The Deaf" after contributing drum tracks to that release.

The reunited KILLING JOKE, who were last believed to be working with a lineup featuring Coleman, guitarist Geordie, bassist Paul Raven (ex-
PRONG), and drummer Ted Parsons (ex-GODFLESH/PRONG), were
previously reported to have completed work on a new studio album at the end of last year. The CD, then tentatively titled "The Death & Resurrection Show", was said to have been tracked in London and Los Angeles and was set to feature guest appearances from members of TOOL and SYSTEM OF A DOWN. It is not presently clear if any of those initial recordings will surface as part of the new collection

Out today!!!! Not the new album, but the official release of age-old bootleg.

Teeheehee. I was briefly in a band called Requiem once and we were every bit as awful as you'd imagine a band with a name like "Requiem" would be. I bet you can't guess what KJ song we used to cover....

Anyway, this would be, uh, first album ish - maybe late 1980 / early 81 and I thought they sounded like the early Banshees with a mad bloke singing. Thats not a bad thing, in fact they were quite good but a bit limited and one dimensional.

The support band were called Boots for Dancing and I liked them loads.

Oh and KJ were great doing The Empire Song on TOTP the week of the Falklands.

After a hellish afternoon of dragging more of my shoddy belongings into a crypt-like storage space way the hell over on the far-flung frontiers of the West Side of Manhattan, I sluggishly popped into "Rebel Rebel," an age-old record store in the Village just on the slight, unlikely chance that....maybe.....possibly...just a lark....maybe in a blue moon fluke....

HOLY SHIT, THEY HAVE IT!!!!!

I am now the very happy owner of THE UNPERVERTE PANTOMIME?, and am thoroughly bedazzled by its comparitivley crystaline sound (I can now retire my long-suffering cassette edition of the original bootleg) and *ABSOLUTELY STRIKING* packaging (battle-helmets off and fists raised in righteous exhortation to the estimable Sir Michael of Coles!!!!). AAGGHH! I haven't been this excited about a disc acquisition in more time than I care to think about. Where do I begin?

Visually:
Well, for a start, for those of y'all out there who want the skinny on ever last detail, the back cover (....as I'm assuming everyone has seen the front cover by now)...features the illustration that graces the cover of the bootleg (or at least the copy of the boot I have), that of a despondent jester massaging his furrowed brow in a leafy glade. The inner booklet is designed in much the same collage motif as graces the inner sleeves of LAUGH?I NEARLY BOUGHT ONE and WILFUL DAYS compilations, featuring many candid shots of the band goofing around (yes, there is indeed a shot of Youth taking a leak) and a couple of shots of Jaz sporting some truly dubious facial hair. Any regular peruser of Mike Coles Studio C site will recognize some of the live shots contained herein, the band all looking much younger and fresher than they invariably do today (Geordie...not just with hair, but LOTS of it, Youth in a stylish UNKNOWN PLEASURES t-shirt, Big Paul with a can of....er..Colt 45). There is an enticing account by Alchemy mainman Carlton P. Sandercock (a surname I'm guessing he caught a handy amount of grief about in his school days) which I'll let you discover on your own (as I'm not about to type it out), but it closes with the entirely welcome post script: "Oh Yes, there is More!"

Sonically:
I'm only on the my first spin-through, but suffice to say, to hear some of these tracks (previously only filtered through poor quality tape hiss or compressed like freeze-dried foodstuffs into a comparitvely stifling MP3 format) is a glorious revelation. The Capital Radio session of "Are You Receiving?" positively crackles out of the speakers as if it was recorded yesterday and the Malicious single version of "Pssyche" sounds like an almost different track from what I've been used to. I'm only waist deep into it, but so far I cannot stop grinning maniacally. Today may finaly be the day I push my neighbors' collective patience over the edge as I cackle amidst the infernal din, "WELCOME THE NEW ERA! HONOR THE FIRE, YOU FUCKING HERETICS!"

GO FETCH IT AT ONCE!

Oh, shit, now I have "This Corrosion" in my head.

How much were they charging for the CD? I actually saw it somewhere, but I forget where. And laughed to myself, thinking about this very thread, like a total asshole.

I was saying that very thing yesterday to some doubting jizzlobbers on the Gathering who were writing off Andy's gang as talentless Zep-wannabes (fuckin' AS IF!). I believe they had him confused with the Mission.

The disc was nineeteen bucks & change......and I also picked up the new Kitchens of Distinction compilation, but that won't see the inside of my player for many, many angry red moons, I fear.

This is basically my opinion too.

There's a new Kitchens of Distinction compilation? Where the fuck have I been? I am so out of the goddamned loop these days it's not even funny.

Well, they certainly did on "Youth of the Nation," but I'm not familiar enough with the rest of their work to crucify them for it (although aren't they big ol' Christians? In which case, I'll go get my nails and hammer!)

Although the compilation is inexplicably missing "Smiling" from their Death of Cool album.

That's all I'm going on, too.

Alex in pro-Satan shockah! What is up with all these bands being raving Christians these days, by the way? If you imagine me saying that in Jerry Seinfeld's voice, it's funnier.

I think we should page Anthony Miccio to thread, I bet he knows a lot about P.O.D.

Tour Line up:

Bass - Raven
Drums - Ted Parsons

You know the other usual suspects.

There is a promo tour lined up prior to the release of the new album, titled Killing Joke 2003, and Raven has been asked to join. This is not slated to be a concert tour, but rather a press tour...as it stands now.

Release date, though it may change, is set for late July. After the 20th.

Open dates for touring, though none are set as of this date, are from early August through late October.

This week, the album will go through final mix, then it is off tp pressing. The band members also signed the confidentiality agreements, meaning it will not be MP3'd, or released in any way with out authority
from the label.

In short, the album is all done, going to press, and we will all have it in our hot hands in just about 2 1/2 months, with a tour starting shortly after.

He's even unwittingly gotten me into them. Well, to "Night Time", anyway. I actually went out of my way to a different music store each day last week to search for that album, even going so far as to go 20 miles out of my way to a funky little music store that I thought might have it. It's damned hard to get around here, it seems.

Damn you, Alex. ;) It would only be fair for you to do a similar hunting thing for a band I adore. Maybe The Cure, or the Psychedelic Furs, or Duran Duran, or Japan, or Yellow Magic Orchestra, or Ultravox, or Visage, or A Flock of Seagulls, or... er. I think I have the reason behind the first two sentences in this post here.

Seriously, though, it's admirable that you would be so committed to a band that you would want to sing their praises on a constant basis. Very good.

V/A Wild Dub (Select Cuts) cd 15.98
Subtitled "Dread Meets Punk Rocker Downtown" this is a brilliant collection of dubbed out and reggaefied punk and new wave b-sides circa '77-'81, demonstrating the Jamaican dub influence on the youth culture of music and rebellion in England and elsewhere, back in the day. The underground dancefloor avantgardists of today can cop these styles, but this is the real deal, with tracks from well-known acts like The Pop Group, Killing Joke, The Slits, PIL, The Clash, Grace Jones and Stiff Little Fingers, plus some more obscure bands as well, like Red Beat, 4 Be 2, and Basement 5. Some cuts are actual echoey dubs, others are more about the Jamaican influence, and the dub concept of studio as instrument. All are pretty cool.

The Ruts' "Jah War" starts things off in deceptively ordinary fashion, pretty much straight up reggae (not a dub), though it does succesfully demonstrate this comp's thesis about the regarding the influence of reggae on punk (with The Ruts eventually becoming Ruts DC, subject of an anthology on Select Cuts we recommended a while back)... That's followed by Mikey Dread's dub version of The Clash's "Bank Robber" which of course sounds pretty much like The Clash, but dubbier. It's with track three, "Wild Dub" from Generation X, purportedly the first punk dub ever cut, that the punk-dub collision starts to get really interesting. And if Billy Idol's old band's dub attempt is cool, you can only imagine what more some of the more out-there groups came up with. For instance, dig the bizarre sounds of The Slits, whose disjointed dub of "Typical Girls" comes off like Italian 'rock concrete' deconstructionists Starfuckers by way of Jamaica, all cut-up and sparse and loopy. Definitely a highlight. Meanwhile, you've got The Pop Group setting an example for current acts like Out Hud/!!! to emulate, 4 Be 2's weird Irish hoedown skank, the throbbing "Turn To Red" by Killing Joke (from a super-rare 9" record), and Grace Jones' 1980 Chrissie Hynde penned dance classic "Private Life" with bass and drums from Sly & Robbie. And more... Former Sex Pistol Johnny Rotten is a ubiquitous presence, in addition to PIL's quintessential "Death Disco", there's a bunch of other John Lydon productions on here, including a great track from Vivien Goldman ("Private Armies") dubbed up by Lydon and Adrian Sherwood. Goldman, former singer with the Flying Lizards and reggae writer for the punk weekly Sounds, contributes the disc's liner notes, with an enthusiastic, informed, she-was-there-then-and-cares-deeply-about-it-now perspective. So, totally, recommended -- everyone who loved those great Disco Not Disco and/or In The Beginning There Was Rhythm compilations will want to check this out for sure!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2532426003&category=1572

http://www.killingjoke.com

THE LEGENDARY FIRST POST! From such small acorns...

Killing Joke at Webster Hall 10/22/03

Killing Joke at Slims on 11/13/03

this is the thread where we talk about how much Living In The 80's by Killing Joke rules.

This is a thread where Alex in NYC can post EVERY SINGLE Killing Joke-related picture he has

Killing Joke 2003: the Album (c'mon, ya knew it was coming!)

Killing Joke - Outside the Gate.: Can ANYONE defend this?

TS: Adam And The Ants' "(You're So) Physical" vs. Killing Joke's "Requiem"

Grohl with the Joke -- for Aja

Killing Joke Album Review (For Alex In NYC)

Killing Joke question (for Mr. Killing Joke)

Alex in NYC - Let's rave about Geordie from Killing joke

killing electroclash joke

Ok, Killing Joke's playing in a club next week, should I go?

TS: Killing Joke's "War Dance" v. XTC's "The War Dance"

26 days til KILLING JOKE hits vancouver....

new killing joke/grohl resume entry

Fire Honours Itself

Anyways, I just finished watching this TV pilot for my work, which features a scene with a young girl giving a guy a mix CD. As she hands it to him, she says "it has all the hot new stuff on it -- The Darkness, Handsome Boy Modeling School (?), Killing Joke..."

Maybe there's one main set dresser/cred consultant lurking in TV land who's a big Joke fanatic...?

My head just exploded.

does this phenomenon have it's own thread? (not that it DESERVES it, I realize, but that hasn't stopped me before...)

Words fail me.

http://www.studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/chaos.jpg

http://www.maliciousdamage.co.uk/

http://www.killing-joke.com/gems.gif

Have you rectified this problem yet?

Honour the fire!

Are you suggesting the `Joke are not their own? POPPYCOCK, BLASPHEMER!

No no no, that's not what I meant at all (and calm down, man). I mean that they belong so much to this Other Grouping that I feel like an interloper even sampling one of their songs, which I confess to having done over the past week. Actually some of what I've been hearing reminds me of some of the Scars' latter output -- tribal-flavored, danceable post-punk with sharp, angular guitar action. But I'd still "feel like a thief or burglar barging into that territory", as I explained to Bimbler on the temporary forum. Same thing with a few other artists. Speaking of, I wonder where Bimbler is. I'd have thought he'd have poked his head in around here by now.

That said I did run into "Turn To Red" tonight when playing part of my 8-Disc mix of 1979 tracks that I made a few years ago.

I think you and I need to start discussing things privately more often. I asked if you liked New Order on the other board but you were gone, etc. We've got a good think going Phoenix. Let's talk some more!

this band is shit. Dud

Wait, are we going to have a new invasion all over again?

this band is shit. Dud

It's YOU who is shit, am0n.

That was quicker than I thought!

Why waste time?

the four-minute man!

this band is shit. Dud

There is the theory of the Moebius.

am0n is way wrong

lawal

If that first batch of Killing Joke defenders was for real, then jeez!

I've never heard anything by this band, but I once saw a Czech fake documentary where their lead singer appeared as himself, and he was mighty funny. I'm not sure if that was the intention though. A great film, anyway.

No matter what you think of everything else they've ever done, how someone can hear the first LP and think "dud" is beyond me. WARDANCE PEOPLE FOR FUCK'S SAKE. REQUIEM EVEN.

"Follow the Leaders" is some of the most awesome + brutal shit ever. Those DRUMS.

If that first batch of Killing Joke defenders was for real, then jeez!

We are very much for real, thank you very much.

I've never heard anything by this band, but I once saw a Czech fake documentary where their lead singer appeared as himself, and he was mighty funny. I'm not sure if that was the intention though. A great film, anyway.

That would be "Year of the Devil". Patchy in parts, but otherwise quite entertaining.

ts: debut vs. what's THIS for...!

fuck now I can't find my copy of wTf, fuck that

Played What's THIS For..! in its entirety yesterday, and it is absolutely omnipotent.

I like the first three albums (in descending order of chronology, probably) and the live Ha! EP quite a bit. And I've pretty much liked them all ever since they came out.

Beyond that, I'm still not convinced.

You like three and a half albums by the band and you're not convinced?

The early singles collected on the _Chaos For Breakfast_ box are astounding. Never heard anything else like them - post-punk reggae initially, then just post-punk POWER. There's a good reason people are ga-ga over Jaz - he's a rare shouter who not only sounds good doing it, he's yelling FOR YOU!

xp I said unconvinced "beyond that." They really lose a lot for me starting with Fire Dances, and I'm not convinced they ever got it back; sounds like they're just spinning their wheels, doing incrementally less exciting versions on the sound they started out with. I feel like people cut them slack for the mediocre later stuff because the early stuff was so awesome. But apparently people hear something in the post-'82-or-so stuff that I don't.

"Wardance" does blow away everything I've ever heard by Primal Scream, though.

And they did invent a genre, more or less. Without Killing Joke, there's maybe no Big Black, no Rammstein, no Test Dept., no Nine Inch Fucking Nails (okay, that might be a good thing, but I won't hold it against them.) And Ministry might've spent their entire career sounding like twee Anglophile synth-pop wannabees.

(And yeah, Big Black were ripping off Metal Urbain, too. But they ripped off Killing Joke more.)

By the way, Alex, ever hear of these guys? Early '80s band, they sound a lot like Killing Joke. Which probably explains why their EP came out on KJ's Malicious Damage label. CD reissue just out this year, and I like it a lot:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/redbeat

(Oops, reissue actually out in 2004, apparently. But I didn't hear it til this year.)

Thanks for the tip, I just ordered the Red Beat comp! I heart ILM!

am0n vs. alex in nyc, oh no! mutually assured destruction awaits!!

I've only heard about M etal Urbain. Never layed ears on them, though.

no Nine Inch Fucking Nails (okay, that might be a good thing, but I won't hold it against them.) And Ministry might've spent their entire career sounding like twee Anglophile synth-pop wannabees.

Oh my yes. Really, NIN and Ministry made if very hard for me to like this music until recently. For a lot of people, it seems like it was a continuum, but for me it was a cold break to the derivative.

RIP Paul Raven:

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=83199

I am beyond stunned. Regardless of his affiliation with any single band, Raven was an exceptionally warm, big-hearted guy. He will be sorely missed.

I was just about to start a thread, Alex I think you should be the one to do it.

WHAT. a heart attack??

fuck.....to soon. rip Raven.

Wow that really sucks. RIP.

(I wish they would turn off the pop-up ads for a eulogy..ugh)

Only in his 40s and a heart attack. :-(

I hate this fucking world.

I hate that it took the death of Paul Raven to bring it about, but.............

..............

...................

i'm guessing i need to read your blog alex to plug in the gaps of that statement ?

Thursday, February 28, 2008

UPDATE FROM JAZ: 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GATHERING

"At last a ray of sunlight to illuminate these dark days. It is indeed my deepest pleasure to announce the dates of the 29th anniversary of the gathering. As usual we are never content sitting on the laurels of past Glories, a new Killing Joke recording is scheduled this summer!. Both Geordie and myself are thrilled as we hope you are with the line up, such anticipation comes as no surprise considering we have not played together since the Brighton Top Rank in 1982. We always knew this day would come after all it was inevitable. We hope all gatherers will join us in warmly welcoming back to active service our brothers Big Paul and Youth. The mysterious chemistry of the original line up is back, let their be gladness in your hearts."

ah ha .. sorry.
was a little too quick off the mark there.

'requiem' is one of my favourite opening tracks ever.

it's pretty awesome

I like it too.

actually, that entire first record is something quite special. so powereful and enamoured with meaning, yet so digestible

Damn right.

Erm.

Official Statement

A statement was posted on Facebook, reputedly by our singer, maligning both The Cult and The Mission and pulling us out of the shows.
He is now AWOL and has not contacted any of his band mates.

We are deeply embarrassed by this and offer our sincere apologies to all involved.

We are all concerned about our missing singer's welfare.

Killing Joke made a collective decision to play with The Cult and The Mission in September.

It was agreed by all of the band that we would do these shows. Indeed, we thought that they were something to look forward to, even though they were downsized.

We would still like to honour our commitment to this tour, the other bands, and all the Gatherers and people who have already bought tickets and made travel arrangements.

If this proves not possible, Killing Joke will make alternative arrangements to compensate for the trouble caused.

Meanwhile we are doing everything we can to make this tour happen and locate our missing singer.

KILLING JOKE

So I lost track of the story after the original facebook post about leaving the tour. Did it turn out to actually be Jaz who wrote it? I thought he was perhaps above using slang like "They all suck". But now he's hiding out somewhere, so who knows.

Did they check the bathroom?

Dear Gatherers,
It gives me great pleasure to announce the cancellation of the upcoming gigs with The Cult and The Mission.

Frankly, playing at a gig with The Cult never appealed to me in the first place. The only reason we allowed ourselves to be talked into it was to blow both bands off the stage and to steal their respective audiences.

As the concert has been downgraded to a venue that we have recently headlined (and sold out) it doesn't make sense. In addition to this Gatherers would only get to listen to a one hour set.

Then there would be a problem with the dressing room and witnessing The Cult charge the fans $200 per head for a Meet & Greet.

Lastly, all their songs suck! They clearly have no integrity (they refer to their hometown as L.A.)...

On a more positive note KJ will be recording in Argentina just after Christmas and Brixton Academy is booked for Spring.

I do believe the band will play a private gig at Metropolis Studios (London) which is of course open to all Gatherers (you are the first to know!).

I hope you are all as relieved as I am!

Black Jester

PS I don't want your money
PPS Life without KJ is unthinkable!"

It's YOU who is shit, am0n.

― Alex in NYC, Monday, July 23, 2007 5:12 PM

XD

KILLING JOKE To Release The Singles Collection 1979-2012 This Spring Via Spinefarm/Universal

KILLING JOKE will celebrate their 35th anniversary in style next year with the release of The Singles Collection 1979-2012 and a world tour set to commence in Europe this coming March. 2013 will also see the band release a new studio album!

The Singles Collection 1979-2012, set for release via Spinefarm/Universal on April 16, 2013, captures their ever-evolving story with a series of dark, apocalyptic songs that have successfully combined disco, funk and shamanic wisdom with the dark side of the punk fall-out. The Singles Collection 1979-2012 will be released in three formats: as a digital download, a limited edition 3-CD set and a super deluxe edition.

http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/killing-joke.jpg

Formats:

3-CD Version includes:
- 33 career-spanning singles over 2 CDs + a third disc of rarities, including previously unreleased studio tracks. This 3-CD version will be limited in number, reverting to 2 CDs containing the singles tracks. To preorder, go HERE.

Super Deluxe Version includes:
- Hand-numbered hinged-lid “cigar box” made from 1500mcn black-lined rigid board finished with matt print retrospective artwork.
- 33 career-spanning CD singles plus selected B-Sides in full-color card wallets featuring original artwork.
- Rarities disc, including previously unreleased studio tracks.
- 32-page perfect-bound book including rare photos, archive notes, band commentary.
- Poster designed and personally signed by long-time KILLING JOKE artist/champion, Mike Coles, printed on 250gsm silk art.
- Aluminum screw-top branded cigar tube containing original wrappers of cigars smoked by Jaz Coleman and Paul Raven during the recording of the Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell album. To preorder this version, go HERE.

KILLING JOKE, with their original line-up of Jaz Coleman, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul continuing to hold firm, have signed a brand new deal with Spinefarm and will soon set about recording a third studio album for the label. The release date of this new studio album is likely to be late 2013.

Ooh, that looks nice. I finally found a copy of this year's album, I think it's even better than the last one. Shame about that cover art though.

They've lacked a good career overview for about 20 years! I'm curious about the unreleased material but I don't have high expectations. And yet, I've pre-ordered it (not the super deluxe, just the 3CD set). Sucker...

Original wrappers of cigars smoked six years ago? What else they hording?

You really don't want to know...

I've never had this happen before, but I was filling up at the gas station and a car drove up to the next pump blaring Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood." Before I turned my car off, I was blaring Killing Joke's "Love Like Blood" as well. What are the odds that two people at the same gas station are playing the same obscure 30 year old song? Must be astronomical.

thats pretty crazy!

double the fire!

I'm invariably setting myself up, but herewith my review of their latest..

Never been a fan, but read a review of a new documentary about the group that actually sounded p interesting - it's a good story, regardless of the music

The new album is pretty good, a bit of a mix of "Pandemonium" style metallics with 80s style Jaz vocals. I like the approach even if it doesn't always work, but then I've loved these guys for 30 years and can forgive the odd misstep.

Too many damn threads to search through for this band.

Fire Dances is the first time I've ever heard Killing Joke and I love it (great cover art too). And yeah, it does sound quite goth to me and even Sonic Youth in some moments. Really kicks off in the second track and keeps going.

Peel session of "Dominator" is really cool.

Looking forward to hearing the first 3 albums.

Sounds insane that some don't really rate this album but perhaps I'll know why when I hear the earlier ones.

It was Justin Broadrick's Baker's Dozen that got me to jump on Fire Dances.

thought this revive was cos of this article that an ex-ilm'r posted yesterday :

https://uk.lush.com/article/join-youth-club-why-killing-joke-deserve-kudos-post-punk-innovators

Honour the pie-er

https://piecaramba.bigcartel.com/product/official-jaz-coleman-killing-joke-pies

I can't tell if that's a piss-take or not...

No maggot option...

you know i think alex may have been onto something all these years.
just played "Absolute Dissent" through.
possibly the first time since i bought it, and it's f&cking brilliant.
maybe the world just needed to become as f*cked up as it is for their apocalyptical excess to make more sense.

'the raven king' : chills all over.
as good, if not better, than anything on 'night time'.

My take on Absolute Dissent at the time. Like Napalm Death, I’ll take 00’s Joke over the 80s version

https://web.archive.org/web/20101119023723/http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/6070

Really great take. Thanks for sharing. 'Absolute Dissent' is such a killer, fun listen. Pushing me to watch the documentary on BezosPrime - though I'm wondering if that will be a buzz kill take. Last two shows I had tix for, for their American tours were cancelled, but the one time I saw em is pretty burned on my brain.

But Killing Joke is a confusing enterprise.

indeed.
thanks for the pointer re the review bendy.
hits the nail on the head.

2 1/2 hours for a documentary on KJ is about 45-60 minutes too long, but I might have a look at that thing sometime this weekend anyway.

I’ve watched about half the doc, it’s pretty illuminating. Convincing as to how nuts the whole crew is.

It's been some time since their last album, gotta figure Jaz is in full conspiracy theory freak out mode so he should be full of wild lyrics...

The doc would be a solid 70 mins if you subtracted the 'mystical' stuff, Jaz's sketchy colleagues that have nearly nothing to do with the band, and the relentless tinfoil hat eschatology. His Mum is A+ though.

Cool, I did not know about the documentary.

Received wisdom is that the first 3 albums are best but I dont think the debut was anywhere near as good as Fire Dances.

I just started listening to What's THIS for...! after years of only knowing the debut and a couple of later tracks. It's got a relentlessly bleak energy, but compared to the debut, it also seems like nobody except the drummer prepared anything before they started recording. It fits the mood of our times well enough, though.

I enjoyed the documentary and didn't mind all the colleagues because it seemed like they were all important to what Jaz was doing. My only real problem are the jumps forward and back in time that seemed to make no sense at all.

Imdb reviews all complain of bad sound mix obscuring the interviews but I never had a problem with this, maybe it was fixed later?

I've started watching this in 20 minute bits here and there and felt the sound recording was often pretty bad and the mix wasn't helping

The editor has done a great job of papering over the seemingly quite limited footage, but at this stage I'm really wanting to see more of the band in full flight

I suppose that's what YouTube is for

Loving the second album. Hard to imagine any other classic punk band coming ahead of them in my heart.

Still very fond of that documentary aside from the weird timeline jumping

I got tired of waiting for a new album so I compiled a bakers dozen of 21st century Jaz guest appearances and collaborations and, as the kids say, it smacks:

Transformations - Proměny (with Čechomor)
Molten (Tribazik)
Human Smile (Les Tambours Du Bronx)
Freedom Song (Levee Walkers)
Tears For The West (Levee Walkers)
Party In The Chaos (with Deflore)
Sunset In The West (with Deflore)
Transhuman World (with Deflore)
The Day The Earth Went Mad (with Ondrej Smeykal)
Perversión (Liquidarlo Celuloide)
Remembrance Day (K÷93)
Giving Up The Ghost (K÷93)
Scrying (K÷93)

What's This For is a great album to play loudly. From cassette if possible.

Really enjoying the Alex Paterson bio. Lots of great stories and details around the formation of Killing Joke and sister(?) band Brilliant.

Lol at the early stretch of this thread.

"Unspeakable" is so awesome

the first four posts of the invasion are so so classic

is that the actual *first* alex in nyc post???

i love ilm stuff like that, batman's origin story type shit

I believe my first post was this one...

Tom chirped: "And is it just me or are they not anywhere near as heavy-sounding as they're made out to be." I dare say that without Killing Joke, most of your precious "heavy sounding" bands wouldn't even exist. Killing Joke have indulged in a myriad of different musical styles and sounds well beyond the monochromatic "heavy," yet when they choose to go that route, there is no one mightier. To judge Killing Joke by one or two tracks is an excercise in blind-sighted stupidity. Do your homework before submitting an opinion! Moreover, if you're put off by the conceptual/lyrical content of Killing Joke, why not toddle home and slap on a Pixies or Cheap Trick album and celebrate the meaningless and banal. At least Killing Joke have something to say. You may not like it, agree with it...or even understand it....but at least there something of substance there. Killing Joke credit their audience with higher standards and a modicum of intelligence. Try getting that from Korn.

Angry young man, and all that.

But not wrong.

Well, not wrong about Killing Joke (although why I chose to lambast Cheap Trick and the Pixies in the process is a mystery -- I actually like both bands), but the things I have been wrong about since are countless and indefensible.

We all grow and change while still honoring the fire.

Although I will say if Jaz goes full covidiot lyrics on his next album, that will be a hard pass.

Although I will say if Jaz goes full covidiot lyrics on his next album, that will be a hard pass.

Yeah I fear there's a great likelihood of this.

It seems really odd that no one in this 20 year old thread has ever mentioned "Eighties" which I've always assumed is their most popular song (it's easily my favorite - the riff is incredible). So.. "EIGHTIES!"

Yeah, "Night Time" was my entry and my favorite from the 80s, but this band has such an interesting development arc that there are albums from each decade that are outstanding and could be argued to be their best:
90s - "Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions"
00s - "Killing Joke 2003"
10s - "Absolute Dissent"

...as well as stylistic outliers like the acoustic "Democracy", the metal "Pandemonium", and the sludgy "Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell".

both self-titled albums (1980 and 2003) are my favorites

i'm still upset that they cancelled the 1 tour where i would have had the chance to see them live

Although I will say if Jaz goes full covidiot lyrics on his next album, that will be a hard pass.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, July 8, 2021 5:55 PM

Didn't know he'd taken this direction. Sad to hear.

the opposite of surprising, there's crank-y stuff littered all over even the 03 s/t (it fucking bangs though)

I don't think he has but, let's be frank about it, it seems more likely than not likely that he will.

Oh, I thought he must have said something about covid, nothing I can find

He's got a video on his YouTube channel ranting about Microsoft vaccines.

and there we have it, was bound to happen.
think i would be more shocked if Jaz took the vax with a massive grin on his face and posted such an image to his social media to be honest.

I do sort of admire the front of a guy who fled to Iceland to await the coming of the end times in 1982 just being like "here are my latest insights on epidemiology"

I think Jaz won't be happy until the world actually ends so he can say "I told you sooooooooooo!!!"

Killing Joke has some filthy grooves. I have always loved that repeating triplet on the one on the main beat from "The Fall of Because".

Jaz claims to have experienced COVID first hand, but has also been wresting with a few other, non-COVID-related issues. He's allegedly on the mend at the moment, though.

In terms of what he has to say about the pandemic, his accounts are characteristically fueled by what he considers his precognitive insight into the duplicitous machinations of world governments. He first said he'd never accept a compulsory vaccine, although I do not know how he feels about it now.

Last track of What's THIS For is a great big assault. Listening to the third album, love how it has been escalating.

"Revelations" is OK, the best bits are side A, the first 4 tracks of which are even better from a Peel session. I can't even bring to mind side B looking at the tracklist.

Pylon (Super Deluxe) showed up on release radar today and reminded me how much I liked this album.

PYLON has some great moments, my favorite being "Star Spangled."

I thought Revelations was pretty strong throughout, just probably not going to be one of my favorites. Started Night Time, loving it.

This is the longest wait for a new album since the immortal 2003 self-titled. Any word from the KJ camp?

Revelations made me wonder if there are any other groups that combine hysteria and sardonic observation. It doesn't seem like a paradox when Killing Joke do it.

Is the remaster of Brighter Than A Thousand Suns more scarce than the others? Don't see it very often, hope to get it from discogs soon.

New Essential Logic, co-produced by Youth, out next month (thx to Gerald McBoing-Boing for posting this link on EL's thread) https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/essential-logic/land-of-kali

The version of "Brighter" with the original mixes? There's a CD on Discogs for under $10 now. And very good it is.

I ordered the remaster on discogs and got an 80s CD instead but just couldn't be bothered sending it back so I made do with it. I read that the remaster is much better and restores what the band and producer wanted so I might order the remaster again and hope whoever I buy it from next time doesn't make the same mistake. Regardless of intended mastering, I think this is really fantastic and I'm surprised it's considered such a step down. "A Southern Sky" and "Wintergardens" are wonderful but I really like most of the album.

I'm alarmed how scarce these remasters are getting, hope another printing is coming

It's one of those follow-ups-to-a-great-album that suffers only by comparison. "Brighter" is a fantastic album in and of itself. The bonus b-sides ("Goodbye To The Village" and "Exile") are just as worthy as the LP proper, too.

Even if you got a bunch of their albums, that Killing Joke Singles 1979-2012 is a great comp. That 2cd set was in my car and a lot of play for A couple of years.

2020-21…could not escape to Iceland but many weird days, their sound just fit.

I'm alarmed how scarce these remasters are getting, hope another printing is coming

― Robert Adam Gilmour,

i have most of the remasters, but with this thread revival decided to check out filling in the gaps ('brighter..', and 'outside..').
checked a few of the usual places i purchase cds from.
damn, you are not wrong re them being scarce/£££.

I just read the original Gathering invasion salvo here and it's such a time capsule -- a glimpse into the past not only of this board but of the internet itself, honestly pretty moving to read imo

there are also at minimum 10 completely classic lines in it

Ah I thought this thread was revived due to this great piece by John Doran the other day (which is not just about KJ, but the fire is very much honoured.)

https://thequietus.com/articles/32664-killing-joke-post-punk

How often do Discogs sellers list the wrong edition of what they're selling?

Really wanted to listen through them all chronologically but since some of the middle period albums are so expensive I might just get whatever I can and listen out of order

There's a new single out, "Full Spectrum Dominance". It follows last years very good "Lord Of Chaos" EP. I hope an album is on the horizon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4lLQAbI-8E

Pretty awful news. Per a post and followup comment from Martin Atkins on Facebook a couple of hours ago, Kevin Walker aka Geordie has passed on.

Oh fuck, man what a legend - have been in the KZ zone recently, watching live footage from the last few years, marvelling that the OG lineup still sounded so mighty - such an immense player, RIP

Ugh terrible news, what an amazing player, amazing band

Honour the fire, RIP

Some lovely memories here, also confirms it was due to a stroke suffered two days ago in Prague.

https://www.facebook.com/luca.signorelli.33/posts/10230859418609528

RIP great guitar player.

oh no

who better to read on this sad occasion?

https://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2023/11/fire-from-heaven-goodnight-goodbye-geordie-walker.html?fbclid=IwAR3oOPx582Tz5B1_0-nrRPxEDBJGUxb1u16_VeKdhG4FvptwGc3Ih1FY3Fs

Fine words and memories indeed.

Lovely in his wiki bio about being obsessed by this track as a kid - can totally hear it! Remarkable

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-bmJ2AYZK4

Gutted. Living in a small Midwest town in the ‘Eighties!’, the joy of discovering Buzzcocks, Bauhaus, The Fall, Banshees & Cure & & most most especially Killing Joke forged long term musical joy. While I caught others in various live incarnations, both of my opportunities to see KJ were dashed to work commitments or the bands’ own work visa problems. I so so regret not ever seeing Geordie’s guitar magic live.

I just heard Fire Dances for the first time this week. The man really loved his tritones.

Are there any other post-punk bands still playing with their original/classic lineups (other than U2)?

bauhaus (when they bother to tour)

even U2 is not playing with their classic lineup atm

I don't think I've ever heard a KJ song! need to remedy this asap

I hadn't listened to the Peel Sessions record in forever, no surprise that it sounds massive, RIP Geordie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLX4oVELmkI

Saw them play at City Gardens, NJ in the early '90s. Intense and exciting. Will never forget the energy in that room. Rest In Peace.

Alex's new post today well worth a read

https://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2023/11/the-gathering-mourns-a-killing-joke-fans-lament.html

The Killing Joke documentary The Death and Resurrection Show is on Tubi watching now, pretty good so far, one shocker: amongst the talking heads being interviewed, one Mr. Jimmy Page speaking effusively about seeing them early on!

Yeah he was quoted in various obits about how much he loved Geordie's sound.

Further into the doc, it's pretty clear that Page and Jaz connected via a mutual interest in the occult, majick, Crowley, etc etc which makes sense, I guess I just was surprised that Page was engaged with anything punk or punk adjacent.

Page & Plant were famous for liking punk. They used to go see The Damned among others.