Track Review: Killing Joke

Killing Joke made a few good albums, but none are as stellar as their self-titled debut from 1980. I went through a big phase with this album, especially with its opener "Requiem".

They were a post-punk band from the UK whose music seethed with industrial grittiness, carried by big drums, hard-edged guitars, primitive electronics and the uncomprising, fearless vocals of Jaz Coleman. Early on they caught the ears of the legendary DJ John Peel, famous for his Peel Sessions that featured the cutting edge creme de la creme of music at the time. Their music has influenced a laundry list of groups, from Big Black to Faith No More to Nirvana to Napalm Death.

Months ago I snagged the discs but only recently got to giving them a good listen. Boy, do I regret that. I've been flailing around my room non-stop the past few days, pumping skinny fists to their tune "Tension". I have no idea what album the song is from--perhaps a bit more research would reveal that--but it's a hot one. The echoing drums of Paul Ferguson sound like a giant rubber ball bouncing violently off racquet ball walls--they're buoyantly aggressive but never miss a beat. The clipped, Clash-like sinewy riffs play with Coleman's Londonite snarl, and when the entire-band-strong chorus kicks in, you'd better not be standing still. It builds in this sophisticated way that most post-punk bands are too archaic to touch, save maybe Gang of Four or Joy Division. Put it in your trunk and bump it.

Tension
Wardance
Requiem