Killing Joke - 'Killing Joke' (Zuma)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
'Listen to the drums...' sings Jaz Coleman on 'The Death & Resurrection Show', the blistering opener to the legendary Killing Joke's comeback record. You honestly expect him to follow it with '...that's Dave Grohl, that is!' - such is the band's pride at being the legendary stick wielder's new employers.
And, fittingly, every bit of rumour, discussion and advertising surrounding Killing Joke recently has revolved around Mr Grohl. As refreshing as it would be to read a piece where he wasn't mentioned, his grubby fingerprints cover this LP so comprehensively that he's impossible to overlook. Just as you'd expect, it's a loud, cripplingly heavy and staggeringly vicious listen.
At this point, it's tempting to say something about how Killing Joke are back and just as angry as ever. But, honestly, can you ever remember them sounding quite this annoyed? Something has riled them, it's for sure - well, either that or they're just thoroughly miserable and unpleasant people. You guess the former is the case, as although the huge, heavy macho sound the 'Joke call their own isn't the most complex of deafening noises, neither is it something you could ever call moronic. Musical flair isn't what they're trying to impress you with, although the sheer density of the sound and relentless vitality are something to behold.
It's a record with anger, but not for anger's sake. In fact, with 'Implant', a brilliant 'Blood On Your Hands' and in particular 'Seeing Red', with its lovably British 'Kiss the arse of Uncle Sam, oh to be an English man' rant, they're actually overtly political, maligning the recent war, GM foods and Western greed along their way. It's an honest and friendly album, not in terms of it being a smooth and easy listen (far from it) - more in the sense that if war broke out again tomorrow, it'd be on your side.
It shares its eponymous title with their 1981 classic, a sure sign that this is intended as another career highlight rather than a one-off reformation for money's sake (a sentiment you guess would sicken them). They've hit the nail on the head, and struck it with an almighty whack too. Production from Gang of Four's Andy Gill adds some necessary bite to their grunt, but otherwise it's largely unremitting in its love of all things thick with distortion. The centrepiece that is the marvellous recent single 'Loose Cannon' should give you an idea of what to expect, at least until the comparatively tuneful, light-hearted but still gritty 'You'll Never Get To Me' breaks up the record perfectly.
By the end, any fears that Killing Joke aren't up to it any more aren't so much put to bed as they are slaughtered in their sleep. You're left full of admiration and gratitude for a band that can still make a great, relevant album more than twenty-two years after they originally formed.
Heard the one about the band who stole Dave Grohl for a stab at one more tremendous album? Stop it, you're killing me...
Artists in this article: Killing Joke
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment