Killing Joke is the debut studio album by English post-punk band Killing Joke, released on 5 October 1980 by E.G. via Polydor Records. It debuted at number 41 on the UK Albums Chart on 26 October 1980 and later peaked at number 39. The album was self-produced by the band on purpose. They only wanted an engineer "who can put their technical knowledge into what we want, the way we want it. He's got to take us as we are". They recorded it live in the studio as "basic" as possible with "no overdubs to speak of"; Ferguson explained, "The mixing is where the difference is". Engineer Phil Harding reckons the recording of the album might have only taken two weeks. The album's lyrics were written by Coleman and Ferguson expressing their opinions on issues such as politics, death, hypocrisy, human nature, pollution and exile. The artwork was based on a photograph by Don McCullin of young rioters trying to escape from clouds of CS gas released by the British Army in Derry, Northern Ireland, on 8 July 1971 during the Troubles. The original picture was taken a few months before the day now known as Bloody Sunday that took place in the same town in early 1972.
I liked this way more than I thought I would. It's a weird mash of genres: proto-industrial, post-punk, metal... But the mix works. It was also nice to have some actual rock and roll for once. It falls shy of full marks only because a few of the tracks are a bit (or more than a bit) monotonous/obnoxious.
laughably bad at points, one decent song, not sure why it's on the list
I had never heard of these guys, but I was glad to have listened to this. Ahead of their time sound-wise, hard to believe this was 1980. A good mixture of punk and more melodic. Elements of the Cure or NIN in there.
Loved it. Some really great rifts and just beats. Don't know how this escaped me. this what this list is for.
The opener, "Requiem" was an attention grabber. With the exception of a few noisy interludes in the middle this was an excellent album. It felt about 10 years ahead of its time as its influence on industrial metal and alternative rock are immediately clear. Will definitely revisit this one.
Not to be confused with 2003 album "The Killing Joke," also by The Killing Joke. (Although Killing Joke fan Dave Grohl played drums on that album, interestingly enough.) Also not to be confused with the 1988 graphic novel "Batman: the Killing Joke," by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, widely regarded as one of the best Joker stories ever told. Also not to be confused with American band The Killing Joke, which seems to have released three singles in 2021. Rather, this The Killing Joke are led by frontman Professor Severus Snape. Ok, not really. Jaz Coleman looked nothing like Snape when this album came out. But he really bears a striking resemblance now. If he actually believed himself to be a wizard, that wouldn't even be so surprising. Consider this from the Seattle Weekly: "The long-standing “mystic,” who lives on a small New Zealand island these days (perhaps to avoid having to wear a tinfoil hat every day), believes, among other things, that China has built microwave towers to control the population with microchips, which are secretly implanted via vaccines, and this will eventually happen elsewhere around the world; that people are being mind-controlled by chemtrails in the sky and fluoride in the water; that nutrients are being purposefully removed from foods to kill us and keep the world population down; that swine flu is a bioweapon; and that due to changes in the earth’s magnetic field, time is actually speeding up (actually, this one’s sort of believable—is it already the holidays again?!)." But as for the actual music? The opener "Requiem" was kind of cool, but "Wardance" almost lost me. By the time it got to "The Wait," I was back on board, and I really enjoyed "Complications."
Je n'ai pas tellement envie de rédiger de critique de cet album de punk alors je vous propose de lire celle que j'ai écrite pour l'album Pink Flag (et non le groupe Pink Flag comme j'ai pu le penser) des Wire qui s'applique grosso merdo à celui-ci.
Brutal but surprisingly groovy. Progenitor of so much I love.
Great album with no skips. Love the industrial sound
Heavy, industrial, feel like there are also some dub influences here. Surprised I'd never heard of this before; feel like a band like Big Black or Failure would have worn copies of this record. Favorite tracks: "Wardance", "The Wait", "S.O.36"
So glad this is on the list. I enjoyed it so much I listened to it twice along with two other albums. I was already a fan of their most popular songs, Eighties & Love Like Blood, but this album was rougher with a mix of rock, punk & industrial. At times, they reminded me of Ministry. I'll be listening to Killing Joke regularly (which is something I've been meaning to do anyway). They've got a new lifelong fan.
The repetitive character of the guitar riffs, the keystrokes and the rousing drumwork have an hypnotic effect on the music, and musically and lyrically it provides a somewhat nihilistic and grey view of the world. It is the link between the punk and the post-punk. Killing Joke succeeds in creating a the atmosphere and sound that is characteristic of the British urban environments in the early 1980s. The album cover also contributes to that feeling. Absolute masterpiece
Knew “The Wait” from my days as a Metallica obsessed teenager, but was largely unfamiliar with Killing Joke aside from that. An enjoyable and influential electronic/punk hybrid.
Bloodsport and S.O.36 were very repetitive melodically. Liked some of the bass lines. Vocals reminded me The Clash a little bit.
Avangardiste
It's incredible. Astonishing. and thoroughly underheralded. This is going to get listened to again in this house.
I enjoyed this album a lot. It's hard to believe this was produced in 1980 - the sound is way ahead of it's time. I also didn't realize how many covers of their songs I'd heard without knowing the true origins. It reminds me of NiN or Tool, but with a little more edge to it and less dystopian metal clanging.
As for this album, it's a nimble, uncompromising distillation of everything good about 70s punk, reimagined as an artistic statement from another world. It's catchy but haunting. It's simplistic but ambitious. It's hardcore punk mixed with synthpop, yet it predates both. It's a post-punk paradox and a strong example of PERFECTION.
Classic. Requiem and Bloodsport are probably favorites.
Killing Joke is the debut studio album by English post-punk band Killing Joke, released on 5 October 1980 by E.G. via Polydor Records. The band's musical style emerged from the post-punk scene, but stood out due to their heavier approach, and has been cited as a key influence on industrial rock. I liked the raw sound of the mix, especially the sound of the snare drum. My favourite tracks: Wardance, Tomorrow's World, Bloodsport, S.O.36, Change. (18/02/2023).
I really liked this. I had high expectations and this album exceeded them. I will definitely be listening to this again.
asså ja. ja ja ja. fy fan. jag älskar sån här skit. slow gothic punkigt. kanske inte är världens bästa skiva men för mig personligen så mmmmmm
amazing!
This rips. 9/10
Wow! What a perfect example of a transition from punk to post-punk. It's got the raw energy of early 70s punk with the refinement yet experimental nature of punk's 80 predecessors. Amazing stuff.
This album is a seminal post punk record that has been cited by many musicians as influential. This album goes beyond its post punk pedigree and anticipates grunge and alternative rock while incorporating electronic sounds. The fact that Killing Joke was released in 1980 is astonishing given how it sounds like it was released within in the last 30 years. All in all this Album was incredibly ahead of its time.
really good post-punk I enjoyed the shit out of it, 9/10
Outstanding example of early electro-punk fusion.
me morí de risa
I’m not sure if I’ve heard Killing Joke before. I might be thinking of the graphic novel, although I’ve never read that either. It seems to be 80s rock from what I can gather from a cursory glance on Apple Music, so this could potentially be very suited to my taste. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Requiem, Bloodsport What a fantastic sound! When the synth intro of Requiem started up, I wasn’t sure which way it would go as it wouldn’t sound out of place in house music, but this is punk rock through and through. I can definitely say that I’ve never heard punk rock that utilises synths quite like this. It never veers into what would be considered pop-punk these days, which is hard to wrap my head around with that synth. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and the instrumental Bloodsport was outstanding. I’ll certainly be giving this a lot of play time.
Killer it
Its a banger from start to finish. Ticks a lot of boxes
Finally, a band I've never heard of before.. let's go! Half way through the album. This is EXACTLY the type of album that makes this project worth it. Top notch discovery incoming! After two full listens. This is easily the best discovery I have made so far on the generator. In other people's reviews, everyone has a different opinion on who this band sounds like, or who they've clearly influenced. Obviously, the extent of their influence stretches pretty wide. But beyond that, this is a very solid, exciting assortment of songs. The album is well balanced, well paced, there are no weak tracks, there are no weak links within the band, just great music all around. 5/5 defiant fists in the air ✊✊✊✊✊
A great record by a band I only listened to the singles. I learned that this was a grave mistake.
Really wild album!!! A lot of very cool songs on this album! First time listening to this and I really enjoyed it! Super punk album which I really dig. Super stripped down sounds and very raw sounding instruments, synth in there as well sounds so ahead of its time! Also even some songs I can feel the punk style that Turnstile takes from which I really enjoy! Very very solid album!
Good shit
This album rocks my socks.
cool
Well, this album is significantly better than the 2003 "The Killing Joke", which I may or may not have listened to first. I really enjoy this blend of punk and hard rock, and the band doing the mixing themselves with such a clear idea of the sound they wanted is damn impressive. This is certainly going to be in the rotation going forward, and it's probably even going to make it onto my gym playlist. Favorite track: Complications
4.5 post punk at its finest, can get a tiny bit repetitive in the middle but it's just so up my street that i didn't even mind. also was convinced that had to be robert smith singing at certain points. fave songs: requiem, so36, bloodsport, primitive, change
Great to hear this again. The mix of punk, post-punk, dub and disco sounded pretty futuristic at the time. Although not my favourite of theirs (Revelations is a much more consistent album), this did set the blueprint for what followed, and for LOADS of other bands. So many great tunes here: Wardance, Change, Requiem. Top drawer stuff,
massive, unique, as fresh as the day it was born
great industry postpunk
An epic album ahead of its time
slow down the punk guitars, tribal drums, add some reggae bass and a general sense of doom. One of the founding texts of goth. The first Killing Joke album is absolutely essential and in Requiem, Wardance and Change (the latter on the expanded reissue) a phenomenal piece. They'd sell way more records in the mid-eighties, but this and its successor are the Killing Jokes.
Gran origen al punk rock argentino
I put this music on today and my cat work up from her nap to paw at the screen until I turned it off. I don’t think she’s a fan. On the other hand, I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed listening to this. This ain’t the first time an album has surprised me on this project. I started off a 4 but I’m listening to it for the third time and I really am enjoying it. Yet another unexpected 5.
Excellent album that I’d not heard before. Got me listening to more of their work. Don’t know how I missed them.
This is a great album. Gritty vocals and some great performances. "Asteroid" was a particular favorite of mine.
It might just be because I listened to this at work while drinking a bang energy, but I really really liked this album. At first, I thought it was going to be a 2 at most but each song grew on me more and more until I was listening to all the bonus tracks and restarting the album from the beginning. I think this album shows that I would really like all the other punk/post punk albums I've gotten if the production had anything interesting going on at all aside from shitty guitars because this had the usual shitty vocals but each track had interesting stuff going on production-wise. Requiem almost has a rave electronica type beat, complications has fun bass guitar work, tomorrow's world has a cool keyboard chord, and the rest is what you imagine is playing when you walk into a seedy biker bar where there's a perpetual fight happening over a disgusting pool table.
Love this album, favourite track Wardance,
If I could play guitar well and be in a band this is what I'd play.
Listened to it twice and never understood a single word (to be fair, some of it was in German). Some really sick grooves, though. Best track: S.O.36
I’m way behind on my appreciation of this band, but I’ve always liked their name and wanted to do a deep dive. Maybe this is the push I need. Really liked it, especially the voice. Can clearly hear the influence on a ton of other bands I’ve listened to over the years. Good stuff.
Well that was suprising. I enjoyed that album alot. I winced when I saw 1980, never have been a huge fan. I think it helped I had heard covers of these songs previous maybe. Top 3 The Wait, Requiem, Change 4 of 5
Muy buena energía, rock darks, grandes riffs y una batería siempre presente. Disfruté mucho de inicio a fin. Le doy 9/10.
8/10 disfrute mucho el disco
This whips ass.
Good hard rock. More interesting than I expected.
Postpunk, pre-goth?, marihuano, depre y casi pesado en partes iguales. Varias canciones interesantes con percusiones energéticas que contrastan con las cuerdas mansas, repetitivas y medio hipnóticas. Supongo que el mood vampírico habría sido satisfactorio para los aires góticos de los ochenta como Sisters of Mercy, no lo sé. Tomorrow's World le gustó a mi darketo retro interno y aprueba porque me recordó a Theatre des Vampires. The Wait está movidona para bailar un headbanging ligero dando saltitos, vestido de negro, en un bar lleno de gente que dice que se quiere morir. S.O.3.6 = Atisbos de depressive doom metal??? calif: 4 por algunas cancionsillas que están medio flojas, pero en general muy satisfecho.
This was ok, in the right mood I could really like it. In the wrong mood it sounds very sixth form. Will give it 4 but it should be 3.5
Killing Joke’s _Killing Joke_ killed it! I only know of their music from a little later in their career, specifically the song _Eighties_. I quite enjoyed this album, it had some fun experimenting going on.
kind of weird but not in a bad way, interesting sounds
Kende niet veel van Killing Joke eigenlijk, heel tof!
Its different and you'll either like it or not. Funk/Industrial/Prog Rock is an interesting combo. Band is obviously talented, discovered their own sound and inspired a lot of big name bands today
3 и 7 тречки вообще хорошие, эх вот бы их семплами кендрику!
Killing Joke в порядке, мне нравятся как минимум хитовые темы (особенно знаменитый кавер на Нирвану, балдеж же) По альбому — немного смешанные чувства. Вообще ну, я его понял. И для себя в целом сделал вывод, что нет смысла гнать на затянутость композиций, ибо сделаны они таковыми намерено. Ну и свой поинт в этом есть, особенно если учитывать, что в жанрах указан индастриал — примерно так там всё и происходит. Долгие зацикленные куски. Здесь ещё и время от времени годным вокалом разбавлены. Также в голову пришло сравнение с Телевижн опять же, но быстрее поспешил отбросить, ибо по сравнению с Марки Муном этот альбом просто плотнейше сосёт. Но и цель другая была, вероятно. В целом и общем мне понравилось, например, более, чем Джой Дивижн. Несмотря на тэг «пост-панк» в этом музле нет вот того раздражающего примитива и пересахаренности самых видных представителей жанра. Да и в целом под этот тэг попадали самые разные группы, в том числе Мелвинс, Дево, Депеш Мод, Б-52, Хускер Ду и прочие, имеющие мизерное влияние на декаданс нынешней пост-панк сцены. Посему огульно клеймить не стоит. Но всё же неприятие немного э. Вторая песня своим отпроцешенным вокалом раздражает. Bloodsport всё-таки слишком скучная для инструментала. И вообще всё немного однообразное. Но под настроение, думаю, можно врубить и почиллить (ага да). Ну 7/10 всё же есть, наверное, особенно там за риффаки в The Wait и Complications, за припев S.O.36. Довольно годное музло по итогу.
Right mood at the right time. The album hits pretty hard to listen to at work, but it happened to work for me on this day. This album is fantastic. Music is so much about current mood. DIG IT!
Lotta cool things happening here. I can hear their influence in a lot of places.
Ooooooo I like the intro for the first song. Second song has some alien vocals lol. Ya know what, it's a good beat though. This album kinda sounds like the first or second one after a garage band period. In this case, it's a good thing. I'm digging it. Yeah, I liked this a lot. I'm gonna give it a 4 only because I think it could've been mixed just a little bit better.
Better than I expected. Big driving bass and drums, heavy riffs, some pommy bastard over the top. The Wait was a good song. Heavy, energetic, competent and keeps it up for the whole listen.
I have heard of this band but never heard anything from this band, what a great surprise. Sounds ahead of its time
Interesting. Enjoyed this. Sits well alongside Gang of Four's 'Entertainment'.
I really liked this one. It’s a solid post punk/proto-industrial album that utilizes funk, electronic musical elements and noise to interesting effect. What they’re doing is foundational to what industrial artists will be doing 8-10 years down the line, but it’s also fairly accessible for the casual listener. The arrangements are simple and surprisingly melodic on occasion. Jaz Coleman’s vocals are strong, and the lyrics are spare, visceral and effective. The band has great chemistry and takes a less is more approach overall, with bass and drums taking a prominent place in their sound. Paul Ferguson’s hard driving but simple drums show a necessary restraint many drummers don't have. Youth’s bass guitar work is killer. This is all augmented by Geordie Walker’s fierce, grinding guitars and an economic use of synthesizers. Fave Songs: The Wait, Bloodsport, Complications, Requiem
A decade ahead of it's time
It sounds really like a contemporary album.
Pretty good album. Some really catchy songs and very ahead of its time.
I had never heard of these guys, but I was glad to have listened to this. A very pleasant surprise
never really listened to them before but absolutely loved the dark inventiveness of this album, some great sounds enjoyed it very much
Pretty cool noise and way ahead of its time.
Hi: Complication, Change Lo: Tomorrow's World A little bit Jane's Addiction and Fugazi, a little bit Pop Will Eat Itself and Pigface. KJ features driving machinelike rhythms and crunchy guitars, and just enough synth to set it even farther apart. This album may sound a little dated by today's standards, but it still has good bones, and we wouldn't have much of an industrial scene in the 90's if it weren't for Killing Joke.
The sound coming out of this album is before its time. I really liked this album more than I thought I would. Instead of being some relic of the late London punk scene, Killing Joke provided some good sounds to last and inspire the next generation of musicians. Of the bands that have cited them as profound influences, Metallica and Soundgarden are not my favorite, thought I did find it interesting to know both LCD Soundsystem and Jane's Addition cited them as inspiration. Never listened to them before, but will definitely listen to them in the future.
Nice post-punk album. Been wanting to listen to this band for awhile
7/10. Enjoyable enough considering the length.
Pretty rad
Wow. I already knew this record, along with the super catchy '80s'. This time listening again I could really appreciate the vocals. I have never heard such grandiose aesthetic rock histrionics before, opening sonic dimensions. Oh yeah, and the guitar and rhythms are kick ass, as well. Nevermind chicken little panic about asteroids, but Dave Grohl was on drums, so come as you are.
You can't go wrong with post-punk. Instant like. I love the mix of synths with rhythmic drumming and riffs that give off a very gothic appeal. Not to mention that badass album cover. Reminds me of the Wire's Chairs Missing. Some tracks remind me of other post-punk / New Wave songs I know, but I can't put my fingers on it. "Bloodsport" kinda sounds like something from the A-side of Bowie's Low. Only issue I have is that some tracks are too long, which means that repetition tires me by the time a track's only halfway, but it's still pretty cool. The pop-like tracks "Requiem," "The Wait," and "Complications" give me plenty of options to convince other people to get into postpunk. Enjoyed all the tracks, I'll seek out their other work!
Like this album very much.Older now but would def be rocking this back in my party days.wish I had known
A heavy throbbing slab of post punk with elements of metal. The opening track, Requiem, is the stand-out. 3.5/5
This feels like an awesome amalgamation of 70s Punk and 80s Goth and New Wave with a bit of Motorhead sprinkled over the top. Overall result is something that must have sounded like nothing else in 1980s and still sounds fresh today. You can hear the influence in contemporary industrial metal bands like Rammstein for sure
1980 - Post-punk; industrial rock; gothic rock; new wave; synth-pop; industrial metal
I like a bunch of these, especially Requiem, that simple pulsating synth is a lot of fun. There are a few songss here and there that are just "ok" for me, but overall a cool post-punk album for sure.
My main reaction to this is that I find it astounding that it came out in 1980! It sounds remarkably fresh and vital after all these years. Very ahead of its time and certainly holds up well. Love their heavy sound, especially when they incorporate the electronic elements. Love the atmosphere. Only thing I didn't care for were the modulated vocals on "Wardance."
Thought this was great, Talking Heads vibes.
3.5-4 but cool innovative album.
Feels very dated to me. I like other Killing Joke albums more, but still a pretty impressive debut
I know nothing about Killing Joke, the album or the band. There is an early punk feel to this album. Some of the music felt like it was an attempt by the Clash to play music by Echo and the Bunnymen or perhaps music from the earliest version of the Cure, all with a set of amplifiers trying to open a door for Rage Against the Machine. I enjoyed the album enough to listen to the additional tracks from the re-release. "Requiem" was easily my favorite track from the album. I'd come back to this album for a second listen.
Great for a mood, or a soundtrack to throwing a molotov.
Album won me over in the end. Great listen.
J'ai découvert Killing Joke en 2003 avec l'autre album Killing Joke sorti à cette époque lorsque j'étais disquaire. Cet album de 2003 a été enregistré avec Dave Grohl au drum. Ça fait un moment que je l'ai écouté, mais j'avais bien aimé. Ici on est donc où tout a commencé. J'ai découvert à l'écoute de cet album que la chanson The Wait que j'avais découverte sur l'album The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited de Metallica est de ce groupe. Je savais que l'album de Metallica était des reprises, mais je n'avais pas cherché à découvrir les pièces originales. Bref, j'adore cette chanson. Sinon pour le reste, j'aime vraiment plein de choses sur cet album. On est dans du post-punk, du rock, des racines d'industriel (voir une bonne influence pour Nine Inch Nails). On a mix de la voix et une façon de chanter qui fait penser par moment aux premiers album de The Cure. On a une guitare incisive qui se démarque de ce qu'on entend habituellement, tout comme les synthétiseurs qui sont plus agressifs. La basse très en avant qui a souvent sa propre ligne me plait beaucoup. Je trouve que tous les musiciens se complètent bien. Mon point un peu négatif serait que ça devient un peu répétitif par moment, surtout après The Wait. Je vais assurément revenir à cet album et sûrement l'ajouter éventuellement à ma collection. Pièce préférée: The Wait