Killing Joke

So badass. Gets me hyped that’s for sure.

Killing Joke was a British post-punk band that combined a range of elements into their very influential music. At the time of its release, their debut album found modest commercial success, and received limited critical attention. Retrospective reviews have become increasingly positive, as the wide-spread influence of this band has become clear. Killing Joke started with the amped guitars and scream-like vocals of metal, added rhythmic experimentations from funk, and then used electronic effects extensively. The result is an interesting fusion that foreshadows much of the alt-rock/funk, grunge, and industrial of the 80s and 90s.

Something I've wanted to hear

I am disgusted with myself that I'd never sat and listened to this before. I'd hears covers of Requiem and The Wait, but my god, this is glorious. The Cure if they weren't afraid of distortion. Thrash metal crossed with drum machines crossed with dub atmospherics. Brutal and beautiful and awesome all at the same time. Love it.

A classic.

Didn't expect it to be so groovy. Banger album.

The debut, self-titled album by Killing Joke (1980) is a foundational document of post-punk and early industrial rock, distinguished by a tightly wound, tribal intensity that feels perpetually on the brink of explosion. Its primary charm lies in the raw, contained sense of rebellion, which isn't delivered through typical punk anarchy but rather a menacing, mechanical throb—the sound of profound societal outrage channeled into a disciplined, rhythmic fury, making every angular guitar riff and strident vocal line feel like a calculated, urgent protest.

Superb

Killing Joke killed it with this killer album.

6 stars!

Debated on whether or not I would loop this but then I started played their other Deluxe albums with the same name so this is an obvious hell yeah 5 star for me

Great band great album

A debut you say? Well I'm keen to learn more. I quite enjoyed this album. Requiem kind of sets the scene but it's the instrumentals that grab me like Bloodsport, what a great track.

Loved this! Feels like a missing link between post-punk and industrial, alright. I think I've previously dipped into some of their much later albums, but wasn't too taken by them, but this is exactly my jam. Went for a third playthrough as soon as the second ended, and will definitely revisit more, maybe check our more of their earlier stuff, too. Fave tracks - "Requiem", "Wardance" and "Tomorrow's World" are a super strong opening salvo!

Dystopic alternative rock album, a classic for me. Very dark aggressive mood, energetic songs.

im sickkkkk...and so is this ALBUm! gottem.. just the coolest music ever and a kinda insane achievement for 1980... its dark and metallic and icy and political but idk how Grimey it actually is? maybe its just the dancey grooves and synths but theres a layer of abstraction and even Theatre to the whole thing...doomy and gloomy and gothic in a very aestheticized way. and ofc not sounding one bit generic along the way! killer record, super entertaining, i hate the flu cough cough achoooo

I adore this record. Even the dub remix of requiem is incredible.

Killing Joke feels like a warning broadcast rather than an album, something urgent and slightly dangerous that still crackles with tension decades later. It is raw, hostile, and completely locked into its own worldview, with every track sounding like it is pushing forward on pure conviction. The production is stark but powerful, giving everything a physical presence that hits immediately and never really lets up. What I love about it is how uncompromising it feels. The rhythms are punishing, the guitars grind rather than shimmer, and Jaz Coleman’s voice sounds possessed rather than performed. There is no attempt to soften the edges or make this palatable, it is music that believes in itself absolutely. The atmosphere is oppressive in the best way, paranoid, militant, and intensely focused, and it creates a mood that few albums of its era manage to sustain so completely. The only reason I cannot give it a full five is purely personal. If “Eighties” had been on this album, it would feel untouchable to me, the final piece snapping perfectly into place. As it stands, Killing Joke is still breathtakingly close to perfect, a foundational statement that sounds as ferocious now as it must have then.

Post punk rarely has this much sonic variation and color in its character.

This was good - it's a bit strange and sort of repetitive at times, but somehow it kinda works. Kinda like videogame music, it just really seems to suit for just walking/running or working. I really liked it

This album is great. It sounds fresh and modern. Lots of angular guitars and attitude.

Awesome!!

Brilliant album! Diverse musicianship - sludgy in places, pop in others. Really big fan and will definitely be returning to Killing Joke.

Great start to finish. I can’t believe this came out in 1980.

Yes. Superb find. Great energy, great riffs, great everything. Can't believe I've never heard of these guys before, outside of Metallica's The Wait cover which was crap in hindsight. Can see where people took a lot of inspiration from, even hearing LCD's Losing my Edge ripping off the final track was a welcome shock. Definitely putting this album into my rotation. Tracks 2&4 the only weak spots, but I'm feeling generous today. 4.5*

5/5. Love me some industrial heaviness. Great grainy and abrasive production along with faded and drowned out vocals while still having catchy lyrics and great riffs and guitar work. Every song still had a sense of structure and accessibility that expertly rode that line of punk and pop. It kind of had a heavy punk-funk vibe, just danceable music with very aggressive lyrics. Yes, may need to be in a mood but this genre just keeps giving for me and I'm not complaining. Best Song: Requiem, Bloodsport, Change

A solid debut from an incredibly influential yet criminally underrated band.

Post-punk has never been a friend of mine. Check my profile—no matter when, you're probably bound to see that it's my worst rated genre. Any time the randomizer gives us an album that's classified as one, unless I already know it, I tend to groan. You can probably blame METAL BOX for that. Even though I have given good reviews to albums labeled as "post-punk," I still come back to METAL BOX as **the** sound for me of the genre. Which is to say: artsy nonsense. Throwing together every dull, irritating anti-music idea you have and acting like we're supposed to be impressed because it's "anti-commercial." It was the first album I ever gave a 2, and since then, I've never felt like being too kind to the genre. Shit like DUB HOUSING didn't help. So, what about Killing Joke, then? How do they stack up against METAL BOX? Do they break the mold? I'm happy to say that, yes, they do. This whole albums fairs a **lot** better than METAL BOX and I dig these songs a lot—hell, I'll even say they "bang." "Rip?" Whatever word the kids these days use (I'm in my late 20's). They groove in just the right way for me, I like the guitar riffs and rhythms, I **love** whenever the keys come in... And I can totally see the complaint that some of these songs maybe run a little long, but it didn't bother me. Heck, I kinda liked getting a little lost in them. They rock so hard, I don't even care. This is just really good, heavy punk shit. No wonder bands like Metallica took inspiration from them. And to narrow in my invocation of Metallica... Yeah, it's not just because they covered "The Wait". Moreso, they're the umbrella I feel like putting it under over post-punk: that is, heavy music adjacent to metal and grunge. And heck, that sort of logic follows through to the albums I mentioned I'd given 4's. They were by DEVO, Talking Heads and Television, and I'd consider them all more New Wave or just straight rock than post-punk. So, perhaps that's really why I have a problem with the genre, truly: I keep finding reasons to separate out the stuff I like, leaving me to think of it as just pretentious crap. Hell, even this album, chances are good I'd refer to it as "industrial rock" to people before "post-punk." And that's not fair to post-punk, I realize—assuming it even is anything beyond an arbitrary label, but let's not get into that. Instead, I'll say this much: KILLING JOKE is the best post-punk album I've heard yet. It appeals so directly to my love of heavy music, and I think it bangs hard. If you like bands like Metallica or Nirvana, it's worth giving these guys a shot. And I can only hope that moving forward, albums like this can become the rule for my image of post-punk rather than the exception.

Absolutely adored every single synth, bass, and drum opener on this album. Most of the tracks went on to deliver the proto-goth goods, too! Yes - it is criminal that I have not listened to this. I knew of Killing Joke (enough to not call them The Killing Joke), but I only knew the song Eighties, and that largely through Nirvana. It seems that there were a lot of others listening to this too - Metallica, NIN, Pet Shop Boys, Daft Punk….The album itself sure as hell doesn’t sound like 1980; it was classified as metal-disco and I don’t hate that description, but I really think this was something unique at the time. It holds up.

My usual way of describing the style of a piece of music, by comparing it to other bands and genres, wouldn't really do justice here, because these guys seem to be pretty fundamental. The style is already the essence of what I would be referring to with my comparisons. And yes, I did read the blurb about the band on my streaming app before forming my own opinion, but I agree with what it said. Anyway, the band that wrote "Eighties" being a cornerstone of one of the aspects of eighties music is pretty neat.

This is clearly among my favorite totally new discoveries from this book and why I enjoy this exercise so much. As far as rapidly self-produced debut albums go, you can't get much better than this. It reminds me of Marquee Moon in that the entire production feels so organic--it's very easy to just picture these guys getting in a room and jamming this album out. Their influence on 90s sound is blindingly obvious and explains why I enjoy it so much. Something that influences metal and alternative at the same time? It's a wrap for me. Favorite track: Requiem

meh

Surprisingly good.

this is why i joined this list. badass.

15% of the way through the list and I have gotten a few punk albums which I didn't much care for. This one... I actually liked a lot! (I guess it's technically post-punk, but I don't know what the distinction is) Favorite track: either "Complications" or the single version of "Requiem." There's a catharsis to a lot of these tracks.

Very strong especially toward the second half after a couple of listens. Yet another Punk building blocks situation that I love this list for exposing me to. I think Refused would have listened to a lot of this.

I loved this. What a find. They sound well ahead of their time and fit into that heavy industrial rock vive that I love.

This was way better than I thought! A fun mix of genres and rocks hard enough to get me through the workday

Great piece of music, very engaging at times challenging but also head nodding. 4.5

Opening track is great! I can’t believe I’ve never listened to this album before. I knew of the wait because of Metallica. I like the original better. This is a great record. I wish I had heard this sooner. I really like this record.

Crisp post punk, love the bass

I've listened to this a bit over the years. Metallica brought me to The Wait, stayed for the rest of the bangers. A classic.

Tight set of songs. No weak tracks. First 5 given Favorite tracks: Requiem, Complications, Change

So that’s what post punk is!

A really solid album, way ahead of its time. Some songs sound a little dated, but the overall production is still great. I don't have many complaints about this one. 4.5

Never heard of it, liked it a lot.

Loved the instrumentals, didn’t really care for the vocals. Usually not my genre, I was surprised!

If I could play guitar well and be in a band this is what I'd play.

Love this album, favourite track Wardance,

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.

This is a great album. Gritty vocals and some great performances. "Asteroid" was a particular favorite of mine.

Excellent album that I’d not heard before. Got me listening to more of their work. Don’t know how I missed them.

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.

Gran origen al punk rock argentino

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.

An epic album ahead of its time

great industry postpunk

massive, unique, as fresh as the day it was born

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,

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

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

cool

This album rocks my socks.

Good shit

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!

A great record by a band I only listened to the singles. I learned that this was a grave mistake.

Its a banger from start to finish. Ticks a lot of boxes

Killer it

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.

me morí de risa

Outstanding example of early electro-punk fusion.

really good post-punk I enjoyed the shit out of it, 9/10

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.

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 rips. 9/10

amazing!

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

I really liked this. I had high expectations and this album exceeded them. I will definitely be listening to this again.

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).

Classic. Requiem and Bloodsport are probably favorites.

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.

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.

It's incredible. Astonishing. and thoroughly underheralded. This is going to get listened to again in this house.

Avangardiste

Oh my, I enjoyed the heck outta this! Dark and rough-around-the-edges, I'm pleasantly shocked this came out as early as 1980 and don't actually mind how repetitive it is. It's more about the gritty textures creating an immersive atmosphere than it is about intricacy, though there are definitely some catchy hooks here and there. Also, the main vocal styling reminded me a smidge of The Cure (just more growl-y), so that's a plus!

Initial impressions before I even listen to the album: I've never heard of this band or heard their music. Is that the Berlin wall? 1980, so 9 years before the fall of the Berlin wall. Maybe something in Ireland? Northern Ireland was in some serious turmoil in the early 80s. Looks like it's going to be another British punk album or pirate radio band - which I do not have the best track record with. Let's dive in. "Requiem" was fantastic and the follow up song "Wardance" both have fantastic energy while showing early signs of we'll call it "Proto-screamo". I particularly am loving the bass guitar that comes through the songs. "Tomorrow's World" is when I read through the Wikipedia blurb and that wall is in Derry, Northern Ireland where anti-British protests began getting violent. "Bloodsport" is a fantastic showcase of the musical technology and it's use in post-punk music. It's a fun and catchy tune which is also crazy because no dubs were added post. This is the band playing the music from start to finish without any cuts including all the awesome sound effects and synthesizer noise. "The Wait" is a song I am VERY familiar with. I first heard this song as part of Metallica's Garage Inc. album which is a compilation of all the songs that inspired them or appeared as B-sides on their main albums. This song rocks and is my personal standout on this album. It's so cool and extremely well composed and just oozes personality and early Heavy Metal influence. This song alone is so good and was such a surprise to get today. The album on Spotify has four extra songs after "Change" but I didn't listen to them as they were just repeats of some previous songs. Fun album, lots of energy, some good dark messages communicated. I'll give it a 8/10 total, I'll be revisiting the band to explore some of their other songs and albums.

3.78 for Killing Joke's self titled debut. The album starts off with bangers.. Requiem, Wardance, then deviates into an annoying tangent with Tomorrow's World, but gets right back on track with Bloodsport and The Wait. This is super early post-punk at it's finest. Combining hard industrial guitar riffs with synths and crushing lyrics. You can hear how Skinny Puppy was influenced by this. I enjoyed listening to this and will many more times in the future.

For some reason, even though I generally enjoy post-punk albums, I remember not liking Killing Joke back in the day. Well, something's changed in the interim. This was great. I can only ask myself, what's wrong with me. 4 "my younger self was definitely wrong" stars.

Solid 3.5. Going 4 because it was completely out of the blue for me. Fun one.

Damn, this one surprised me. Hadn't heard of these guys, and was really surprised at how good this one is. Sounds fantastic and raw at the same time, and I love the post punk vibe.

Wow, I had not heard of this before. Has the rawness of The Clash's s/t but with synths and stuff. Really, really cool.

Better than I expected. Missed this one back in the day!

banging post punk record

I think I wanted to dislike this because it’s confirmation that some amazing albums didn’t make the cut (Discovery is genuinely a baffling exclusion) but listening to this for its own merits it’s pretty good. The rhythm section is better than most other pinky stuff we’ve had and it’s not really self indulgent like the worst of post punk has been. A solid 3.5 rounded up to close this off.

First time listening to Killing Joke for me. They reminded me a little bit of the Ramones but in their own way still. The history of the album art is cool to learn about. Callie would rate this highly with a wiggle and a dance to most of the songs.

Liked this way more than I thought I would. Bloodsport gave me the vibes of some futuristic battle arena vibe, where this is the intro song to some sort of colosseum battle or some shit. Where the clapping is the audience getting pumped up for the show they're about to see. There's even some noise behind the clapping segment that even sounds like some sort of audience... My brain generates some interesting thoughts sometimes, but in this case these thoughts very much improved my listening experience. 7.5/10

Haven't finished listening to it yet but I'm very much enjoying it, was expecting punk more than metal to be honest.

Better than I thought and bloodsport bangs

Love the bass lines!

Liked the early industrial sound of this album, it showed the way for many bands and it influence is notable. Very good album.

Really liked this, feels way ahead of its time. I think 'Bloodsport (Rough Mix)' is a great example of this album in a microcosm, loads of funk in the bassline with bite and a bit of stadium campness to boot. It's got it all and feels very influential.

will revisit

This rocks harder than I was expecting

I really enjoyed how experimental and weird this was but I didn't love all of the experiments on here. Change in particular stands out as a okay I get it why is this still going song. But for every change there's a requiem so take what we can get right? Feelin a nice low 4 on this.

Oh, this was rather and pretty good, just misses that one special thing to make it perfect.

On paper this is right up my alley but the first few tracks did not click with me. Ended up really liking the middle section though. I could see it growing on me but for now 3.5/5 Favorite Tracks: Bloodsport, The Wait

Overall really interesting! I enjoyed this for sure, a decent 4 star album

Heavy post punk, had never listened before but would definitely give another listen!

Don't have tooooo much to say about this one, pretty pleasant post-punk that I enjoyed in the background :)

Quite a formative post punk record for me, tbh it's dated a little bit more than others from around that time like Wire and Pere Ubu but there's still a really fun energy and very unique vibe to this album that I really like

I love the energy from this album. Great work out album cause it pretty easy to zone out listening to. The song so liked the most were “requiem” “war dance” “tomorrows world” “the wait” “complications” and “change”. The albums greatest strength (and I’m not familiar with the band outside of this album so I don’t know if this is like their shtick or just this album) is their ability to incorporate electronic bits and intros. It really adds something fresh to an English punk band that’s not bland, but definitely would’ve felt more bland had they not been bold enough to include that. It really gives them something special, and it’s my favorite aspect of songs like Requiem. The only thing holding this album back from being a perfect 5/5 is just not having great vocals. They are not bad they are just sort of drowned out by the much more interesting instrumentation. Seriously this album is totally worth your time, and don’t be intimidated, the cover makes it seem like it’s really heavy but it’s pretty accessible I’d say for something that is alittle heavy.

Requiem - 4.5/5 Wardance - 3.5/5 Tomorrow's World - 3/5 Bloodsport - 3.5/5 The Wait - 4.5/5 Complications - 4/5 $.O.3.6. - 3/5 Primitive - 4/5 A pretty decent post-punk album that also was a pioneering album in the industrial rock sound. Some of the more experimental tracks lost me a bit on the A-side, but once The Wait kicked in it hooked me right back. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Requiem, The Wait

Not bad

Truly awesome album. Enjoyed the hell out of it.

Punk rock you can dance to. I remember The Wait as covered by Metallica on the Garage Days Re-Revisited EP. Anyway, KJ is one of those bands I need to deep dive into a bit more. I enjoyed it.

Well this was a pretty cool surprise. I knew “The Wait” from Metallica covering it on Garage Days way back in the day… like ‘87. But lots of catchy songs on here. And to think it came out in 1980, even more impressive.

This is really cool punk. Glad I was able to get the recommendation

Proto-industrial? Really enjoyed this album. Didn't overstay its welcome. I see why every band I listened to in the 90's referenced Killing Joke as an inspiration.

3.6/5 Favorite Songs: Requiem The Wait S.O 36 Change

Killing Joke - Killing Joke (7/1001) Wasn’t sold on this one at first blush but it grew on me pretty quickly. Well the music did, never did click with the vocals/lyrics, but there are some solid grooves here and the obvious Black Sabbath vibes are fun. Also sensing that these fellas were a big influence on Pantera and Biohazard. Mostly in the funky, chugging guitar sound. Anyway, it was pretty fun.

Been wanting to listen to this one for awhile. Good but I'm not sure if its my favorite Killing Joke album or not. Favorite track: Requiem 3.5/5

This feels like the most 80s punk ever, bridging that power-chord chug with the reverb and synth of the era. Honestly, I'm liking this, and not just for “The Wait,” which I forgot all about being in Metallica's covers library. Whatever this is (I'm going with proto-industrial the longer it goes on), I'm on board. That simple. Light 4*

Dark and heavy on most parts. I liked it. But there is definitely better music out there

Nice Postpunk can hear some Joy Division in there , nevertheless very nice

I was expecting more straightforward punk but this mixed in a lot more sounds and genres and felt deeper and darker because of it

Super excited to hear this because I have heard of the band but never gave them the chance, and oh boy, was I wrong not to listen to this earlier! Shit absolutely slaps, but not exactly what I expected from 80s post-punk band - they truly do have something unique about them, maybe this interesting thread of industrial in their DNA which becomes apparent the more you listen to this, but at the very least this is strong 4 stars and one band definitely to REVISIT! P.S. after a few relistens I am strongly considering 4.5 on RYM

Backdropped by Britain electing Margaret Thatcher, this album feels and sounds like evil The Cure. Surely, the combination of Post-Punk and Industrial Rock creates a rather disturbing and loud orchestra of sounds with hissing guitars and cavernous drums. Jaz's vocals are either demented and distorted like on "Wardance", loud and commanding like on "Requiem" or troubled and manic like on "Primitive". Even the instrumental "Bloodsport" works well to create a pseudo-fascistic theme on what sounds like Football Promo music. The album's biggest flaw to me is it's lack of cohesive ideas. While individually I think each song does great, there's not really a whole lot aside from atmosphere gluing all the tracks together. The dour and gloomy "$.O.36" with it's repetitive instrumentals and far away vocals against a vocal sample of what sounds like some German people talking, doesn't seem to sit quite as flush next to the ultimate track "Primitive" with it's pepped-up tempos and punk veneer. Even still, this record is super easy to put on repeat and the 2005 remaster ESPECIALLY sounds fantastic. The mixes pop and you can really hear every detail in the music. I especially love Youth's bass playing on this record. So even though it's a bit disjointed, it feels like an essential piece of 80's alternative rock history especially for UK music of the time. I imagine my rating for this would go up the more I listen to it. I dig it!

I enjoyed!!

Proto-industrial!! So cool

8 / 10

Primitive raw!

De volgende keer dat je ouders klagen over de duivelse muziek, zet dan Wardance aan. Dat klinkt echt alsof het direct uit de hell komt. Maar dan wel een hell waarin Satan een soort van Disco vibes wilt? Hele bizarre plaat, de cover geeft wel echt meteen aan dat dit geen gezellig albumpje gaat worden. Gecombineerd met de naam Killing Joke, en dan Requiem als eerste nummer? Het is niet snoeihard, het is wel heel duister. Eerlijk? Dit album trok ik zoveel beter dan wat ik had verwacht toen ik de cover zag. De cover zag er uit als het zoveelste snoeiharde punkalbum, maar de muziek is veel meer dansbaar. Ik las dat er disco invloeden in de muziek zaten en ik snap die wel, het is duidelijk vooral harde rock/metal. Maar de muziek is een stuk trager waardoor het iets dreigends krijgt. En door die vertraging ligt de focus ook veel meer op de basliujnen en hoor ik nou af en toe een synthlijntje? Heb uiteindelijk Requiem nog maar eens geluisterd na het album, en ja ik neem het terug. Die hoort ook wel bij de FAVOs. Dit is gewoon een hele sterke album opener. En misschien, heel misschien is dit ook wel gewoon echt een heel vet album. Ik zie al helemaal voor me dat dit gedraaid of gespeeld word in een warehouse, waarna een techno dj het overneemt ofzo. Blawan, Dax J, Hauff,. ze moeten haast wel geinspireerd zijn door deze muziek. En anders zouden ze het zeker eens moeten luisteren, want dit is gewoon best wel vet. 4 sterren! FAVO: Wardance, Complications, Change, Requiem

I heard it described as molten dynamite and that does sum it up. There is (post) punk here, but also metal and even a weird sense of disco. It's a sound that is only theirs. Don't expect Love Like Blood.

Ok this slapped. Not normally into punk but this was pretty great. Loved how it was recorded live

Sounds timeless considering it was made in 1980. No wonder it's inspired so many of our current metal and alternative bands.

This was really cool, a blend of post punk and proto industrial that is clearly super influential. I had a nice time with it.

Easy to see how this influenced so many bands (thinking specifically LCD Soundsystem).

I thought they would've put their other self-titled album on this list but this one was a decent surprise. It's like if early Swans tried to make Cut the Crap by The Clash into a good album. I love the 80s kind of gritty Post-Punk sound that bands like this were going for back then. It pulls out a range of emotions with everything going on in any given album. I also love that they had to make at least one instrument per song sound like an industrial paper shredder. It adds character, if nothing else.

When to listen: metal mood with a twist. I liked some songs more than others. Unsurprisingly, it was the more melodic less metal tunes, like Change. I also liked Bloodsport.

Post punk industrial roots. This is surprisingly accessible and has rhythm and songs.

Aldri hørt om, likte det.

Note: I didn’t listen to the remastered bonus tracks (My personal preference for reviewing). I didn’t think I was going to like this, but the angry pulsing punk spoke to me today. Tomorrow’s World reminds me of early Siouxsie and the Banshees, and that’s a good thing. The only thing I knew about Killing Joke before today was from punk T-shirts some of my friends wore back in the late 80s and early 90s. Now I get it. 4 stars

Weird and fun

Den her var superfed! Virkelig grum lyd!

Nice energy. A bit strange with the german in one of the songs, but I'll let it slide.

Still punk, b/c it's anthemic & it says what it means, even if it's symbolically engaged, Killing Joke is unquestioningly ahead of its time. The industrial strokes & obscurer lyrical moments presage a new confessional energy in music: 'Horror, don't let me go on / Mommy, they'll take his pain away.' W/ this said, it has groovy intentions, & seems to be drawing from the store of 'robot pop' that Kraftwerk initiated, e.g., check out 'Bloodsport.' Like The Clash before 'em, pop matters, & I say thank god to that: you only note the burgeoning mess of industrial self-pity that Reznor & co. venerate so uglily: 'After wakening, silence grows / The screams subside, distortion shows.' It isn't all that original tho. Unknown Pleasures dropped in '79. & it did more.

About halfway through this project and this list has fed me more than my fair share of forgettable 80s drivel, and I'll admit I was instantly ready to shrug this one off as more of that upon seeing the album come up. But I'm glad I gave it a chance, because it was surprisingly good. Truly an 'underground classic' (as described on Wikipedia) in the proto-industrial/punk/metal genre. Very noisy. Not mainstream by any means, but not so outrageously indie and 'weird' that it would put off most listeners. It's exceptionally raw and gritty, with naked basslines by Martin "Youth" Glover that really stand out throughout. Jaz Coleman's vocals are obnoxiously British in nature, but by the end I admitted his style actually enhanced the songs, rather than detracting from them.

What Killing Joke do here is really sick, and I have qualms, but let's talk about the good first. This album has such a great aesthetic. The combination of industrial grinding, and riffs that veer between post-punk and something almost like hard-rock does a lot of good here. The sound is relentless, buzzing, and crudely mechanical. It ends up with an appeal almost like metal in some regards. Which makes sense, it's influenced an awful lot of metal bands. When I said I have qualms, it's weird because I can't pinpoint a lot specifically. Basically, the way it falls out, I love pretty much all of side 2. But there a couple of the songs on side 1 where the formula doesn't gel together in a way that I've really fallen in love with. But this isn't Killing Joke's fault. This is still a pretty fantastic album, and even now sounds unique. With the exception of maybe Big Black, I don't think any other industrial tinged rock band really captures the genuine, distinct darkness of the original industrial movement.

Tremendo, me encantó bro. 4.5? 5?

When I read the Wikipedia description of this record as some kind of underground record from 1980, I ask myself wtf? This record was a huge hit in Vancouver, particularly in the clubs. Wardance and Requiem were all over CITR and I picked up a copy at the time. All that to say, for a debut record full of a mix of Adam & The Ants drum sounds with a mix of goth and funk, this is a pretty great mix of sounds. While people try to pigeon hole this record into industrial music in the vein of Cabaret Voltaire, this was pretty danceable, particularly the dub versions which were super popular in the clubs. Remarkably consistent overall with no bad songs. My favorites tend towards the latter half beginning with The Wait and Complications and Change (which followed Complications on the Canadian/U.S. release). This album has aged remarkably well and as a snapshot of a particular time that was the post punk explosion in 1978-1981 still is an interesting listen. I should also note that the iconic cover photo probably drove sales as much as the music. The real lesson of punk rock was that fashion, media and image were really important. When bands stumbled upon the combination that accentuated their music then success was pretty much guaranteed. Killing Joke was but one of many examples from this brief period of time. 4/5

I will be spending more time with this one. Sounds like where Joy Division would have gone in an alternate universe.

Cool industrial metal, with little lyrics (at least it felt like little). Def makes me want to check out more. Great for what it is

Not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would! Nice stuff 4 ⭐️

I enjoyed this a lot

I like the killing Joke, enjoyable album this

Good Album

3.5

Really cool. Tons of attitude, with a scrappy and raw production. "Change" makes me see how the Chili Peppers would be inspired by Killing Joke. Was about to say "Requiem" reminds me of early Foo Fighters but now I'm thinking Dave covered it since there's an early Foos song with the same name.

This is a post-punk album with industrial elements, interesting combination. The sizzling/melting guitar riffs are mean and pack quite a punch, classic post-punk throbbing bassline, as well as the mechanical, rigid drums. The choruses don't tend to be too good, but the other parts well make up for it. Highlight Song/s: "Wardance" and "Complications"

4.5

“You got something Nasty in your mind Trying to get out Do a war dance” Slow, heavy, and influential. I knew I was getting some flavour of Post-punk with this but hadn’t anticipated the quality. The riffs are absolutely huge and you feel totally absorbed in the mood and the philosophy that the band wants you to experience. A prescient precursor to the full spectrum of heavy music that would follow “Killing Joke” is an essential listen for fans of any kind of Metal music.

Arme Joke. Padoempats. In het begin van deze lijst, of laten we zeggen het eerste kwart, leek het alsof we om de 3 albums post-punk kregen. Ik was er toen na een tijdje wel klaar mee. Nu is dat een stuk minder en daardoor valt dit album eigenlijk wel lekker. Die eerste track is een goede binnenkomer. Verder is niet het hele album allemaal even spannend, maar er staan wel wat lekkere tracks op. Verrassend. Ik geef gewoon 4 sterren.

Cool brit punk. I enjoyed

I wish I had known about this album in my youth. I'm quite sure it would have been a favorite.

Good stuff

#39/1001 🇬🇧 First listen to this album, although i have heard later stuff and seen them live in a tiny venue in my hometown on their reunion tour - they were brilliant. This seems an album ahead of its time, setting the template for the likes of Ministry, Faith No More and NIN. Heavy distorted guitars, pounding drums and bass overlaid with doomy vocals. The band self produced this record and its no suprise to see the careers that Youth and Jaz Coleman went on to have although the music would be diverse and in stark contrast to the bleaker industrial sounds here. Loved this - not my normal saturday morning with a cup of coffee listen. Best tracks: Wardance, Complications.

I merrily judged this one by its cover. Cover is sweet, album sweet.

Pretty good. Some fun danceable songs, which I didn’t expect. Also some harder songs. Overall enjoyable.

Essential and highly influential post-punk record that paved that walked so that Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Godflesh, and Helmet could run.

This either a high 4 or a low 5. I can’t figure it out. Requiem is a 5 easily and every other track bounces from around 4 except primitive that’s a three. Complications might also be a 5. They have some garage rock tendencies that detract from the otherwise wonderful bass lines and drone marching drums. Guitar work is moody and when used right pulls the songs together to create a dark atmosphere. The occasional synth helps too. Pretty good.

The only Killing Joke album that I've paid attention to was the excellent Night Time, so I was really glad to be reminded to check out their other albums too. Well, this is just as good, albeit different in style, as Night Time. The industrial rock approach is really tasteful and blends seamlessly with their post-punk that can almost sound like dark synthpop at times. Great stuff

It's very surprising to get a good album around here once in a while. Sounds like a punkish take on Gary Numan's Tubeaway Army and I enjoyed it a lot!

This is how I expect dystopia to sound like. Excellent sombre, but energetic music!

Jamás había escuchado a Killing Joke y no entiendo porque. Suenan cool, se me hizo un disco bastante bueno hasta eso. Lleno de texturas pero a su vez muy simple y efectivo. Un estilo que definiría como interesante, arriesgado, atrevido y bastante vanguardista, aunque sin perder de vista la línea del rock ochentero. Me gusto.

Killing Joke are an odd one for me. I’ve known them for decades, have seen them live, but have only ever owned one of their albums and rarely actually listen to them. So going back to their debut was interesting and fun for me as I’m not sure I’d listened to it before, although I knew a few of the songs. I enjoyed this and will probably go and give more of their catalogue a long over due listen.

One of those bands that I know by name but have never really listened to. This was really good, and will definitely return to it.

I read the wikipedia pages for this album and the band, and I was fully expecting to hate it, but I didn't. In fact, I really enjoyed large parts of it. Musically it was so much better than I was expecting. Like a lot of albums of this type the vocals can often be the big letdown, and while they weren't great they were passable.I really like that it didn't feel over-produced. These are the albums I love discovering, and this site has helped me do this with multiple albums. Time to make another donation to the provider. If you are are user of this site and you haven't donated yet then do it, at least once. Alexander, the guy who provides this fantastic site free-of-charge, deserves that as a minimum. Love to all.

Certified Fresh Especialmente las últimas

This was solid. I can always get down with some post punk.

This is great. Very bass forward danceable post punk.

requiem is a great opener this a grat punk record, one of the best I've heard yet Great consistency too, this ones going in the rotation

Saw em live opening for Tool. It was probably not the right place for this band to be performing in the 2020s and didn't go over well with the arena rock fans. In a smaller, grimier venue, especially in their prime, they would be awesome. Good album overall.

This was cool! I like the sounds, ahead of their time. I couldn't figure out where I knew Requiem from at first but later remembered there is a cover of it on the Foo Fighters expanded edition of The Colour and the Shape that I have.

Dark, dark dark. Loved it.

85

A great mix of dark, gloomy new wave with exciting industrial scrape. A unique take on a well-represented genre and era on the list. Awesome record.

A really solid album sitting at a crossroads of multiple genres. I prefer their later work, mainly because the music video for Eighties is one of my all-time favourites. Requiem is the stand out best song on here, which leads a fantastic A-side. Complications is my least favourite, but it's still listenable. For a debut, especially a self-produced one, the level of atmosphere that has been crafted here is very impressive. Highlights: Requiem

punk is awesome

Was a fun album! Head bopping the whole time

You know what? I liked this. Not 5-star worthy but I enjoyed this. I'm a big Kaiser Chiefs fan and this album sounded like KC might have gotten a lot of early inspiration from it. I like that dirty, industrial sound this album has.

This one started rough but there a couple of these songs actually rocked in a sneaky way.

The mixing and production is what really stands out for me. The music itself is intriguing, but the listening experience is enthralling. I'm finding I really like a post-punk album if it's thoughtfully produced and not just slopped together like many of them are. Killing Joke clearly had a great vision of what they wanted this album to be and I think it was executed superbly.

Pretty cool album! I didn't really listen closely to the lyrics, but I think they were mainly themes that I would support and enjoy. "Post-punk" might be my favorite type of punk (maybe?), and I liked how this was pretty heavy.

Pretty fun. Can hear the influence to this day

An alternative approach.

angry, and gloomy

саунд вайбовый получился, претензий не имею.

I very much enjoyed this album! It was new wave, punk, and goth rock and I loved the vibes and sound of this album. This album had a badass and careless attitude to it and I dug it the whole time. I feel like I’ve been sleeping on Killing Joke but I’m definitely going to listen to more of their albums/ music in the future. So rad!

Killing Joke is a band that has never stopped evolving. They've built on their sound for decades, consistently putting out new and interesting material for over 30 years. Their eponymous debut is the starting point of that evolution, and dammit if it isn't a good foundation. One thing this record has going for it over most other post-punk bands on the scene at this time is the riffs are just so groovy. It keeps this really dark and ominous sound throughout, but at the same time invites you to bounce along to it. The effects they get out of the synths are also very interesting; though they'll push it further on later records, those textures have their roots here, already quite well developed. It really feels like every member of the band is completely in their element, every part being just as interesting as each other and combining to make an incredibly cohesive post-punk sound. Almost every track is a great blend of darkness and drive, with the only track I didn't love being $.O.3.6.. While the singles are great, I think the deep cuts hold their more than people give them credit for. Killing Joke has always been consistent and this record consistently rips.

First listen to these guys, good innit.

I actually kinda dig this. It's almost like an early British Hardcore band. From the name, to the album cover, the instruments, vocals and lyrics it all fits together in this abrasive, aggressive work of art. It feels chaotic, but focused, not aimless.

Yes - post-punk. But so far post-punk that it almost deserves a new iteration of the genre. Added to their originality, Killing Jokes influence on rock and roll is relevant still today. 4/5

Wow! I loved this! Ahead of its time. Such a great combination of punk, industrial, metal and alt rock - right up my alley and such a good find from this challenge - I'll be back to listen to this one!

Great album.I have yet to hear a killing joke album I don’t like .

Fiery smooth, all at once

#182/1001. - Dad, what is post-punk? - Well, glad you asked, son. Hand me over that cheap cabernet sauvignon and I'll pour you aswell a drink, you're already 14 after all. Now let's put on the Killing Joke debut and let them explain everything, for I am too wasted to explain it further. Fuckin' smashing, aye?

Killing Joke is a great name for starters. This album was ahead of itself. Favorited.

I'm so close to giving this album five stars, because there are two or three amazing tracks on it. But it is all just a bit too repetitive, so I can't quite justify the five. So four stars it is.

This is definitely one of those classic and influential albums that tends to be overlooked. It’s hard to say exactly who made the first true industrial album, but this one is definitely a top contender, especially when it comes to the heavier, more aggressive side of industrial. At its core, it’s still a post punk record, and you can really hear the punk influence in the raw, stripped down production and the no frills mixing. That rawness is part of what gives it so much energy and power.

This must have sounded insane in 1980. It doesn't remotely sound like anything else that I have ever heard from that year. It still sounds insane in 2025. It will still sound insane one hundred years from now. It's a piece of red velvet cake to hear how many bands they influenced. It's easy to understand why so many bands I like cite them as an enormous. influence. While I did not fall head over heels in love with Killing Joke's debut album (they had released an E.P. the previous year) it's very good and a worthy addition to any collection - I will add a copy to mine next month (November) and will take a deep dive into their back catalog. As with almost everything in life Dave Grohl has a connection with Killing Joke. From being a huge fan to joining the band & releasing a well-received album with them some 20 years ago. I DESPISE that idiot saying "living the dream" but Dave Grohl really seems to be living his Rock N Roll fantasy! How big of a Dave Grohl fan are you BTW?

This built so much of what we heard in the 90s

post punk de altíssimo nível tá

não entendi mto bem pq tá na lista, mas é fortíssimo. post punk bem industrialzão, com umas guitarrada BRUTA. pedradaça!! essa capa eh mto foda tbm

Was cool. Kind of punk, electronic rock type of thing. Don’t know the correct genre terminology.

As soon as I saw this album cover, I thought "Oh, this is fucking post-punk again, isn't it?" I swear, this list has way too much fucking new wave and post-punk. I'm tired of it. But you know what? Even when you get too much of one thing, you can still be surprised every so often. I've listened to a few too many mediocre post-punk albums for my liking, but I'm happy to report that Killing Joke's 1980 self-titled debut album is not one of them! I actually really liked this album! It's kind of hard to believe that this was released in 1980. Obviously this is a post-punk album, but I'm also noticing a bit of an industrial rock thing going on here, with a faint hint of metal as well! Fortunately, the industrial stylings remind me a lot more of later industrial metal bands like Ministry rather than the noisy full-on industrial "music" of bands like Throbbing Gristle. I really enjoy this. It's got some great energy. The vocals aren't my favorite, but I wouldn't call them annoying, which by 80s post-punk standards is practically a godsend. The writing gets a bit political, which is usually nice to see, though it's generally on the more basic stuff like "war is bad." As stated earlier, the album sounds great. The bass on songs like "Requiem" is just magnificent. "The Wait" is where you can really hear this thing's influence on industrial metal. Those two songs are just amazing, with the other 6 all being good. I'm impressed. I really didn't think I'd like Killing Joke this much, but I'm very happy to learn of this album's greatness. 4/5.

Killing Joke are a great band. They took post-punk and combined it with a more accessible take on the (then deeply underground) industrial movement. Their music set the stage for artists like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. My only complaint is that this album doesn't contain their best track "Eighties", but it's an impressive debut nonetheless.

3.5 rounded up. Kinda enjoyed it.

Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Very ahead of its time.

Synth rock, quite good. Requiem and The Wait are good songs. 3.5/5

This album is really good. It's very upbeat for a post punk album, and I like the mixture of occasional synths and very reverbed and washed out vocals. 4/5

101/1001 :: Killing Joke - Killing Joke Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 7 Listen before you die: Yes Thanks to the Metallica I had only heard a song or 2 from this album before. Most notably The Wait which the boys covered on the original Garage Days Revisited. I also saw that this album had a 2.99 rating which made me think this was gonna be sub par. Come to find out this album kinda one dimensional but also right in my wheel house. Chunky riffs and industrial beats create something rough around the edges, very lo-fi but also pretty badass. Production could be better, singing could be better but this is a real interesting album. Another album where I’m not sure when I’ll return but in the words of The Terminator “I’ll Be Back”…

Never heard of this band. Liked it.

One thing I've learned from this list is that I like post punk a lot more than the average person on here. I enjoyed Killing Joke a lot, but didn't quite love it in the same way as I did with Pere Ubu. I will definitely add it to my albums though.

I knew the name but had never listened to this but I was amazed at how influential this was on so many wildly different artists. I really enjoyed this and can see why it was such an influence.

Liked this a lot more than I expected to. Got shades of ‘closer’ from it and was surprised to see that it was released in the same year. No fuss, and the darker, plodding sound was probably a significant departure from other releases at the time. Would like to look into their back catalog more following this.

Loudest band I ever heard!

Really enjoyed this. Album Zero for so many others that I love.

Pretty good stuff... Metal with less distortion! Reminds me of Rush or Cure a bit 3.6

Easy to hear the influence they had on rock bands that came after.

Heavy stuff

I thought this was a really cool record. I love the DIY/raw feel to it. I love that they recorded it live. The way they use the synth feels ahead if its time for coming out in 1980. This definitely feels like it could be pretty influential for the bands coming out of the most recent post-punk scene. I think since it was recorded live without dubs, it tends to lack a bit of depth when it gets into the repetitive jammy sections which can make those parts a bit boring. I like the hints of hardcore sprinkled in there. Honestly some parts kind of reminded me a lot of Turnstile. I bet if this came out today with more modern production, it would be a hit. Overall this is a pretty cool vibe. I think one other criticism I have is that the drummer isn't great. I noticed multiple times where they were off a little and sounded a bit amateur. It was most noticeable in S.O.36

3.6

Best Song: The Wait I enjoyed this overall. It probably isn't part of the permanent rotation but I've heard MUCH worse on here. 4/5.

Dug this a lot. Some heavy, mixed with some bad-ass dance metal, which is a weird juxtaposition I presume.

Liked it.

Wasn't expecting much from this. But was really surprised at how good it was.

Cool fun interesting. Solid hard rock album

First track Requiem is amazing. Reminded me of Gang of Four in places but I liked the more industrial edge this had.

I love the industrial nature of it! The vocals are for me a bit hit or miss, but the general drive and aggression I really love. Becomes a bit repetitive here and there.

Killing Joke are a band I'd heard of largely through reading interview of other bands and seeing who is touring with bigger bands. They're constantly listed as influences to bands I like and bands I appreciate more than actually listening to. It was nice to finally hear them, and I'm not even disappointed like I usually am with these things. This album's opener is the best track by miles. "Requiem" has a great groove, and interested chord manipulation, and nearly industrial energy without being so negative that it's depressing. The feeling of that track is present throughout the album but Requiem really puts it all together the best. You can see why bands like KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, and other pioneers and banner wavers of Industrial rock/metal always cite Killing Joke; it's all the root of the sound of those other bands. It's when they get more intense like in "Requiem" or "The Wait" that they're at their best. honestly if they stuck to minor keys and sped it all up a bit I would like this even more. "Complications" and "Primitive" are also pretty good but those are more punk songs kind of crossed with something like the Cure? It's good whatever it is. I liked this.

My favorite album art so far. I was expecting this to be British hardcore punk and although surprised by the synthy post punk, I was not disappointed. It's weird and experimental and they sound British.

These post-punk albums always surprise me. The vocals are never good, but the musicianship almost always exceeds expectations. Killing Joke is no exception. It's not perfect, it's a strong 4/5. Bloodsport kicks ass!

Another album that I spent my formative years getting high with friends. Arguably among the most formative albums in creating. Industrial music. What is now considered post-punk is really the gateway drug to so much of modern indie music. Listening now, it still rocks, but thinking about bands who created this shit in 1980 gives perspective on how innovative this shit was.

Æ trodde ikke æ kom til å like det, men så va det perfekt for dagen – litt høst, ganske neddempa, men med en intensitet i bunn. Æ vet ikke om postpunk kommer til å bli min foretrukne sjanger framover, men det her va på ingen måte avskrekkanes.

Rating: 7.5/10 Very good post-punk album with plenty of driving, groovy riffs. Also great bass work and drumming throughout this entire album. Overall very fun to listen to.

Great pick! Another band before there time for sure.

I only really knew (and love) the song Eighties by Killing Joke. Good record hinting at the harder industrial sound to come.

This was great. Not sure what I was expecting but the combination of post punk and Industrial really worked for me. WarDance was a real stand out for me.

Liked this way more than I expected to. Vocals get a little tiresome after a while, but overall I'd be happy to listen to this one again.

Like the Soul Coughing of rock. Pairs well with Chevelle. Really like the first 2 tracks.

I’m not sure what I was expecting from them but this was surprisingly good . Does get a wee bit samey and his voice can be annoying. But overall a good listen and I can see how influential this was. A surprising 4

Well this was far, far better than I expected it would be Maybe it was because I was listening to it whilst working out but the repetitive riffs and drums absolutely hit a sweet spot for me Primitive in particular was great and sounded like something Interpol might have come out with 30 years later

Oh wow, finally some english post-punk from the 80s in here! But hey! This one's rather good. Heavy, dark and abrasive. Music like it's coming from an expression of geniune concern about the state of things rather than its edginess being a coat of ~art~. "The Wait" is a keeper, otherwise not really my cuppa tea, but I fully respect this.

I can see where this album fits in the general UK post-punk scene. I don't personally think it compares well with other giants such as Joy Division and Magazine. I also see where their influence spread out to other bands. It's generally a heavy album, but Jaz Coleman's vocal delivery is rather too declamatory for my taste.

pedaltone huere cool in requiem. s ganz tönt irgendwie scheisse. aber au geil. aso qualitätsmässig. haha de vocalfilter bi wardamce isch jo geil. aber irgendwie passend hässig. huere dark wardance. findi auno geil. ehner immer s glich aber d strophe sind gnueg hässig dases de stampfig refrain rechtfertigt. punkigi songs mit bitz synthi element funktioniered huuere. tomorrows world wär ohni die klaviertön easy eintönig. so isch no cool. ha gad denkt etz chlntsmer denn bald mol uf de sack goh aber s riff und de synthshit uf bloodsport plus de slappy bass sind maad geil. oke es isch eeehner lang s glich aber finds trotzdem no geil. hui gad chli über d troubles glese wegem cover. det war nicht gut und ich weiss nüüüüüt drüber. complications sehr en metal-style riff wenner tüfer wär chönts fr thrash metal sii. de bass isch echt au geil durs band. hui s.o.36 DDR red? nochrichtesprecher? song nöd sooo geil bis uf de bass ide bridge wo en geile oktavsprung macht wo mega synkopiert isch. verstoh au nöd was de sprecher seit. de song isch nochme klub ider ere postkeitzahl in berlin benannt? dude redt afoch dure. okay. ich glaub es goht drum dass afoch dütsch gredt wird. egal was.

aso d wikipediasiite hyped schomal chli uuf. s bild isch au ganz krass d produktion findi schono geil, het öppis ungfilterets okee es isch reeecht punk, v.a. vergliche mit anderne post-punk bands hahahaha wardance isch wiild tomorrow's world findi recht es cools riff COMPLICATION ISCH EN BANGEEER, weiss nöd was anders isch aber hammer s.o.36 passiert halt nöd gad vill aber s isch iwie schono cool? iwie chli d atmosphäre vom lied find de bass hebt guet alles chli zemme weiss nöd, iwie hetsmer echt na gfalle sind jz nöd iwie insani banger songs aber die ganz atmosphäre vom album hetmer entsproche, chli fun, aber au düster...es git glaub es 4i

Powerful rock, good riffs, heavy sound. Like it!

4/5

Never heard this record before. Will absolutely be listening again. Really raw sound. Some catchy stuff, some noisy stuff. Really good listen.

Alright, alright.

post punk is fucking awesome

I'm a Fan. Requiem sets the tone wonderfully, but there's bangers on there like The Wait, Bloodsport and Primitive. You can hear so many bands that this band influenced, Nine inch Nails, Nirvana, Faith No More... and the guitar tone Geordie Walker gets, in 1980, sounds fresh now. cracking listen.

1980 was a weird year in Britain. We’d come out of the 70s into a bright, new future of yuppies and royal weddings, but there was a distinct sense that society was rapidly splintering with the Thatcher government busy driving a wedge between the haves and the have nots. There were grim times ahead. This is a fascinating snapshot of a transition point in music, moving from punk to the darker side of new wave and an industrial/proto gothic sound, influencing later bands like Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden. I think this was probably overlooked at the time, especially in comparison with Joy Division and there is some great electronica here too. Excellent stuff.

Good thumping backbeat throughout the album. Liked it more than I did listening to it first time around. You can really hear how this would go on to influence a lot of different types of music in the following years and decades. The production is really sparse, which lets the band focus more on doing their sort of post apocalyptic jam out music. Still, they made a much better album a few years later down the line.

# Album Name: Killing Joke # Artist: Killing Joke # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Pretty good debut. Not for everyone though. The album lacks lyrically but musically is good. Few good tracks with requim, wardrance, bloodsport, wait and change I'll be coming back to this one. An acquired taste for sure # Top Tunes: equim, wardrance, bloodsport, wait and change # Would I listen to it again? Yes

Very good

What happens when you mix joy division with RATM’s attitude, and I’m all here for it

This is a pretty cool album. Giving some punk a little melodic and harmonic touch. It’s easy to see how this album’s influence bridges to some of the killer 80s and 90s underground rock.

This was a little Primitive, but felt like Tomorrow’s World.

I want it on the record that Killing Joke rule.

Raw energy and catchy. Love it!

I went into expecting to hate it. But I enjoyed biking at night with this in my ears. Rock and roll

Schon cool, dieser Post Punk

01/06/2025 This was a good album, I'm surprised that i enjoyed it.

girls will see this and say hell yeah hell yeah

Post-punk supremacy.

Industrial music is good bro. This is crazy for the 80s i think idk actually i wasnt alive back then

À l'aube des années 80, le punk commence à battre de l'aile et une nébuleuse de groupes va se détourner du punk originel pour soit un punk plus radical qui deviendra le punk hardcore soit un punk plus froid, gothique à l'étiquette post-punk. Étiquette post-punk qui progressivement englobera de fil en aiguille la cold wave, le goth-indu pour enfin être avalé sous un nouveau terme fourre-tout, celui de New Wave. L'année 1980 fut marquée par l'émergence d'une nouvelle décennie, par l'usage des synthétiseur et des boîte à rythmes, mais aussi par la déflagration sonore d'un premier album éponyme celui de Killing Joke. Formé à Londres à la fin des années 70, le quatuor composé de Jaz Coleman (chant, claviers), Geordie Walker (guitare), Martin "Youth" Glover (basse) et Paul Ferguson (batterie) ne ressemblait à rien de connu. Leur musique, brute, hypnotique et chargée d'une tension palpable, se situait à la croisée des chemins entre le punk finissant, le post-punk naissant et une urgence tribale quasi-industrielle. Véritable déclaration de guerre musicale, l'album reflète les angoisses d'une époque marquée par la Guerre Froide, la crise économique et la montée du conservatisme. Dès les premières notes de "Requiem", le morceau d'ouverture, l'auditeur est happé. La basse lourde et vrombissante de Youth, véritable colonne vertébrale du son du groupe, s'entrelace avec la guitare métallique et dissonante de Geordie, créant une atmosphère à la fois menaçante et dansante. La batterie de Ferguson, martiale et précise, ancre le tout dans un rythme implacable. Et puis, il y a la voix de Jaz Coleman, possédée, incantatoire, parfois hurlante, prophétisant un avenir sombre et chaotique. Les thèmes abordés sont à l'avenant : la paranoïa, le contrôle social, la désillusion, l'imminence d'un désastre. L'album est une descente aux enfers sonique où chaque titre apporte sa pierre à l'édifice d'une angoisse collective. "Wardance", avec son riff de guitare iconique et son rythme frénétique, est un appel à une danse macabre, une transe guerrière face à l'absurdité du monde moderne. Coleman y scande des paroles qui résonnent encore aujourd'hui par leur pertinence. Des morceaux comme "Bloodsport" ou "The Wait" (qui sera plus tard repris par Metallica, preuve de l'influence transgénérationnelle du groupe) continuent d'explorer ces territoires sonores hostiles. La basse de Youth est souvent mise en avant, non pas comme un simple accompagnement, mais comme un instrument mélodique et rythmique central, créant des grooves hypnotiques et puissants. La guitare de Geordie, quant à elle, est unique : elle ne cherche pas la virtuosité démonstrative, mais tisse des textures sonores abrasives, des riffs anguleux qui lacèrent l'espace. "Complications" et "S.O.36" (nom d'un célèbre club berlinois) accentuent la dimension sombre et industrielle de l'album. Les claviers de Coleman, discrets mais essentiels, ajoutent une nappe de froideur synthétique, renforçant le climat anxiogène. On sent l'influence du krautrock allemand, mais digérée et régurgitée sous une forme beaucoup plus agressive et primale. Killing Joke ne cite pas ses influences, il les absorbe pour créer quelque chose de radicalement nouveau. La production, assurée par le groupe lui-même, est rêche, sans fioritures, capturant l'énergie brute de leurs performances live. Elle contribue à donner un sentiment d'urgence et d'authenticité à l'album. Le premier album de Killing Joke est un jalon essentiel dans l'histoire du rock. Il a posé les fondations d'une carrière longue et sans concession, faisant de Killing Joke l'un des groupes les plus respectés et influents de sa génération et bien au-delà. Un classique absolu qui avec sa puissance, sa noirceur et son refus du compromis, continue à fasciner et d'influencer des générations de musiciens, du metal industriel au rock alternatif en passant par la techno. Un beau 4 sur 5.

8/10 This was a pleasant surprise. Post punk fused with metal and industrial. Really has a vibe and goes with it. Production is top class and it could be from any time right up to now. Best: Requiem

this was a new band for me. enjoyed it

Another album I wasn’t too familiar with but really enjoyed.

Enjoyed Wardance. The Opening of Tomorrow's World is great too. Bloodsport is another great tune. They kinda sound like an early Rage against the Machine, cool sound. Wish I had discovered these guys sooner. Definitely think this album is better than some other metal bands of the era.

Pretty good

English post-punk, industrial, gritty. Very modern for early 80s. Melodic and gripping.

Kanske en fantastisk skiva om man ger den chansen och lyssnar in sig, men på första lyssningen tar den inte riktigt tag. Fyra

I was really expecting this to be a meh 3, but I had a lot more fun with it than I expected, and I ended up listening to part of it again this evening just because, so it deserves more than a 3. Best song was "S.O.36" which weirdly reminded me a lot of Bowie's "Girl Loves Me" from ★, which obviously came much later than this.

Fantastic energy and attitude

Class stuff. Funny how I listened to a lot of contemporanious stuff as well as influenced by this band, bit not this band. It's a case of too much around and not enough time. Still now I have heard the whole thing and not just the singles, it's excellent.

I had known about Killing Joke for a long time. But I only heard their music much later. I can remember having a lot of fun with it. I feel the same way about this album. It certainly won't be one of my favorites, but I will definitely listen to it from time to time. The sound is perfect as an accompaniment for endurance performances. 4/5

Sounds late 80s, like the Jesus Lizard, Big Black, Nomeansno, etc. But it's years older. I like it, but some songs are too monotonous. Favorite song: requiem

I’m generally not a fan of punk rock, but like the mainstream classics. This was a pleasant surprise. Solid punk guitar edge with talented bass and drum musicians. The occasional synthesizer accompaniment was interesting but not out of place. I will definitely be returning to this album.

Hell yeah. I liked this album from the opening notes. It's a great mashup of different punk styles. The lead singer's vocals have that Clash-style English snarl, a lot of tracks have that big cavernous post-punk sound, others have a new wave style, and a few songs even border on hardcore. I love the energy. The use of synths adds color to a lot of songs, and helps Killing Joke stand out from other punk bands from this era.

This is a good, interesting mix of hard rock and gothic rock that I haven't really heard before. A little bit Joy Division, a little bit AC/DC. I think I'll like this more and more over time.

Great find! Never heard of this band (though I was familiar with "Requiem"). Loving this sorta metal, sorta industrial vibe. Will listen to more of this for sure.

I had heard some of their more commercial hits but not this album. I’m wondering why it was not more popular at the time as it is a decent album.

This was cool

Honestly pretty funky. Solid listen throughout.

It's crazy how fresh this still sounds, and how low-key influential it must have been

would it be dumb to give it a 4? ^ this message was left for me when i opened this. I have no memory of this - I'll go with whatever this guy was thinking and give it a half-hearted 4/

I know a couple of their other songs - 80s and Love Like Blood (which is bloody excellent). I was a bit disappointed that they weren't on this album. Turns out this is a really great album, sounds way ahead of it's time. Clear influence on lots of later music - Nine Inch Nails, Ministry etc. Crunchy guitar, grinding bass and growling vocals.