Reviews (page 4 of 7)
The Wait is awesome
I'm going to give this a 3 in the hopes that I'll remember to come back and check it out some day. It didn't really catch me, but I didn't hate it.
5/10
Not bad.
Rate: 7/10
I don’t necessarily think this is good, but I do think it is shockingly modern sounding for 1980. I can see how this was widely influential to a lot of artists who came later. It has a very unique sound, particularly for the time period. Not my thing, but I can appreciate the influence.
ta bien
pretty cool
niet het maar okayish
Unremarkable
Not my jam. Soz...I get why people might like them though. I'm not an animal
Maybe because they took their time more, and for a debut album, I really didn't hate this. For british post-punk with some early emo feelings and psychadelic components, it was decent. I like the tempo of it broadly, and from what I could understand about the lyrics it wasn't bad. I know this sounds like I am damming them with faint praise, but there was something legitimately interesting at times during this, and even a little funky. Probably wouldn't relisten, but enjoyable.
6/10… industrial / goth / punk / *1980
pretty good
Pretty decent rock. Wasn’t what I expected but that was a pleasant surprise in and of itself.
Ten years ahead of its time. I actually kind of enjoyed this one. Fun listen. 6.5/10 Top song Requiem
Not impressed. It's not bad, but it doesn't feel like anything particularly special to me. There's a bit on the Wikipedia page for this album that says the band produced it themselves and that recording only took about 2 weeks, and I'll just say that it certainly sounds like it. It doesn't all come together to make a good whole work for me.
Good
Solid album with a few really good tracks. Liked it more than expected.
I've listened to some of newer Killing Joke music and this wasn't quite as good to me. Still alright though.
2.5 I liked the more rave centric atmosphere to this punk album. It was a bit samey, one note. Interested to hear more from them.
Fun, with good energy. ★★★
Don't have that much to say about this. It wasn't my cup of tea, but it was neither very good nor bad. I can see there being something here if this is your jam. Some decent tracks, some less so. Weak 3.
This was pretty cool. It felt very metal at times with heavy, slow riffs. “Requiem” felt like the heavy metal, nightmare version of Gary Newman “Are Friends Electric”. This was different and it felt like a mix between later heavy metal like Metallica and things like Joy Division. Not an album that I will come back to a lot, but still an interesting one. Strong 3.
Had some solid songs on it.
It's fine but I couldn't tell you one single standout track. It just sort of blended into the background. 3/5
Guitar work is the best part of this. Interesting, but would have preferred it either punkier or gloomier. I get it’s blending the two but not my fav type of post-punk. And the vocals did nothing for me.
When this started I was shocked by how much I liked it. The industrial sound behind it is really cool. However, the album is pretty one note and not too interesting beyond that
I wasn't sure what I was gonna get, and I'm pretty happy how limited the vocals are here. They're generally used as another instrument, adding a particular energy to the angst-rock, it's about the vibe, gloomy guitars with a little reverb. It's not exactly my go-to, maybe some 15 years ago I would've gotten real excited about this. It's in an odd little nook between goth, punk, and metal, I imagine its main downside is for people who really need lyrics to carry a song. I listened to the digital remaster with 5 additional tracks. The first listen through I skipped them, I like to keep the original feel of the record, but if you're gonna re-listen anyway, I think it's a fun addition to the album. It just repeats some of the best tracks with subtle differences to the mix. It's unnecessary if you're the one-and-done type of listener. 3.1/5
3 stars
It's fine, nothing good or bad to say
Surprisingly, I kind of liked this album.
So that's where Requiem is from. A bit of an odd album, but some decent guitar work.
some of the songs were really nice, but it was mostly too repetitive for me. it's nice when bands pioneer genres and create new sounds but 40 years later these albums start to sound like a plain derivative of the more recent ones. which is a totally unfair look to have about these things in general. i feel like i would've enjoyed this album way more if i heard it back in the 80s or even 90s
Just mehhh
Sinner crackers
- funnily enough, Killing Joke ends up being the first group given to me during this project that I've seen live, even though it was a widely panned performance when they opened for Tool in 2019 - that wasn't entirely their fault (audio problems/really bad mixing), but I think people were also largely confused as to why this kind of post-punk, very British goth rock/new-wavy group was opening for a prog/stoner rock powerhouse and weren't impressed with the same riff and chords played over and over again -- not something people into Tool would necessarily appreciate - with this music, I'm instantly teleported to the single punk show I've witnessed, where the energy was palpable, sweat and cigarette smoke was in the air, and it was just bodies moving to loud drums and fast, attacking guitars. I'm sure this group put on a live performance in their heyday that would leave everyone in the room speechless, especially with this darker sound right at the very beginning of the 80s, but I can see how this doesn't translate well over headphones for the people who may not enjoy this kind of music to begin with - the drums and guitar in "Change" are very fun, but the floaty vocal echoes popping in every little bit drag down the urgency of the track. some of the slower songs ("S.O.36" and "Tomorrow's World") were easy to tune out just because of their repetitiveness. still, tracks like "Wardance" and "Bloodsport" were perfectly fine, inoffensive punk songs (if there is such a thing)
6/10
Given how creative the UK scene was at the time this was made, it’s quite disappointing on the whole. Unremarkable for the most part. There are a couple of decent tunes towards the end – Complications struck me as the best thing on the album. It’s not terrible, but it’s also not exactly Back in the DHSS is it?
bliver lidt monotont for mig, men det lyder cool! Forud for sin tid!
It's ok. A little repetitive after awhile. Favorite: Requiem Would I listen to it again: Probably not
Bueno
I neither like nor dislike. Utterly ambivalent. But… One of the songs was on a mixtape from the early 80’s given to me by a buddy, a recording from a Colorado College late night radio show where another buddy DJ’ed, blasting punk to the innocent coeds. It opened my eyes! 3 stars for fond memories.
Wel lkkr postpunk maar niet bijzonder
Really interesting backstory to the recording of this album having it done with a raw feeling like they intended. Standouts for me were Changes and Primitive. Great grit. 3.5/5 leaning towards 4 but only 2 songs on the album knocked my socks off.
2.5
There was something in this Whilst i didn't love it, with a few more listens i might be able to define why
I've heard of Killing Joke, but never really listened to them before. I liked this quite a bit; most tracks were moodily interesting. A couple misses, but on the whole a strong theee
Only listened once but really like it. Reminded me a lot of The Clash with maybe a splash of Ministry? Will be coming back to this one.
I like the description from Spotify: "Heavy and slow..." I'm more of a fast metal kind of guy but I still have appreciation for the pace that Killing Joke employs. I'm discovering a higher appeal to these kind of tracks I wouldn't give a second thought to because of this OAD challenge and I'm happy for it. I can imagine myself never giving these tracks a chance. I wonder how many songs are out there that would be my absolute kind of music that I won't know because they start and build upon a pace I don't generally listen for. Like A Friend by Pulp is an example of this. One of my absolute favourite pieces of music with a pace and build up is wouldn't immediately gravitate to. Killing Joke isn't my cup of tea or can of diet soda but it's making think about how I should be treating music and taking chances when discovering new albums.
Pretty decent album. First track was great and then didn’t keep the energy
This is the kind of album where I would absolutely not seek it out but if a friend put it on in their car I’d be jammin along. I’d give it a 3.5/5 if I could but 3/5 will have to do
I kind of liked that. Was vaguely familiar with Killing Joke from a few select songs, but none from this album. Need to give a few more listens.
Pretty good, like a psytrance but in heavier guitar tones
Honestly not sure what to make of this one. There's some cool elements that definitely influenced a lot of the stuff I listen to now, but feels like the things I enjoy by other bands were executed better.
Good introduction to a legendary band
Pop Clash?
Great Songs: The Death & Resurrection Show, Total Invasion Good Songs: Asteroid, Implant, Blood On Your Hands, Loose Cannon, You'll Never Get to Me, Seeing Red (Full Version) Mid Songs: Dark Forces, The House That Pain Built Bad Songs:
Cool and pleasingly dark.
this is insane for 1980 there is so much of it that sounds like newer metal riffs. insane. It was still just fine though.
I guess it's the bridge between punk and goth, but I can't say I enjoyed it much.
Interesting mix of harsh rock with electronic sounds. energic, rough, intense. not chill for today
3.5/5
Some of this was cool. Some not
Lovely stuff
Great, Bloodsport is on the running playlist!
Lovely stuff, “Primitive” remains a great song, thanks for sharing RGP.
Took me a while to rate this one & I kept coming back to it. Highly enjoyed the general crunchiness (for lack of a better word).
I’m a quite serious post punk enjoyer but it’s just ok. or even not ok. Still 3/5.
I really am just so weary of all the albums with this EXACT sound on this generator. I don't think it's a bad sound (I don't like the vocals, but the musicianship is kickass). I'm just starting to not get very excited about albums like these because I know that I'll just get another one three days from now. I will still, obviously, give it points for the amazing musicianship as this album deserves.
I didn’t know this, but I really enjoyed the post-punk, proto-industrial sound. Thrilling vocals, angry instrumentation (in the best possible way). 3.5?
Pretty decent but nothing really grabbed me
The Wait is good, but Metallica made it uuuuge.
Bom álbum! Essa mistura de som cru Post punk com elementos industriais é bem legal. Celest Phoenixcall.
Kind of expected to enjoy this more - some of the songs went on bit
Before: Hhmmm, know the name but don't think they're in any of my favorites by year list. So, let's see, 1980 + Name + Album Cover = Punk / Punkish? Glancing at the track list I see Requiem starts things off. Oh, I think I know this song. During: Yep, Requiem is one of my favorite songs from that year. I have it ranked 89 out of 94, between I Wanna Destroy You by The Soft Boys and Making Love To A Vampire With A Monkey On My Knee by Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band. But, I don't have anything else from this band at all for any years. It's highly likely that I've at least skimmed through this and all of their albums. Let's give this one the attention it deserves and maybe I'll find some more gems. It's 4 am on a Saturday, so I've got all day. Wardance is decent but not going to make it on my favorites list. Tomorrow's World is much better. I'm thinking this is going to be a 4 star album. Bloodsport is just OK... After : For me the highlights are: Requiem, Tomorrow's World (which I added to my best of 1980 playlist), The Wait (which coincidently shares the same name as a track from the Pretender's, also released in 1980, but the Pretenders' number is much much better), and Primitive. The rest I could take or leave. Overall, I like 4 tracks a decent amount and 5 just OK. Based on my somewhat strict criteria, I'm gonna have to rate it a 3 as though I do like it overall, this is not something I would seek out to listen too and I would get tired of listening to it after a while. Still, I do think it is a good choice for this 1001 list given it's historical significance.
Brutal. Great guitars and drums. Fierce. Some excellent riffs, but short on songs
I always read of this band being a progenitor of post-punk… but that’s a pretty wide-open subgenre (Sonic Youth, Wire, and Echo & the Bunnymen in the same bucket?!?). From this album, I hear some industrial/ goth, chugga-chugga hardcore, and maybe a dose of 80’s Brit glam. SY and Ministry (and maybe Mission of Burma?) seem like good ref points.
Techno and repetitive
The concept of this album is very interesting, being a mixture of industrial with post-punk, that would later lead to the creation of the industrial-rock genre. However, I am not a fan of this album. I do understand and get why it is influential. It is very noisy, distorted and angry while filled with political messages encouraging rebellion. Those aspects I really appreciate. What I didn't is the songwriting and singing style. A part from some songs, I feel the majority of them are composed like mediocre post-punk tunes. The song that stands out the most to me from the first half is 'Wardance' due to the very distorted voice in the verses. Fortunately, I think the second half has some really good tracks. "The Wait" and "Complications" are by far the best ones of the whole album thanks to the very energetic punk riffs and even a tense feeling. In addition, "$.O.36" is also a very interesting moment of the album. Is the longest one and it is very slow, atmospheric, creepy and the most experimental moment of the project. It was difficult to decide on what score to give this, as I'm feeling a mixture of positive and negative emotions, but I finally decided to give it a positive review thanks to the industrial elements I liked and the three songs from the second half that I pointed out.
inoffensive. rock. jammy guitar. no one song stands out but album as a whole is solid.
= the Beatles
It’s like the Clash but more metal
very repetitive and tedious to listen to but i liked it somehow
Really good, a solid 3
3/5 - I think I liked this, but I think there are other things like this I like more
This has some interesting songs and soundscapes on it. I particularly liked "Bloodsport" and "The Wake". That said, overall I wasn't blown away by it, and there were a number of tracks that didn't do much for me. 3/5
Its ok, listened through one run and all songs sounded pretty similar.
Avant garde punk type
Did not fully listen
Interesante, aunque a tramos no he podido prestar toda la atención
Fine but mostly faded into background noise for me aside from a few moments
A very strong start but they don't quite stick the landing.
Had come across Requiem previously and it's a GOAT. The album is really interesting, keen to hear it again.
Really interesting listen, and this is coming from someone who hates post-punk. This felt more like regular punk than post - but I'm not gonna bog myself down in the labels. Really quite enjoyed this thing, though nothing stood out to me really and I don't think I'd come back to this in a rush.
Well, I like where this one starts alright. They kinda overdo it with some of the vocal effects here and there, and I can understand why folks criticize the repetition, though that bit isn’t bothering me too much, at least at the outset of the record. I guess that as I move through this record, there are definitely some things going on that I like, but I don’t think there’s enough here for me to feel like I need to listen through it again. It’s decent, but probably not memorable enough for me for it to make a lasting impression. 3.4/5
Nifty punk tones
This album did not start off great for me, mainly due to the singer. Honestly can't really get into his voice. But it evened out by Bloodsport, and the album was generally good the rest of the way through. Shout out to the songs The Wait for its very Beastie Boys-Sabotage-esque riff (honestly you could sing Sabotage over it, and it'd work) as well as the Ministry-Thieves-esque riff to Change. Probably the two highlights off the record and proof that this is influential (since those riffs were basically lifted for Sabotage and Thieves, lol).
Cold, mechanical post punk with riffs that worm their way into your brain. This is both aggressive while also being relatively accessible. Maybe the most notable thing about it is the almost industrial guitar tones, which were definitely novel in the genre at the time. Underneath those tones though the songs aren't all that special. Many of them use the same riff for most of the song; I like how the repetition drills the guitar into your head but it does make the songs feel as they don't go anywhere. Take away those tones and this might feel like a pop album. In fact, the synths on the opener make it sound almost like a new wave song. And of course it succumbs to the early post punk trope of having a slow, plodding overlong song that goes nowhere. A nice listen, but the genre has done better.
Such a pump up album. 3.5 for me! Will bump this during workouts.
7/10
3.5/5
You can definitely hear the foundations of industrial rock and heavy metal.
Saved by driving guitar and drums.
First listen
This feels so much like the soundtrack to some post-apocalyptic/dystopian movie from that period, like "Escape from New York", "Running Man" or "Mad Max"/"Road Warrior" or the like, all of which would have benefited tremendously from the grind of Killing Joke.
I really love the heavy guitar and drums, but the vocals get a little annoying at times. Still a solid album and better than expected.
I really do wish I could rate this higher, but it just DIDN'T blow my mind. I was on the verge of maybe like a high 3.8 or 4 if there was another 1 or 2 songs that really stood out, but nothing really did in the second half for me.
I spent a lot of time listening to Killing Joke wondering if I should be enjoying the album more than I did. It's not that I did not enjoy the album, but this is right down my lane. It is post-punk that mixes genres, has keyboards and seems moderately angry. It's difficult to accurately judge this one for me. It is influential but I just don't know if I liked it as much as I thought I was going to. Perhaps it is wrong-sized expectations or I just did not like it that much. There is some good stuff on here but I can't say I would add it to my burgeoning collection of music. It's very industrial, post-punk and garage rock-y at times. I wish I could give it a 3.5. My favorite tracks were: Requiem Tomorrow's World Complications Change
Almost got into it
5 - AVERAGE
First spin on an early Sunday morning and I didn't dig this. There is a relentless, mechanical drive here that’s hard to ignore. It starts off feeling a bit cold, but the energy really picks up steam as it goes. Gave it another spin in the afternoon, and glad I did. It’s got an industrial edge but still manages to actually rock. Surprisingly, it didn't annoy me the way similar records have in the past. It’s gritty, loud, and actually kind of compelling. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Requiem - The Wait - Change
Really liked the first song, the rest of the album just didn’t click with me though. Nice thing about punk albums is the short runtimes
Det kan undre mig, hvad den her type albums laver på listen. Det er ikke som dårligt, det er 80'erlyden, som Joy Division vist stadig er det bedste eksempel på. Måske de her var før, men det er uden numre, der rigtigt bider sig fast. Det får en 3'er, så jeg kan blive mindet om at give det en chance mere.
I prefer later KJ material and while this was a fresh debut the tracks now sound a bit dated and the production quite raw. Some like staples like Requiem and Wardance still cut it and I like Complications but this LP fine rather than great.
The opener was a cool track, but side one was not so great. The production wasn't that good and most songs were just a wall of noise. The second side was great! I could hear a lot of influence on the later 80's punk bands, like Fugazi.
3.1 stars rounded down.
I should probably give this a higher score since it does something unique. I get the whole punk meets ambient vibe. The difficulty of acheiving that blend. It just wasn't really for me
Tónlistin og hljóðfæraleikurinn góður en mikið hrikalega fór söngurinn í taugarnar á mér. Þeir fá samt rokkstig fyrir að hafa flutt til Íslands skömmu síðar í undirbúningi fyrir heimsendinn en enduðu á því að spila hlutverk í að Sykurmolarnir urðu til. Fara þess vegna úr tveimur í þrjár stjörnur
Ha! beginning notes reminded me of clown core/knower. Was hopeful of some punk, but then the voice sounded surprisingly reverby eighties pop… Kinda like the feel, roughness and it being alternative but never quites get going or grabs me. Saw a description say they are “slow” and I get that, even though it’s an uncommon descriptor of bands/overall feel. Found it kinda boring and draggy. Fav track probably The Wait but rest kinda meh. Probably overlooking how ahead of its time and relevant it was, but 🤷🏻♂️
Classic 1980 post-punk sound. I don't recall this band but it's very similar to what I'd have listened to at the time. Doesn't hold weight today, though, so really just a flat line 3.0 for posterity.
It was ok. Didn't really hit me. Wasn't bad tho. Just meh to me
Better than I expected. Quite industrial. Weirdly, I'd just read a piece about Don McCullin, so I immediately recognised the cover shot. I don't much like the aesthetic of the name, but the actual record was a rewarding listen.
Best Track - "The Wait"
#749. Second day in a row of an artist with popular songs, but on a different album. I'm sure it's 100% intentional at this point and they're fucking trolling me. How else could you explain sooooo many instances of this happening? 3/5: fine
Not as good as I remembered it, but still solid. Fav: War Dance
Good album, notable for the way it/they would influence “industrial” bands that I loved in the early 90s (NIN, Ministry, nu metal). I also point out how lucky modern music fans, that want to experience ALL music are in the digital age. This album was not available when I was growing up. You had to know someone that had a cool older sibling Will to copy stuff like this.
very meh, 2.5 rounded up
Heavy mix of industrial and dark energy that tries to pack a punch, but honestly, it’s just not my cup of tea. The repetitive riffs and cool synths have some interesting moments.
Dark and industrial
I have always know about Killig Joke, but never was introduced to them or thought about buying anything by them when I was a teenager. I probably would have liked them. Especially during any transition time shifting from hardcore to industrial. Now though I can just see them as pioneers and tgink they are great, but not be very interested in listening to too much of them
Interesting album, but a lot of the songs drag on too long without a lot of development. Cool album cover and points for creativity in the music. 3.0/5.0: Good
I like it, but the S.O.36 kills momentum in the listening experience.
7/10
Good stuff. I hear a lot of early industrial here, which was sorta surprising. 3.4/5
It was decent enough but nothing stuck out to me. Some of the songs went on for a very long time but I liked the post punk sound
2.7 1x decent
Décent album New Wave. Honnêtement, rendu au 908e album, j'ai perdu en chemin la frivolité qui m'animait, retournant aux racines de mes premières reviews à 1 ligne
Ein kraftvolles Debüt voller düsterer Energie und wütender Rhythmen. Songs wie „Requiem“ und „Wardance“ setzen Maßstäbe im Post-Punk und Industrial. Die rohe Produktion passt zum apokalyptischen Ton, wirkt aber stellenweise unausgereift. Ein wichtiger Meilenstein – aber nicht ihr stärkstes Werk.
Post punk industrial vibes that sound foundational in some ways to grunge and other genres. An early-ish departure from the prevailing sounds of the 70s. Nothing I would spin regularly, but it has some redeeming elements.
3 de 5
не перестаю удивляться, что в 1980 у нас уже был постпанк, вот где люди искусство исследовали) но этот постпанк не для меня
I’m getting review fatigue so keeping this one brief! A lot to like, although some of the more overtly ‘gothy’ elements felt a little cartoonish for me.
Not perfect in its own right, but you can trace so many genres back to this sound. Goth Rock, industrial Rock, Grunge and Shoegaze.
Suena salvaje, pero me aburrió
Ah, an English rock band, just what we needed more of on this list. And a fairly mediocre one. I listened to it yesterday and now I don't remember much except that most of the songs were very repetitive. They found a riff and played it ad nauseum throughout the entire song.
Erg interessant album. Het is kei en keihard, maar toch goed te hebben op de een of andere manier. Soort van rustige headbang. Helaas heeft de zanger soms een epileptische aanval, dat maakt dat sommige nummers voor mij echt een 2 waren. Maar aan de andere kant zaten er ook echt lekkere nummers in. Het eerste nummer bijvoorbeeld, The Death & Resurrection Show, deze zat (geremixt) in Need for Speed: Underground 2. Poah, dat was wel even heerlijk jeugdsentiment zeg. Daarbij vond ik You'll Never Get to Me zo chill dat ik hem aan mijn favo lijst heb toegevoegd. Al met al een heel wisselend album voor mij, wat gemiddeld denk ik uitkomt op een 3.
As debuts go, it seemed they were trying to find the right genre. It did get better a few songs in, but I think they would have benefited from more practice and revision.
Yet another album that is fine, but uninspiring to me.
This actually wasn’t that bad man, I loved the blending of different genres. It didn’t ruin how cohesive the project was which is impressive
Out of all the punk albums I've listened to as part of this project, I liked this one the most. Still not a punk fan though.
Before: I have no point of reference for this album other than the Wikipedia saying it’s post punk. Interested to listen. After: I dug this one. I feel like it really put me in it's place and time. It feels rebellious and moody and experimental. I love the chunky guitar and bass tones, and the vocal distortion really elevated the performance. Some of the lighter synthier stuff like the song Bloodsport sorta took me out of it. There were moments I was hoping the record would lean heavier but it instead went the opposite direction. I guess that's why it falls more into post punk than punk. 3.5/5
Jaz cool
Interesting mix of alternative and punk rock. Feel like I should listen to this one again.
3/4 nice British bloke
01) Requiem - 7,5 02) Wardance - 7,0 03) Tomorrow's World - 6,5 04) Bloodsport - 7,0 05) The Wait - 7,0 06) Complications - 7,0 07) S.O.36 - 6,5 08) Primitive - 6,5 TOTAL: 6,88 (69/100) Current ranking: 414/669
I really enjoyed this. I had a misconception that this was a punk band. Glad I was wrong! Instead I got this post industrial rock beauty. Favorite track: The Wait
6.5/10
This was okay, not really my style.
Best Song: Change. That underlying groove had a really great tension to it. This kind of underlying, latent energy that felt ready to explode at any moment. Slight disappointment that they never really did anything interesting with it. Worst Song: Wardance. I'm sure that vocal effect seemed cool at the time, but for me it was just annoying. Overall: Totally ordinary punk rock. Neither hated it nor loved it.
It's good British punk.
Requiem - 5/5 Wardance - 4/5 Tomorrow's World - 4/5 Bloodsport - 2/5 The Wait - 5/5 Complications - 3/5 $.O.3.6. - 4/5 Primitive - 3/5 Change - 3/5 Average score: 3.7/5 (rounding down)
Hit and miss
I think I’d like this more if it weren’t for the vocals
schon nice, versteh warums in da liste is aber not outstanding to me
Deserving of a Relisten after learning more about punk and "post punk"
Lovely. I really like the first track. Punk x Hard Rock. A 4. Second track also sounds great. Continues like that. Will be a 3 nevertheless.
Didn't hate this, wouldn't listen again.
This was a little all over the place but in a good way. Sounds way before it's time. 3/5
One of the more listenable post punk albums we've had!
This is a comparative step up from yesterday's punk album. I kinda tuned it out but I remember thinking it was pretty decent.
Very good early industrial sound
*** I am not convinced. No
чета играло пикало мыкало я ниче не понял
Nice instrumental, incomprehensible vocals
meh
Cool sound, not bad!
3.5? Interesting different kind of genre, like pop metal or something
3+
Enjoyed this, one to return to. Requiem is a good track
Favorite Track: Tomorrow's World
Groupe et album connu. J'adore le morceau 'The Wait' (+2), qu'on m'avais fait découvrir dans les années 80. J'ai acheté l'album plus tard, mais ... j'ai été plutôt déçu. Les autres morceaux ne sont pas vraiment au même niveau, et l'album est plutôt répétitif. Je vais continuer à faire tourner mon morceau préféré en boucle ... =>3/5
Would have preferred the instrumental version, but overall fine.
There are a few songs that I'd give a 4, but not enough of them.
3 stars At first listen it felt like something that was for me. I like noisy guitars and post punk. I’ve never been much for industrial and after repeated listens this started to not sound as great to me. Still a good album, but a little grating.
Every time you think you've heard the most three start possible album in the world, another one is even more three stars. There's very little to say about this to be honest. It was some music that happened until it stopped happening, and life was the same as it was before it happened.
Solid UK punk Album.
Killing Joke is way more industrial than post punk! I know there's not a huge difference, but my point stands. The electronic touches are great and not overwhelming. Killing Joke effortlessly alternated between the whimsy of punk and the fun, driving sound of industrial. An interesting listen, one I haven't heard much in 900 albums. I found myself more and more interested by the creativity, but just not enough to revisit again, thus not quite a 4.
Full on proto-industrial vibes all the way back as far as 1980. It wasn't bad by any means, in fact, I baseline enjoyed it. The guitar riffs are pretty catchy, albeit sometimes a bit repetitive. But in any case, I don't really think it needs to be on this project as essential listening. A weak 3 for me.
Actually really enjoyed this
7/10
7/10
Ups and down. The more instrumental, riff-based songs ("Bloodsport" "The Wait") are pretty excellent. As for the others, when it's in more of a punk-y/post-punk-y vibe rather than a grimmer/metal mode, I think it's more effective. It's not scary music, though it wants to be, but it is enjoyable. Their insistence on constantly using echoes is tiresome, however.
I've heard this band brought up a lot in relation to other bands I love, such as Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Cure, so I was excited to check this out. There is definitely a similar edgy, gothic post-punk feel that is also present in those bands, particularly their earlier songs, so not shockingly, I enjoyed this too, though not as much as the aforementioned bands. I wish there were half ratings here, bc this is a 3.5/5 for me, but I will have to officially give it a 3/5. I am definitely interested in checking out other music from this group!
Not bad, hadn’t heard this before. Can see some influence on later post punk bands. A little one note in places.
I was shocked!!! It's not at all what I expected it to be, in fact ... I LIKED it!
i want to rate this 3.75 stars…that extra .25 really makes a difference in my mind. probably i could learn to like this a lot if i listened to it enough. but i can’t really see myself doing that.
This was more pleasant than I was expecting and I didn’t mind having this on at all. But I am getting a bit tired of all the late 70s/early 80s British punk because for the most part they don’t really sound that distinct from each other to me.
This was a pretty good album, I hadn't heard of them before but it was decent!
Внезапно Turnstile звучат как Killing Joke здесь. Итс окэй. Мне нравится эта *примитивность* и линейность их музыки. Лучшая песня - Primitive.
Bogstandard Punk.
This holds up well. I never would have thought it was recorded in 1980. It lacks lyrically and is pretty repetitive, which was not helpful keeping me awake on a roadtrip.
3.75 “It got slagged off by everybody and then eight years later we were told it was a ground-breaking record. People are fickle and you have to stand by your own creations.” - Jaz Coleman
Just the right amount of edge for post punk.
This band was not at all on my radar, and I’m a little upset about that. I spend a fair amount of time listening to “classic” punk, but maybe this leans too far into Metal or Post-Punk and that’s kept it out of my algorithms? In any case, it’s a joy to get to discover this after a week of albums that meandered through less interesting genres. Musically, this feels surprisingly well put together for a group of kids playing live-to-tape in a studio in 1980. It certainly feels like a band comfortable in their sound, and I’m very interested in hearing more of their discography to see how that develops more over time. Albums like this are why I started this project.
also ok
fine
I saw that this was post punk and already decided in my head that I wasn't going to like it. Despite that, the album turned out to be pretty good. Not anything like what I expected. Nothing that I found groundbreaking, but it's easy to see Killing Joke's influence on styles and bands in the early 90s.
Enjoyed this. Can't quite give it four stars but still quite good. Could have used some editing.
Never heard before. Enjoyed.
Kinda meh but I enjoy this type of music in general
You know, I figured an industrial post-punk album would be directly up my alley. Industrial metal is a guilty pleasure of mine and the idea of this brooding dark album was too interesting to pass up. But after listening to this, I’m a little conflicted here. I feel the dark vibes are there, but weirdly I don’t feel enough of them. Some of this was catching, but most of this was a bit monotonous. I just don’t think this clicked with me, which is a little disappointing. It wasn’t bad, but I was kind of hoping for more. Favorite track: The Wait Other hits: Bloodsport, Wardance, Complications
A key industrial album that (and here's the important bit) doesn't forget tunes and/or groove. Throbbing bass, electronic beats and burbles and existential vocals and themes. It isn't for everyone, but does it deserve to be here? Yes. Best Tracks: Requiem; Wardance; The Wait
a little more Metal than is my usual taste but fun otherwise 3/5 #musicsky #albumsky #musicchallenge
Weirdly I had Atomizer yesterday and have some similar feelings about this one as a forerunner of industrial rock. The rawness of the guitars and the bleak, almost dystopian political lyrics are pluses. I quite like the synthy elements too, combined with the considered heaviness of the songs this has a really interesting sound which must have been pretty ground breaking in the post punk era Between a 3 and a 4 but I think just about a 3 as I probably won't revisit this. It belongs on the list though
Not my type
I actually enjoyed quite a bit of this. The music was good, almost groove rock. It reminded me of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or a more assertive BJM. The vocal variation were a bit odd, some of it sounding like Lenny from Motörhead, and others like The Cure’s Robert Smith buried in the background. Key songs: SO36, Primitive and Requiem. This one is getting listened to again!
Random thoughts: * I was jamming to this. * I really was digging the repetitive groove that this rocked out to. * I guess they are the god fathers of industrial rock. I could see a little of Pretty Hate Machine in there. * I might pick this one up again if I’m in the right mood. Nice to learn about some of the influences of more popular bands.
5/22/25. Pretty solid post-punk here, the first track grabbed me right away, and loved the track Primitive. I can see how this album set the foundation for a lot of later bands I like.
Is this called Goth Punk? Is that a thing? It’s my thing. Why put out an instrumental song? Seriously? Especially if there could have easily been lyrics added to it. It’s all there. Don’t half ass it people! Anyways. This is decent. Enough to make me listen, maybe enough to make me return to them at a later time. I get the relevance of them. I’m not sure who they may have influenced that has been in the mainstream so I can’t even say these guys sound like someone else. You’re on your own with this band. My words can only take a person so far. choice cut: S.O.36
I was hoping for something better even if I liked war dance, the rest was not great
New Wave Heavy Metal? Lots of droning beats. Emphasis on droning. Favorite songs: Bloodsport, Change and Requiem
Just ok...a bit repetitive at times.
3.125
I think what this album does best is bridging the gap between punk, post punk, and post hardcore, with it tastefully blends elements of all 3 without being too messy. It doesn't blow my mind, and the production is also not the best, but I still think it represents a lot of great genres reasonably well.
Grainy Post Punk Rock that is heavy on the bass and sounds industrial. Not bad - unconventional. For enthusiasts.
It’s not bad. I was overtaking cars. vibing with the album.
You ever start telling someone the plot of a movie you really like when you were young to try to get them to watch it with you? I did this once with the movie Black Knight, starring Martin Lawrence. I said “so Martin Lawrence 2001 gets transported back to the medieval ages…” and they cut me off saying “so that’s like the whole movie right?” And it was. Solid film, but there is nothing else to it than Martin Lawrence is now just in 1600 England. You get it, you know the type of humor and shenanigans that will unfold, the love interest, the villain, the resolution, etc. Anyways 3/5
Definitely less punk than I thought it would be, but that wasn't a bad thing. Seemed ahead of its time as far as most 1980s rock is considered. Enjoyed a couple that have been added to my library, and maybe I'll come back to give it another listen in the future, but for now I'm fine with surprises on shuffle.
-this is a pretty interesting album. not quite what I expected, a lot of very abstract noise stuff that I really liked -admittedly I couldn’t get into every single song on here, some of them kinda slogged on for too long -I think the highlights for me were the abstract vocals on a few of the tracks. really cool shit -Favorites are Requiem, Wardance, and The Wait
Industrialne, buntownicze i mocno osadzone w sobie. Tylko niestety, do mnie to nie trafia. Doceniam podążanie własną ścieżką i łączenie gatunków, ale dla moich uszu to nadal bełkot, chaos i hałas. 5/10
This one grew on me. Hated the first couple songs, but could really see the appeal on the B side. The Wait opening guitar riff and beat sounded so much like the beginning of the Beastie Boys Sabotage I actually googled whether it was sampled on Ill Communication. Complications is a pretty awesome traditional punk song, showed that Jaz is a great punk vocalist when he is not over doing it. Primitive was also an interesting, cool track. 2 stars for side A and 4 for side B
Good post punk.
3.5
Quite pleasantly surprised by this. There were several tracks that had a very definite Hawkwind flavour to the music. Combined with punk style vocals made for an interesting mix. Probably not something I would buy, but an interesting listen.
Kind of enjoyable kind of not. I’m stuck middle of the road on killing joke.
Neat
chill
nice enough
I don’t actually think this is a bad album at all, but I was not in the mood to listen to this yesterday so it felt like a task. I liked The Wait and Change, but beyond that I think I just zoned out whilst doing work for legal. The sound is cool and I’ll probably listen to it again another day.
i cant tell with this album is the best thing ive ever heard or sucks so bad. its either a 5 or a 2. i will compromise and give it a 3. the wait is my fav song off of it. i will need to relisten.
makes me feel like a punk and/ or goth alternative teen in an 80s movie, depending on which track you listen to. finally starting to get some cool variety in this challenge!! in all honesty, i thoroughly enjoyed this-- an energetic sound that's got some edge to it; i can appreciate that! it just got old pretty quickly as the tracks kinda start to sound too similar/ get repetitive. in terms of musicality, it's pretty simple and nothing (playing-wise) reeeally stood out to me that much, which is why i'm rating it as low as i am.
Not bad.
I can see some hints of future genres in this album, mainly industrial and grunge, so there’s a good argument in favor of its inclusion on this list. I couldn’t really get into it personally, but that could just have been my mood at the time. All in all, not bad, may need another listen.
Surprisingly heavy artsy rock. The drums hit pretty hard and the overall vibe is a cool one that makes me want to hear more. I feel like while listening to this there was a cohesion while also not entirely knowing what would be coming next, which was great. Cool album cover too.
Always here for heavy use of vocal effects and synths n shit. I like the vocals when they come in and relatively withheld percussion for the time
Hasn't persuaded me to listen to punk more often but it is certainly one of the better punk albums presented here 3.5*
This is #day244 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this one's not the easiest listen, I must admit, not even to my ears. Am I getting old? Actually, I'm turning 35 in a few days, but honestly, I'm just a bigger baby me. I've been on "a bit" of a nostalgia streak lately, diving back into the music of my teens, the early '00s. So much so that my wife recently asked when I was going to listen to something "normal" again (knowing full well I'm into post-punk, new wave, synth, and all that jazz). Now, I know Killing Joke, but they've largely stayed off my radar, aside from Night Time, which is the only other album of theirs I know. Listening to the self-titled debut in the context of the early '80s, I can see why it's considered seminal. The sound is raw, intense, and distinct. Heavy/industrial post-punk begs the description. Not something I'd revisit in full soon, if ever. This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day245.
Not my thing
Repetitive at times, but some songs still manage to be banging enough!
De har gjort mycket bra genom åren. Detta har jag inte hört förut. Ganska bra.
I like it, but probably wouldn't listen again.
no lo escuche entero asi que boooring pero lo que escuché estaba molón
I found the music much more interesting than the vocals/lyrics.
Recent albums have been pretty dire so this one felt alright.
Прикольно наверное
It's weird when at first I thought it was repetitive, but then caught myself in the groove once it clicked with me later on in the song. I feel like these are songs that grow on you over time. There are a couple songs from here that I think are really cool, but I just don't think as an entire album I'd listen to it again.
Overall, I liked this album more than I expected. I hated Wardance…it sounded like the vocalist was doing a cheesy satan impression. On the other hand, I really liked the last track Primitive, and a couple of others as well. This album is between a 2 and a 3 for me, and I guess I will land on 3. It no doubt is benefiting by the preceding Marilyn Manson album that I was subjected to yesterday. I probably won’t bother listening to it again, however.
It's fine. Repetitive, not in a great way.
A better formulaic post Punk album but not enough variety for 4*
It's a thrilling fusion of punk ferocity, industrial innovation, and primal rhythms, crafting an exhilaratingly dark and powerful soundscape.
Three songs in and I was thinking "this is pretty bad. There's nothing about any of these songs that makes one stand out over another." Gratefully, as the album goes on, it gets better. Digging the remixes at the end of the Spotify version of the album. Solid 6/10 for me. Good album.
A bit crap, boring
Killing Joke is listed as an influence to some of my favorite bands. But this just didn't do it for me. It's missing any hook. Which isn't always a bad thing. But in this case, I just couldn't get into the groove with the record. I love the sound. The love the attitude. Just didn't love the package.
It’s pretty unique, but I still think it’s just alright.
doomy and gloomy and sludgy and british as hell
Great instrumentals, but the vocals did absolutely nothing for me
Well, I do't know where to rte this. Never head of then or any songs, but it Is actually a pretty good rock album, especially by today's standard. They have more of a modern feel than 1980. Maybe if this was re-released, they would garner a whole are audience. Unless they are all dead...
Decent, few banger adjacent songs. More punk than most post punk
3.5 I always thought Killing Joke were more of a new wave group, though I also only really knew them for their song Eighties, and that’s just because of the whole Come As You Are lawsuit (despite the fact these guys totally stole the riff from Life Goes On by The Damned first). As it turns out, these guys are really more of a punk outfit with a bit of industrial influence mixed in for good measure. That to say, I do also hear quite a bit of a Damned sort of sound in there as well, a group that has always toed the line between new wave and punk, so the new wave label is still probably fair - though that just also further leads me to believe that Eighties was indeed a ripoff itself. All in all though, I enjoyed everything I heard for the most part. I recognized Requiem (I think Foo Fighters covered it at some point?), and that ended up being my favorite track from my listening, but I didn’t think anything here was bad - though, a lot of it does run together. Also, based on what I had read about the group beforehand, I was excited to hear some pretty radical, left-leaning political diatribes as well, but I never quite got that. Granted, I also couldn’t really understand the singer most of the time, so that was likely a major contributing factor, but then again, groups that throw around lawsuits typically aren’t very punk. Overall, an enjoyable, but not overly remarkable album - it’s not quite a call to action for this punk.
Not really my musical style, but feels like it does a decent job.
You’re laughing. They killed jokes and you’re laughing
Pretty good
Tolerable. The Wait is good, Bloodsport is a good workout tune for cardio. 3
I knew Killing Joke only by their 1985 song Love Like Blood, but one can glimpse a bit of what will be release 5 years later in there debut album. Industrial, electronic, heavy post punk that was their foundation for their path to goth/new wave.
nem a tipikus vibeom, de nem volt rossz, eléggé hasonlítottak a számok meg szövegileg se volt a legerősebb:)
Another post-punk band, that were probably ahead of their time with a mix of industrial, electronic, punk with lots of repetition and hypnotic beats. Definitely tolerable, there are some songs I really like, but this ain't something I'd throw on as a whim. It has a raw appeal I get and would probably play well in an industrial-type club, 40 years ago.
Fine. Industrial post punk. Atmospheric but nothing I could get my teeth into. SO.36 was a stand out. Like the claustrophobia.
3-4
This is an 80s new wave album and band I had heard of, but have never checked out so it was great to dive into it. No particular song stuck out, but a vibe that I enjoyed.
It starts out strong - but the second track almost made me want to turn the music off - and Bloodsport is also too repetitive. But there are definitely a handful of quite good songs on here
Solid mix of rock genres that feels ahead of it's time. Can't believe this came out in 1980
Its OK but sound like one continious song too repetitive and same voice. Simply didnt do it for me.
3.5 stars. Slow driving metal/industrial post-punk. Nothing as good as "Eighties" (from a later album) with it's phenomenal bassline and thundering kick drum but this record is still pretty good. Standout is "Requiem".
Very decent new wave album. Has no 'hits' though, while Killing Joke have amazing songs.
Nog nooit van dit album gehoord. New Wave is nu ook niet direct mijn favoriete genre. Dit album is nog oké, maar nu niet wauw. Donker, duister en wat underground-klinkend. 2.9
Ehhh
They had some interesting sounds. Once again another album that was not great and question why it is on the list. It is ok.
Probably not worthy of being on the list and another mediocre British band. Why can’t we have more American or Canadian bands
Thumping, droning, banging rock and roll! Enjoyable, but not great! I can imagine a head ache could be generated!
Wasn’t impressed at the start. Sounded more punk than post-punk, but got better as the album progressed. Wouldn’t listen to it again though.
Liked it.
Low key punk album
Hardcore and full of energy that gets the body and brain fired up
I hadn't heard many of the tracks from this album before, but I knew The Wait really well and already love that track. Everything else just didn't click for me. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. I felt a bit bad giving this album 3 stars, as it seems almost good enough for 4, but never quite gets there. I prefer their later material I feel.
I liked it
3 Stars (8/15)
I've never listened to Killing Joke before, but I know they had a heavy influence on Dave Grohl, so I've really been looking forward to listening to this album. For some reason, I thought this was a hardcore punk album, but I'm delighted to see that it's actually post-punk. I really wanted to love this album, but I thought it was just okay. I think this album is a really great example for what post-punk music is. The sound here is experimental, but the band definitely took the 'do-it-yourself' approach during the making of this album. I thought the guitar playing was really great on this album, and the overall sound was really unique. A lot of the sound was pretty weird and experimental, but I thought that the guitar playing kept the album really accessible and easy to listen to. I won't question this album's importance and influence, but outside of that, I didn't find it particularly enjoyable to listen to.
I liked the first track, the sound was cool and reminded me of Gang of Four a bit. Got a bit bored at times
Interesting foray into early metal. Could tell a lot of bands were probably influenced but still seemed safe.