Reviews (page 5 of 8)
I remember this album from high school. I'd swap records with a few friends of mine and later swap back. This was one I didn't own but kept for a while and liked. It's a really interesting proto punk sort of feel but leavened by the beginning of new wave. I think that is also shows distinct early industrial stylings. Industrial would really come into its own several years later, but bands like Killing Joke and Joy Division set the early tone.
I definitely did enjoy this album. A lot. A great cross between doom metal and punk. I found myself listening to it all night. Would definitely add to my regular rotation.
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.
I can not be unbiased here. I love the post-punk genre and Killing Joke, while this being not my favorite album, is in the canon of that genre. In general they have always been a "good" band to me. Here I would love to split my vote to give other of their albums more leeway and say this is a three and a half, but I also want to give this band some extra credit as for my affiliation with this style of music and TBH they do really well within it. They are not my absolute go to within post-punk, but they are brushing up with the head table to be sure.
Great band great album
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.
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!
It's fine. Repetitive, not in a great way.
I found most of the album to be corny tbh 4/10
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.
I love post punk! but hate the brits now :/
Not for me lol
I didn't like it, but I appreciate it's not the same old British punk as on the rest of this list. 2/5
Maybe it’s just not my genre, but I found this to be too much of the same thing in each song. Repeated choruses way too many times. Put another verse in or trim the length. 2.5⭐️
meh
Hard and punchy. At times even a little bit funky. It was fun to listen to. Feels timeless.
First play through this didnt really catch my attention. I ended up listening to it multiple times trying to figure this one out and in the end I really liked it. Kind of an LCD Soundsystem meets Devo and Helmet.
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.
First time ever listening to this. Unique band, early industrial? Heavy but dancey
It was alright. I don’t see what the fuss is 1001 album worthy: No - 51/95
Ну The Wait норм. Но больше не хочу это слушать. Для специфичных ситуаций и мест (завод,заброшка,гаражи?).
Favourite tracks: primitive; the wait; requiem; s.o.36
surprisingly enjoyable!
Ihan megalaahaava, en ihan tajua tätä… koska muuten goottikolina vois toimia, miksi tätä on hidastettu 0.5-kertaiseksi? Sanoitukset voisivat olla vaikuttavat, jos keskittyisin kuuntelemaan, sellainen viba tulee. Pitäisi antaa mahis päivänä, jolloin en kaipaa musalta energiaa.
Pidän bändin perussoundista - Requiem on täysin uudella tavalla samaan aikaan punk ja stadion - mutta tämä LP on liimattu yhteen turhalla kokeilulla (Wardancen robottivokaalit) ja instrumentaalitäytteellä (merkittävä osa A-puolesta). Aineksia parempaan. 2,5
Meh...this album was boring. The singer's voice wasn't great. Some of the rhythms were fine, but nothing caught my interest. "Requiem" kinda sucked and is one of their most streamed songs. The album was fine overall but not something I'd return to. Liked Songs: "Bloodsport" , "The Wait" , "Change"
liked songs: Requiem, The Wait, Complications, Primitive This isn't my favorite Killing Joke album, but it's such an impressive debut. The sound that they put together here has been hugely influential on a ton of other acts (the one I hear most is Nine Inch Nails). 3.75
I wasn't too happy when I accidentally ventured deep into the bonus tracks, but the album proper I enjoyed quite a lot.
A bit crap, boring
Thoughts before listening: Industrial metal I believe. I know that Killing Joke was often cited as an influence by many of the bands I liked in the 90s, but I don't think I've heard them. Review: I'm enjoying this more than I expected to. There are some cool riffs on here, and i like their not quite metal, not quite punk sound. This is definitely a unique sound for 1980 and I can hear their influence in 100s of bands that came later. This is a little funkier and has a lot more personality than many of those bands. 4-stars
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.
4 maybe 5
It’s pretty unique, but I still think it’s just alright.
It's cool. A little samey as the album goes on, but the big bass sound with the drone of the guitars works well.
Not bad, but very clumsy and sricky in its`s core
ill admit; im not the biggest fan of punk, but this was quite good. i liked some of the effects on here.
Not particularly enjoyable.
It’s a joke that this album is even on this list because it isn’t killing anything. While it’s not the worst Brit Bias choice from recent days, it still isn’t very good. The only thing this had going for it is that it was tolerable and I was able to finish the album
Very repetitive, basically carried one riff throughout the entire song each time, the riffs were pretty good though but there wasn’t much to this
3.5/5
Listened to this in the wild recently. Excellent track for a rainy roadtrip. I thought this sounded great and I'm not sure why it had not been on my radar before.
doomy and gloomy and sludgy and british as hell
i listened to this so long ago that i actually have no clue how to rate it, so we're going with a 2.5
I thought maybe we had a Killing Joke album previously but it's apparently just that I personally have listened to Killing Joke historically, since I didn't find a past record from them in the project.
Great instrumentals, but the vocals did absolutely nothing for me
A hard driving rock album where every song is just good enough. Unfortunately it lacks any real zip, that would bring me back to listen to it again.
Just when I'm starting to get frustrated with this list, an album like Killing Joke comes up. This is definitely an album I need to hear. I have no idea how it didn't enter my orbit before now.
This could have been great if the the songs were kept to about 2 minutes. The same riff over and over, with the lack of any real vocal melody begins to tire. 2.5 stars.
Ok electro rock
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...
This was a surprise. Thought I was getting some black sludge metal music with this but presently surprised to be exactly what I'm into. This album is like a stop gap between punk and new wave. It's sick. Couple of nice little savey saves and an album that will stick in rotation for a good while here. I like
Dystopic alternative rock album, a classic for me. Very dark aggressive mood, energetic songs.
Not a fan, very droney, non engaging
Decent, few banger adjacent songs. More punk than most post punk
I was introduced to this band some time back while giving shit to my son about Nirvana stealing their music. Turns out they have some pretty good stuff. I've rocked out this album, at the gym last few nights and have to say I should have paid closer attention back when I was giving Luke shit. Absolutely love the song Requiem and downloaded awhile back. Turns out I downloaded Wardance and Complication too. Well now you can add Primitive and Change as well. Think I'll take a deeper dive into these guys as i really enjoyed this album. There were a couple tunes in the middle that were more like punk/electronica dance stuff, Tomorrows World and Bloodsport, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. Funny how life comes full circle as Dave Grohl played drums for a Killing Joke album and released a version of Requiem himself. Not quite as good as Killing Joke, but close enough. I love that guy. Very good album, fun listens and a few more songs added to my library. 4
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.
4/5
i'm thinking of a band named Killing Joke and their self-titled album featuring a bunch of children crawling over ruins on the cover. i am picturing a dour, humorless release with a vocalist who sounds like Mark E. Smith from the fall. there is an annoying sound collage on it and despite being only 30 minutes or so, it feels ten minutes too long. it is entirely popular with John Peel fans who had the worst day of their lives when Steve Albini died. i am listening Killing Joke's self titled album. it is the most fun i have ever had listening to a dismal record about how everything's fucked and man is evil. "Requiem" rips. "The Wait" rips. "Complications" and "Bloodsport" rip -- everything rips. i love it. i am now probably gonna check out the rest of their music because this was unbelievably good. don't judge a book by it's cover. listen to an album with an increasingly worrying genre tag; you might just be surprised.
I didn't really know what to expect. I'd heard of Killing Joke, but other than not really liking their name I knew nothing. I really enjoyed it. Musicallyit great, driving, grimy ... dancey. It's got a stripped back, bass driven, ESG energy. I'm not always a fan of the main vocal, and the 80s-ness sometimes is a bit too prominent. But overall it was really nice find.
Not for me. I must admit, even though I listened to this only yesterday, I can't remember the album. Very unmemorable.
4.0
Some cracking post punk from a band that genuinely deserved more success. I mean, seriously, people think U2 are better than these guys…?
You’re laughing. They killed jokes and you’re laughing
I had a very different expectation of this record, and it blew me away!
Pretty good
Liked it.
I made it through 4 songs and called it a day. 1.5 for the effort of making an album
Tolerable. The Wait is good, Bloodsport is a good workout tune for cardio. 3
The edgy make-up wearing british boy band isn't usually my thing, but this album is kinda hard and sounds a lot more modern than plenty of 80s industrial rock. 4/5
This album had like 2 enjoyable moments out of the 60 minutes
So this album typifies the great divide in the late 70s/early 80s music world. Hipsters and kids with access to college radio, plus the extremely disaffected (a slightly younger version of Winona Ryder from "Heathers,' say), were listening to this album. I, on the other hand, like the bulk of kids in my lily-white suburb, was imbibing disco and yacht rock. It wasn't until Billy Idol broke through on the pop charts that I was even aware that punk/industrial rock really existed. Too bad for me. This album is great--inventive, interesting, varied. Now I get why people like punk. I will certainly listen to it again. It's just a shame that, instead of my limited brain cells being devoted to this kind of music, they've been squandered on more Air Supply lyrics than you can shake a stick at.
ew
Good Listen. This one had a bouncy energy to it in parts. Requiem, Wardance, Bloodsport, Primitive were the tracks I enjoyed the most.
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.
Enjoyed this one.
nem a tipikus vibeom, de nem volt rossz, eléggé hasonlítottak a számok meg szövegileg se volt a legerősebb:)
Kedvenc/Favourite: Bloodsport Érdekes hangzása volt, nekem tetszett ahogy vegyítette a nyers hangzást és szöveget a mesterséges gépiességgel. Meglepett, hogy mennyire elkapott ez a poszt-apokaliptikus hangulata. It had an interesting soundscape, I liked the way it mixed the raw sound and lyrics with the artificial mechanicalness. I was surprised at how much I was drawn into this post-apocalyptic vibe.
Fair
p460. 1980. 2 stars. Angry, unpleasant noise that goes on for far too long. Bonus point for the quality drumming and bass and the occasional half decent riff.
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.
Kinda samey is the vibe I got
All a bit samey. There's hints of something interesting there, but they're hidden quite well.
It was fine but pretty repetitive
Pretty samey, got the vibe from track 1
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
Fine. Industrial post punk. Atmospheric but nothing I could get my teeth into. SO.36 was a stand out. Like the claustrophobia.
Not for me
Things I love about this album: 1 - Another "Where have you been all my life" listens. 2 - Sounds like a cross between PIL and Gang of Four. 3 - Metal. 4 - Unlike GoF, here we have a Goth underlayer of synth without losing the funk. Krautrock with more calories. 5 - Requiem is a straight banger - never used that term before and it's unlikely I ever will again. But it is. 6 - Riffs! 7 - The only thing I've heard that comes anywhere close to that uniquely disjointed funk that GoF made famous. Really great post-punk, lots of variety, a bit scary and angry. Was familiar with "Eighties," one of my favorite songs, but never got that far into their catalog. Really glad to get this one.
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.
Spricht nicht wirklich an.
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.
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
Not my vibe
This is like a garage band that should have never left the garage.
Solid mix of rock genres that feels ahead of it's time. Can't believe this came out in 1980
Fav: Bloodsport Least Fav: Wardance Not a complete joke
Music I can appreciate with that death metal scream that loses my interest.
Its OK but sound like one continious song too repetitive and same voice. Simply didnt do it for me.
Pretty good!
This is more boring than I expected....
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".
Liked it. Standout songs: Requiem The Wait Primitive
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
Pretty plodding and repetitive. I like the punk vibes but there is not much imagination to this.
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
Meh. There’s a reason nobody likes post punk. It’s just experimental music and somebody singing poorly. Don’t like and this was no exception. Absolutely not remarkable.
what is the fascination with putting sooooo many Brit-punk bands on this list? oh look, here's another. sounds like so many others. blah, blah, blah.
Some good grooves but I found this mostly dull. 2/5
This was super dark, super vibey, kind of like a scary version of the cure. Regardless, I loved this, some songs were a bit too spacey/annoyingly repetitive for me but some good, industrial stuff. Fav Songs: Requiem, Primitive
Post punk rarely has this much sonic variation and color in its character.
I’ve grown to like this sort of punk/post-punk darkness and heaviness over the course of this challenge. But there are definitely better albums of the genre. 3.5
Thumping, droning, banging rock and roll! Enjoyable, but not great! I can imagine a head ache could be generated!
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.
Just load punk noise. At least there is some rhythm.
I really enjoyed it. It felt like they might have been an influence on Nirvana. I felt that Nirvana feel to them. Didn't love it but will definitely come back and listen to it again.
Never heard of these guys before. Thought it was a good album and could hear how they influenced some others. Overall, it did not sound like an album that was 40+ years old
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: The Requiem, Tomorrow's World, Bloodsport, The Wait Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Solid post-punk/pre-industrial, if a little repetitive. 2.5 rounded down, didn't hate my time here though.
Awesome!!
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.
Hadn't heard this before, but I enjoyed it - similar to Gang of Four/Joy Division/The Cure. A good mix
Liked it.
2,5
I just didnt like the style
Punk hate the world music
Low key punk album
No
This album has the general vibe of my favorite dive bar and I'm totally here for it.
I’ve always known of Killing Joke and its importance but haven’t spent time exploring their collection. I think I need to go and devote some time to them now.
Hardcore and full of energy that gets the body and brain fired up
I liked the music very much but not the vocalist so much
Okay album, but nothing amazing
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.
Pretty good, kinda reminds me of The Cure especially in the singing style in the song "Complication"
Not for me
Killing Joke sports an impressive multi-decade discography that sees them play around with post-punk, gothic rock, and eventually industrial metal, all with great success. Their self-titled debut is precise, effective, and too goddamn good. Leading with drums and bass first, Killing Joke found themselves among post-punk contemporaries such as Joy Division, The Fall, and Bauhaus, though the end result for Killing Joke was a lot closer to straightforward punk rock. On top of all this, the debut is self-produced, lending itself to a much more raw quality. Great post-punk, Killing Joke landed it on the first try.
Trash
Not for me
4/10
I liked it
New sound for me. Kinda metal mixed with 80s dance music? 2/3
Fine album, nothing really stood out
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Seems ahead of its time for 1980. Some of it gets repetitive at times, but I never wanted to skip a track. It had me engaged the whole way.
3 Stars (8/15)
pretty heavy album for 1980. you can hear the influence that this band had on bands such as ministry, nine inch nails, and rammstein. hell, even legendary metal titans metallica covered “the wait” on their early covers album garage days re-revisited. overall, a pretty solid album of proto-industrial metal. seriously though, don’t miss out on “the wait”. it’s got a pretty intense groove to it. highlights: “requiem” “the wait” “complications”
I got this the day after Remain in Light by Talking Heads and I was surprised how much common DNA there is to these two records. Enjoyed it way more than I expected and want to listen to it again.
Brilliant album! Diverse musicianship - sludgy in places, pop in others. Really big fan and will definitely be returning to Killing Joke.
A bit much but ok
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.
Great start to finish. I can’t believe this came out in 1980.
4+/5
Of all the music I’ve listened to here, this might be the single most devoid of talent album I’ve heard. The vocals suck, the musicanship shows zero evidence of actual ability, and it was overall a completely unpleasant experience. Like listening to a bad high school Battle of the Bands entrant.
I liked the first track, the sound was cool and reminded me of Gang of Four a bit. Got a bit bored at times
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*
Gotta respect your elders. Really enjoyed getting into this and other stuff from them.
Interesting foray into early metal. Could tell a lot of bands were probably influenced but still seemed safe.
Non avevo voglia di risentirlo ma in passato era un 4
Really solid rock. Strong.
Album 582 of 1001 Killing Joke - Killing Joke (1980) Rating : 2.75 / 5 British Post Punk - This is sometimes good but also sometimes pretty bad. Probably worth another listen but just didn't grab me all the way the first time.
Origin of the band‘s name funnier than the music
2.5
Only notable for the interesting synths. Otherwise yet another boring post punk (and as a fan of older and modern punk music I hate that term) album on this list.
It's not bad, but not sure I would qualify this album as being one that one should listen to before they die. Decent post-punk, but a little monotone. 3/5
Well that was unpleasant
Had never heard of this before. I enjoyed it but I'm not sure why. I found myself bouncing to the beat. Feels very tribal and lizard brain in a weird way. I don't think I'll listen again, but it's good for what it is.
Klonk in begin heel "faded" als in de stemmen klonken heel wazig en ver weg/niet pakkend, dacht 2 * maar toen later werd t opeens veel nicerr
Kind of forgot about Killing Joke. I was really into their album ‘Democracy’ as a teen in the 90s but have not listened to any of their other albums. This one is a more industrial / post-punk sound which are not usually my favourite genres but I found it to be pretty enjoyable. Raw and sparse arrangements, the sounds are clean and punchy with lots of space in the mix. The drummer is pretty solid and the kick drum sounds great. Good bass tone though the bass player is rushing constantly. Simple vocals and guitar riffs but suitable for the style. Best song by far is ‘Requiem’, could listen to that on repeat. A solid album overall, glad to have heard it.
This is just not good, but 1 star or F+ for effort.
Decent album, a little grungy for me.
Loved some tracks (Requiem, Crash), but others just didn't pull me in much (especially Bloodsport)
Some albums I just need to see the write up of why it makes it into this list...
Punk with some pop. I like it.
Mehhh. Generic post punk that got repetitive quick
ik kende enkel een paar softere nummers... dit was echt zeer goed... industrial avant la lettre (4.5 sterren)
Why does this remind me of Cut the Crap by the Clash and why is My Sharona suddenly in my head
Sembra molto più recente di quanto sia in realtà, mi piace!
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
So much better than I’d anticipated. Dark and moody, nice and noisy too. Good 80s vibes.
A solid debut from an incredibly influential yet criminally underrated band.
Repeat guitar riff 500 times
If I had ever heard the Joke I don’t remember. I won’t forget it this time.
Favorite Track: Requiem
gott iðnaðarskotið síðpönk. gef þessu aðra spilun með gleði. 3,5.
At first I thought I didn’t like it because a) I like interesting words and b) I’m not into heavy or aggressive music, but it never bothered me and upon second listen I realized I liked it. I like post-punk, I like repetition, they remind me at times of throbbing gristle, on one song of Nirvana, of No Wave in one spot, and I found them easy to listen to and sort of comforting, though maybe not interesting per se.
they did something
A post-rock classic out of nowhere. This has become a holy grail vinyl for me after this listen. How is this so good?
Hrátt og geggjað post punk. Þokan í Reykjavík alveg setur þetta á næsta level.
Mjög góð plata. Frábær hljómsveit með skemmtilega Íslandstengingu. Þétt og gott Postpunk/Goth.Væntanlega haft mikil áhrif á Cure eða öfugt. Báðar hljómsveitir alla vega með léttklikkaða frontmenn, þó Jaz hafi líklega vinninginn.
I'm tired of groups where you can't make out the lyrics! Derivitive of its era, each track depends on the clashing guitar chords with little musical input although 'Complications', 'so36' and 'changes' have possibilities with more production work and song structure. All in all an album I will not bother returning to.
Heard the name and can see why. This must have been pretty innovative stuff when it was released. Very cool coming together of rock and early electronics, pretty hypnotic and driving in a progressive house kind of way, but with guitars. Unfortunately never rose to the occasion, didn’t hold my attention and ultimately was a bit boring - not enough energy.
Cool and punky. Not fantastic but pretty fun for a once-through.
That wasn't funny
Whatever. Boring.
Joke is a accurate description
Fun fact, this band has two self-titled albums, so it is important to actually read the full page before tracking down the album of the day. I enjoyed both. Specifically talking about the correct album, I like that they play with a ton of effects on both vocals and instruments, it really shows how they go from the first album to the kind of sounds I heard from their other album decades later. It was kind of nice to see the evolution.
Didn’t mind this. Generous 3.
I was working in the Limelight when these guys played. When it was showtime the lead singer turned left instead of right coming out of the dressing room and went full steam into a wall. That was much more entertaining than this album.
I have heard of Killing Joke but never really got into them. People of a certain age will remember Columbia House, where you could get CDs mailed to you for a penny. I remember ordering a Killing Joke album and it just didn't really grab me at the time. Firing up today, I was very dismayed to see that this album was released in 1980 - I thought they were a 90s band. In short, this album is pretty awesome. It has shades of punk rock, in terms of the singers affectations, but musically it is much richer and more diverse. It doesn't sound like the 80s at all, or the 70s - it is something pretty damned unique. 4 stars.
It's been 12 years since I heard any Killing Joke. They were playing in town and I wondered if they were any good, found some cool music history, but I did not go to see them play. I think I'm at about the same place now. This is neat! It's a little too goth or something for me to really dig the whole album. The songs built around unsettling guitar lines (vs. power chord riffs) are the best of it, and if they sounded like that most of the time I would have gone to see them play.
I may be hearing this favourably because the last few days have been a forever-feeling cycle of boomer rock and English club music from the 90s. It benefits from not being Robert Plant, or Freddie Mercury, or some molly’d up DJ from Pordenshire-on-Frent who took a gap year trip to Ibiza and then Changed The World. One way or another, this one was cool as hell
No joke, the album name sort of matches with almost a death rock feel (albeit not as harsh) - not a fan of industrial rock!
This one wasn't as good as I hoped it would be and a lot of the songs blended together.
I enjoyed the instrumentals but, really could not stand the vocals. Funny enough after doing some research it seems like they had Dave Grohl on drums, which was a stand out.
The first song reminded me of early Clash. The next reminded me of PIL. Just hints of commonality that I enjoyed. I was expecting much more punk rock and this was solidly post-punk mixed with that early 80's sound. Bloodsport reminded me of Roxy Music. Ever song seemed to bring back memories of something from that era. Not sure who was influencing who in the musical timeline.
3/4
Cool industrial sound for 1980; Completely unknown to me and probably would have listened to them in the 90s
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.
Hey, at least it's better than Metal Box. Other than that obvious claim, these are still some kickass tunes, regardless. I can definitely hear how it influenced a lot of artists that became huge. Solid 4 for me.
I’m right at a 4, but it’s a very highly recommended 4. I got really lost in the instrumentation of this one – for 1980, this is such a unique blend of electronica, industrial, and some of the standards of 70s rock. It comes together to make a sort of prototypical sound that 90s grunge bands would really utilize and make their own, but this is one hell of a prototype. There’s some remarkably cool production decisions that underline this album, but it never feels like it’s overdoing anything. A lot of these tracks are still grounded in the basic principles of rock music, and it keeps the album from ever feeling too ambitious – it never once feels like it might collapse under its own weight. There is a sort of story throughout the tracks of anarchy and a revolution being suppressed into oblivion, but it’s never really explicit in its lyrics – it’s more of a thematic thing. It’s hard to describe what makes this album click so well for me – sometimes, when you’re listening, you just know. I knew this was good throughout; the reason I’m at a 4 is because it does sort of stall out on a few longer tracks, sometimes the lyrics are a bit unclear, and it doesn’t quite stick the landing at the end. Those first 5 tracks are awesome, but the last 3 don’t hit quite as much. Regardless, what’s here is really, really good. It might go up to a 5 if I’m feeling it more another day, but for now, it’s a highly recommended 4.
I'm beginning to think I can make an album and it will get put on this list.
Theres good and bad here. First the good: the drummer is amazing, at times it reminded me of SoD which is always nice, theres not a lot of heavy metal on this platform so its always nice to see it pop up. Second the bad: the singer is not great, sounds like he is going to hawk a loogie through the speakers, the british versions where he is not doing flemo is ok but doesn’t really match the tone. His tempo was kind of off throughout the whole album. The other instrumentals other than drums were super mediocre. The songs were too long and I got sick of each one after like a minute. Overall mostly negative with a couple positives. 4/10
A rough garage feel A guitar dripping with style An epic approach
Some are good, sounds very The Clash
Aw yeah, gym music for sure
Day256 - not as hardcore as i was expecting and i can definitely hear the influence they had on nine inch nails. this was a nice surprise album
I had never heard of this band or album, but liked it immediately. It sounds way more recent than 1980 and has a great range of styles.
Album itself is OK but it's an excellent starting point for spotify to suggest you great things in this genre
Who knew that in 1980, Public Image Ltd and U2 had a child and named it Klling Joke? As a result, I love the music. I appreciate the political and philosophical overtones. But, the vocal presentation has too much of something or too little of something...can't quite tell. In any case, this is a worthy addition to anyone's collection of early post-punk.
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.
Not really for me
Ehhh I’m good on this
Eh this is just okay. Singer looks like Alice Cooper.
nope
Not as bad as we expect. That is all
Pretty good
Kind of liked this one. Had a very strong sound and a sense of identity and you can see why they inspired so many big bands today
I actually liked the first song. No to the second No to the third No to the fourth , etc
Kinda maybe has something going for it, but it is very repetitive. You could half the track length and take the best bits out to make something stronger. Rounded up from a 2.
Nothing of real value here.
Tracks 6-10 are bangers, first half is boring af. Tracks 1-5 is a 2, second half is 3.5 so I guess we'll call it a 3.
Is the whole purpose of post-punk to make the most annoying and bad album possible? If so do people unironically like it or are they all just parodies of stuck up pricks? This album had like one guitar riff and an hour of incomprehensible vocals. It's a joke. It's killing me.
UK industrial post-punk for the millionth time.
There's so much British post-punk present on this list, it's fair to call it a pandemic. Luckily some of it is still as exciting as Killing Joke - even though you probably know the formula by heart at this point.
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.
Bit muddy
# Playlist track - Change # Notes - It's one of these albums that takes some time to digest and enjoy. - First run, I pretty much hated it. The mixing is weird, with muffled vocals and muddy bass sometimes. Just didn't seem to make any sense. - This is especially noticeable in "Wardance". - As I listened to it a couple more times, it grew on me, though. There are cool riffs, a lot of raw energy. - Not a great album for me, but one worth getting to know at least once.
朋克小鬼
Thanks for the introduction. Incredibly I had never heard of this influential band, and they were from my time. :)
Had never heard of these guys before, but this was a pretty solid album.
Just not my thing, even if Dave Grohl is a fan.
when you ask AI to make a punk album and it just can't do that real punk edge
A good rock album with some industrial sounds thrown into the mix. Best - Requiem, The Wait, S.O.36, and Change Worst - no bad songs but just a few on here that were mid 3.00-3.25/5
Couple solid songs here...1980 - wow...let's give them credit for producing on their own. Raw sound works well.
Many people reference this band. Not me.
I had a bad cold over the weekend and this didn't help things.
Half-interesting sounds that go nowhere interesting.
Razorlike tension. And a sound like that in 1980???!!!! Wow
Not a bad listen, nothing really jumped out as something I'd want to add and listen to again. 3/5
They are killing it, not a joke
Some clear originality to this one but also just not that interesting.
Hard driving, growly, fast paced rock 'n roll - not sure why this is termed post punk rock. Sounds like straight, stripped down punk rock to me. Pretty good, too.
Solid.
Post punk pain
Menacing guitars and cold synths. Second half is killer and so is the opener. There is some repetitive filler in the gaps throughout but regardless, overall pretty solid Post-Punk.
I really enjoyed this. Couple of filler songs but the first tune piqued my interest from the off. I will need to check more of these 7.5/10
This was an interesting album and a sound I had never really heard before. Electronic and metal mixed...So it somewhat mellowed the metal vibe and it was metal enough that it avoided the repetition that electronic music can have. It was not heavy vocals, but I was okay with that. It was something I wouldn't listen to again but I can appreciate this as something different and musically unique, that did not make my ears hurt.
I appreciate the message in their lyrics, and this album grew on me as it went on. It rocked pretty hard. Post punk has been one of my lowest rated genres to date, but this might actually be my favorite album so far in that category. That’s not really saying much, but it wasn’t bad!
Sorry lads this isn’t my bag.
6/10
Good rock music, was a lil generic but i liked the songs.
There’s probably some profound and deep meaning to these songs but lowkey. Guitar go brrrrr. Seriously some of the coolest shit on guitar. Overall pretty solid
While there were some definite highs throughout this album, a lot of the lyrics left more to be desired. Maybe I’m hating, but I didn’t feel as impactful a statement as the wiki article stated was there.
This was not my favorite, but it was ok.
Proto industrial with some sick riffs
Oh yeah! Post punk gritty record - engaging through and through - the guitars and drums grind through machine-like while it maintains enough variety to be well paced and interesting - lovely discovery for me.
cool dark post punk. right up my alley. unfortunately nothing is as amazing as requiem on here but its still really solid. 8/10
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
This is a dark one. Surprisingly good! Very moody and atmospheric. Cool! :)
Given that I'm far from a specialist, this should be the essence of post-punk. It contains all the energy and riot-vibes that I expect from punk with all the strangeness that I expect from anything released after 1980.
Killing Joke’s self-titled debut is a jagged, aggressive blast of post-punk menace that helped lay the groundwork for industrial, metal, and countless bands that followed. It’s raw, dark, and brimming with urgency — a perfect mix of punk fury and mechanical precision. Tracks like “The Wait” and “SO36” hit hard with relentless rhythm and snarling vocals, while “Bloodsport” and “Primitive” showcase the band’s knack for combining chaos with groove. There’s a primal energy here that still feels fresh, and the fact that Metallica covered “The Wait” nearly two decades later? That’s not just a nod — it’s a badge of honor. It’s not the most polished album, but that’s part of the charm. It’s gritty, relentless, and fearless — a powerful debut that deserves its place in the post-punk hall of fame.
Not my kind of music. But for what it is, it's pretty good.
Nothing bad about it it’s just not really my thing.
Unremarkable
I don’t think I can finish this one
Didn't hate
Is this supposed to be important? I’ve heard of Killing Joke before, but this doesn’t really make me need to listen to them again. Feels like a suburban form of edgy, even if they are British punks.
I wished I liked this more, but I can't get behind it. Synths just ruin it for me, nor do I care for the vocals. I do like the tempo changes, but I then I run out of things to like. I've had this problem forever.
I used to be a big fan of Killing Joke along with the Dead Kennedys and Alien Sex Fiend. They all seemed to have that raw, angry energy I had as a youth. I was in the mosh roaring with everyone at the gigs. I still love the songs and the apocalyptic vibe but now with a wistful apathy.
I kept hearing things that reminded me of Siouxsie and the Banshees as this played, which is fine by me. It got noisier than I typically am inclined to enjoy, but I was never put off by it. But, as you may be able to discern, I don't know that I ever really warmed up to this. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but not at a 4 after this one spin. There was a lot I liked, but something was keeping me at arm's length. Dug the immediacy of the production and the energy of the band.
First time hearing this and I dug it. Easy to see how this influenced a dozen other bands on this list, but most especially Big Black, who I had always thought came from nowhere. This is a solid 4.
I appreciate the approach and execution of this album. By the time I got to S.O.36 the album was really growing on me.
Not for me I think, pretty repetitive and a bit grating. However I can see how influential this is! 3/3.5
What a great album. Who knew?
Not great. Felt like noise. Can hear a little Pink Floyd, maybe Billy Idol, Tool, but the worst parts.
Probably not that good or particularly up my street. But I listened to it on the bike in the sun and enjoyed it a lot.
Strong, pessimistic music. Not usually a mood I want to be in but the album achieves this well and I think they get their message across loud and clear. Pretty good overall, I like mixing synthesizers into the tracks and the solid beats for me to bop along with.
1/8, 13%
Ok rock album.
Spent a lot of the time trying to figure out if this was mega distorted or it was just the vocals on Wardance. Was also surprised it was from 1980 so kudos for that. Musically I thought this was good, but jeez sometimes vocals really let things down.
Didn't think I'd like it. I was wrong.
Some fun riffs and musical effects but this ultimately gets dragged down by the poor vocals. Can definitely see the influence on later punk and metal, my preference is just for something a bit more refined. Listened to: at home. Favorite tracks: The Wait, Change