Killing Joke

This really rocked harder than I was anticipating, and I didn't mind that. 3 stars.

Never got this band, then or now. To me they were just another middle of the road protest rock band. Nothing special although maybe it's not about the music but the stance?

Cross punk with industrial and this is what you get. You can definitely see the roots of acts like Nine Inch Nails and other acts here. Listening to it a second time was helpful, because the first time I didn't quite "get" the sound they were going for. I knew the one hit "Eighties," and that was definitely different from where this album was coming. Still, I liked it and am interested in hearing more.

I really enjoyed this. I'm not sure I knew of this band before but I can hear how much they are a go between of 70's punk and lots of stuff after - 80's post-punk and goth rock (the Cure, the Smiths, even REM), hard rock (Metallica), industrial (some of the more mainstream Nine inch Nails), noise rock (Sonic Youth) and even grunge (maybe the grittier side, like L7). The first three songs did it for me. Requiem just comes pulsing in with the synth (a great undertone for the whole song) and then the drums and bass and guitar nail it. They don't always do much on lyrics (maybe just a few words repeated) but this one had more lyrical depth. Wardance is a bit much with the modulated vocals during the lyrics but the chorus is solid and the sound is great. Tomorrow's World felt a bit familiar given the first two songs but still different - not the same synth (more high pitched bell) and awesome scratchy/distorted guitar (e.g., that grunge effect). Not that it ended there. Bloodsport (track 4) reminded me of Elastica - maybe another band inspired by these guys? Again, it's just a simple beat for each instrument but they pound it in the right melody. The Wait (track 5) was almost as good as Requiem - and actually something to say with the lyrics. Complications (track 6) felt like Metallica meets the Cure - the opening has a harder rock sound but it gives way to some almost synth-pop/rock sound in the chorus. Primitive (track 8) had some killer basslines - not quite Primus material (or The Fall's Blindness) but a cross of that and Sonic Youth. I don't know if I quite count Change (track 9) because it was only on the US version, but it is damn good. Great tempo despite minimal lyrics (and I love when they turn up the tempo about a minute in). I've been listening to these guys all week (this album and more). That's a sign of a good album. I love these kind of surprises.

Heard of them, but never heard before. I really like their sound. Perfect balance of industrial, hard rock, post-punk, you name it. Apparently they are pioneers in the industrial sound. Whatever they are, they have a great sound and I'd definitely like to check out more. All the tracks are very cool (although Wardance is a little out there), but my favorite tracks were Requiem, Tomorrow's World, Bloodsport, and Primitive.

Better than expected. Interesting music.

Slightly too much noise for me

Boring SORRY

An okay listen, and an interesting mixture of punk, metal and goth. Not so keen on the singing and other than the Wait and Requiem, too many of the other tracks plod along rather aimlessly

I’ve had enough of these muddy 80s mixes man

Some really good melodies. But the singing can be improved.

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

I wasn't that into it I have to say. Perhaps it was a grower as by the end I did feel more open to it. I found the repetitiveness jarring, but sometimes I love that in a song. Maybe I wasn't in a good place to appreciate this...

Found this quite tiring

Good!

Pretty raw, but still better post punk than a few of the efforts I've heard in this project.

It's not really my kinda album. None of the songs are bad, but as a whole it just got really old by the end.

Wtf qualified this as music in the 80s

Sound is a bit harsh

Totally fine, but not really wowing me. Would listen again in the right environment.

My overall impression: this album sounds great for its age. For one, the production quality is fantastic -- clean with good layering. For another, the compositions are such that they have done well against the test of time. You could have told me this came out a year or two ago and I would believe you. Really enjoy the electro-trudge of Requiem. Plus I am a sucker for emphasis on bass, so this is immediately a comfortable ride. Wardance is a jam. Love the harmonics bleeding through in the melody. Bloodsport is a cool instrumental jam. Doesn't really make a point to be showy or anything -- just solid stomping progression. Ah I've heard The Wait before -- Metallica covered it on their Garage Inc cash grab. Always enjoyed their cover. The original is equally great if a lot more post-pop in styling. S.O.36 taps into a more doom metal style adjacent to some early Sabbath. Its one of my favorites here so far. Well that was awesome and unexpected. So glad to have tapped into this one today. This is a high 4 for me.

Enjoyed this one.

de matr memo

Decent punk

Great to hear this again. The mix of punk, post-punk, dub and disco sounded pretty futuristic at the time. Although not my favourite of theirs (Revelations is a much more consistent album), this did set the blueprint for what followed, and for LOADS of other bands. So many great tunes here: Wardance, Change, Requiem. Top drawer stuff,

There's a great groove going off throughout this album. I wasn't expecting that. 1980 was a bit of a No Man's Land for post-punk. Killing Joke's debut makes a decent stab for what was possible. Faith No More managed to stretch out a whole career based around this album. I usually despise the extra packaged songs bolted on to a CD. But the Dub mix of Change is a killer.

Wow. The generator DID give me something to purify myself from the torturous mellow pop of the recent days. Album sounds like punky Black Sabbath and it's kinda nice. Like Sabbath, much of the weight of the songs are centered in their great riffs. Decent punk right here.

2.5

Great distorted soundscape, got a little samey and boring in the middle

4.5 post punk at its finest, can get a tiny bit repetitive in the middle but it's just so up my street that i didn't even mind. also was convinced that had to be robert smith singing at certain points. fave songs: requiem, so36, bloodsport, primitive, change

Helt Swag lite koola trummor här å där

Strong 3! Definitely a solid release alm the way through but it’s not my favourite Killing Joke album. There a select few moments of poorly aged effects but overall the album leaves me wanting more.

Not funny

Killing Joke is the debut album by English post-punk band Killing Joke. Recorded and produced on their own, this album is an underground classic that was critically acclaimed, but missed the mainstream market. Killing Joke was one of the earliest bands with a sound like this and many others followed in their footsteps - some citing this album as inspiration. I loved the industrial sound on this album and enjoyed its tracks. Fans of heavier sounding music will like this album.

Well, this album is significantly better than the 2003 "The Killing Joke", which I may or may not have listened to first. I really enjoy this blend of punk and hard rock, and the band doing the mixing themselves with such a clear idea of the sound they wanted is damn impressive. This is certainly going to be in the rotation going forward, and it's probably even going to make it onto my gym playlist. Favorite track: Complications

These guys sound like they are living that Beyond Thunderdome life and gigging it up hard. The more I listen, the more I like.

cool

This album was hard to listen to and actually finish it. To quote my favorite critique of Eric Whitacre, “It’s boring super boring The Boringest peice of music I ever heard of… for some reason can’t imagen a even worse song then this and I don’t even like it…”

The death and resurrection show: kinda heavy metal, wish the bass riff alternated more, Total invasion: beginning comes in strong, I like. Also into the whisper screaming. The vocals in this song are pretty impressive Asteroid: this is getting better. Best intro so far. Asteroooooiiiiiid, this would be a great to chant and headband. Id mosh to this🤟. Implant: tripping drums, sounds like 6/8 time, stressing 1-2.5-4-5. Fun mind tricks, echoed vocals are a great touch. Blood on your hands: im into the driving bass and drums Loose cannon: really like the scratchies in the backround. This is a good one. Love the soft guitar spot, great contrast, really makes a metal song for me You'll never get to me: feels like a "come back from hard times" song, gives a bit more depth to this album, not just heavy guitars and screaming. Sprinkle a little bit of passion. Seeing red: Dark forces: The house that pain built: I like this kind of music. 4 stars. Its not fantastic amazing, but its good, doesn't need a time or place for listening to, its just always good. And it would be great live, id go to this concert if the tickets weren't too expensive.

This album rocks my socks.

The definition of when you order a steak at a restaurant and you say you want it medium rare, but it comes out medium. You know the steak would've been better medium rare and you're disappointed it isn't, but you still enjoy it.

Killing Joke rules - saw them open for Tool. Badass

This was fine. A bit post punk (boo) a bit industrial (yay) a bit fine.

Meh

Quote groundbreaking I assume. Good stuff

I'm reviewing this two days after listening to it, and I can't remember anything about it anymore. Oops.

Decent but somewhat forgettable

Never heard of this band but it's an interesting mix of punkish elements with industrial (?). I wasn't expecting it after the first song. It's a great addition to this list since it's something I'd never heard of and it was fun to listen to. Not something I'd regularly listen to , but it doesn't really sound like anything else from that time period. One interesting thing is the song S.O.36 which I was surprised to learn is the same SO36 which is a club here in Berlin that I've been to a handful of times. Fun little connection.

Did not like

As always with me and them, some of it I really liked and others I didn’t care for at all.

This is really good, favorite song has to be Requiem. This album is just amazing, idk what else to say

I did not care for the vocals one bit. The ones on "Wardance" were especially jarring and annoying. The music had its moments where I could enjoy it. Overall: meh.

Eipä tarjonnut kummoista kokemusta.

Hetkittäin ihan siistiä meininkiä. Ei kuitenkaan mitään ihmeellistä. Kyl tän kuunteli

This is awful. I have a song of theirs in my playlist so I thought maybe they learned to music in the future. Having listened to one of their newer albums, no. They just have one good song.

really boring

Eh. Didn't love it.

I've had this band on my radar forever. I'm glad this project finally forced my hand into listening to them. Rather enjoyed it but did feel a little fatigued by the end, but it might've been from listening to a lot ofnother music beforehand. Will certainly revisit.

Debuutalbum van de Britse post-punkband Killing Joke. Thema is politieke onvrede, wat is terug te horen in de enigszins heftige tracklist. Ok album. leukste nummer: Primitive Album is een favoriet van Dave Grohl. Foo Fighters hebben het nummer "Requirem" als B-side van "Everlong" opgenomen.

I remembered buying this in 1980, but listening today, I would have placed the date in the 90s. This could mark the point where post-punk began to straddle industrial. That alone could justify inclusion on this list. But the songs are uniformly very good and Jaz Coleman is a force of nature. Some production is dated, but that does little to lessen the overall impact.

I don't think this band/album broke through in the US. Not quite punk or hard rock, but a combination of both. Reminds me a bit of Nine Inch Nails.

Not for me. I don’t see how this is essential listening. I liked the chiller and more spacious parts the most.

Good shit

I would have loooved this; back when I was an angsty teen.

This album is the musical equivalent of getting your head smashed into a concrete wall. Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to you. I had no idea that Killing Joke's debut was this raw, as I mostly know them from their goth hits like "Love Like Blood" and "Eighties" (both amazing songs, by the way). The mixing is hard to get used to. Some songs sound like they were made by speaking into a fan and the vocal effect is kind of annoying. I'm sure it was really cool in 1980 though.

This album sounds like if the robots in IRobot made an album together. Where's Will Smith when you need him?

Punk, Post Punk, who gives a shit? I understand the important political aspects of punk and post-punk, but the music is not really my cut of the jib. It's kind of funny to see the transition of punk from the 60's into the 90's and how much of a turn it makes entering the 00's. Not for me

The only thing that album did for me was make me want to listen to Judas Priest...so I did...and it was awesome. I hope that Screaming for Vengeance or British Steel come up on this list

Wardance is scary. I enjoy this more than the "every song sounds the same" punk, but still not my jam really.

Detta gillade jag

Sure it's dark and grim but feels sort of quaintly so today, by which time we've seen scarier posers willing to push the schlock to much more extreme ends. Some bits (e.g., the Satanic-sounding vocals on "Wardance") sound like the band was undecided on whether to be metal or new wave. "Requiem" and "Tomorrow's World" sound like vintage new wave, the former with a hard, relentless undertone that points toward industrial. "Complications" is cool enough and "Primitive" also decent. Another situation where one thinks, they were probably great live. A little tired in effect overall with lots of '80s production cliches being applied (if slightly before their time) but fully representative of the early days of the darker, edgier end of new wave).

Listening to this, I would not have predicted that it was made in 1980. It feels like it was made a few years after that, and the sound of this album was clearly influential in a lot of bands from the 80s and 90s. It's really cool that it was essentially recorded live with no overdubbing, and it's even cooler that it came out sounding good. Plenty of other punk bands have tried that approach and produced albums that would be classics if they didn't sound like complete garbage 4/5

Not bad. Very unfamiliar

Really wild album!!! A lot of very cool songs on this album! First time listening to this and I really enjoyed it! Super punk album which I really dig. Super stripped down sounds and very raw sounding instruments, synth in there as well sounds so ahead of its time! Also even some songs I can feel the punk style that Turnstile takes from which I really enjoy! Very very solid album!

Not my style. But good sound

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

nohoyou

Märklig industriell post punk.

Definitely not quite what I expected. Much softer and experimental than most post-punk I’ve heard from this list. Overall it wasn’t my favorite sound but an interesting listen nonetheless. 5/10

Cool heavy rock, not my fav but glad I listened

Didn't like it.

I’m worried that I’m only 5% through this list and I feel so strongly that I would have been ok dying without ever hearing this album. It’s fine, but I think there probably are better options.

It's hard to believe that this is now more than 40 years old, so I guess that's why it doesn't sound as fresh and exciting as it did back then. Abit dated, but still good.

One of the better 80s punk albums I listened to, although repetitive at times

It's good. Not great. Maybe it was a big deal in the punk world; I'm not sure. I like a lot of punk rock, but this wasn't anything special.

3.5/5

Rock un poco de bajo nivel. Mezclado con unos toques psicodélicos y electrónicos. Diferente de lo que suele ser.

it was ok, some songs had a rush-y vibe which was cool

This was alright

I enjoyed the second half more. High 3.

This album- was a joke. And it killed me! No but the singing ruined it completely. The music had some potential however I was too distracted by screaming. Not much else to say. 👎👎👎

Industrial raw roughly-mixed punk sounds like my biggest musical nightmare. ...but man the opener "Requiem" is pretty damn good. It's only after that that things slip off the rails - "Wardance" yeah when your lead singer sounds like gargling thumbtacks would improve things, it's just not gonna go far. The music isn't bad albeit a bit too simplistic to carry the song. And I feel like that applies to virtually the entirety of the rest of the album. I guess to someone who would really hate this genre what's the difference between this and something like Gang of Four? I don't know that these guys could play very well or more importantly write good songs. Based on what I could tell from the wiki article they wanted this recorded as quickly as possible and raw. And... that's where I jump ship. Who gives a fk about whatever the hell "authenticity" means if it's not any good? I can't fully slag on this because it's not all bad - "Bloodsport" I love that synthesizer running through it. But it's ... eh it's just not a good song. That was a great start and then it didn't go anywhere. "Primitive" suffers a similar fate albeit without synth - there's a very cool idea in there but it just drags. This is far from the worst album and there really are elements that work (or come frustratingly close to working) simply because they're cold and angular and even spacious but damn, they should've hired a producer. 4/10 2 stars.

Every song somehow managed to sound exactly the same

This was all right for aort of proto-industrial, not really my thing. The vocals got stale for me pretty quickly.

Electronic kind of punk

This album is very impressive considering the time it came out in but I don't think that it has aged very well especially considering the amount of superior music alike that has came out since this album's release. Still though, this album has some great riffs and energy but does suffer from repetitiveness and I did find myself getting bored at times while listening. 7/10

Post-punk, industrial rock. Así, oscuro. Me ha gustado. Un 4.

Primera canción bien. Segunda, miedo. Post-punkindustrial rockhard rock. Se desgañita. Le he puesto un 3 porque hay varias canciones que me gustan. Pero casi le doy un 2.

-like 5 songs in, not very into it yet -i didn’t get into it, it just isn’t good -no this album just sucks

Raw post-punk stripped to its bare essence. The drums hit with a direct, unembellished punch, while the guitars slice through with a sharp, angular edge. There are flashes of glam rock swagger—echoes of Alice Cooper’s theatrical grit—blending seamlessly with the detached, experimental spirit of John Lydon’s PiL. “Complications” stands out, evoking the moody textures and urgency of early The Cure records.

There are about 15 songs by XTC that are absolute bangers. Every time one of them comes on I think "I should listen to more XTC." Then, I listen to more XTC and remember why I don't listen to more XTC. This is roughly a yearly occurrence. I struggled through this record, but I really liked 2 songs.

not my everyday cup of tea, but i appreciate it

Hadn’t heard of this band before but really liked their music. I wonder what became of them…

I've never listened to killing joke before, but I HAVE heard the Metallica cover of the song "The Wait". The song itself is pretty meh, but Metallica did an awesome cover of it on their "garage days" double album of covers, which I highly recommend. https://www.revolvermag.com/music/killing-joke-weird-wild-story-revered-cult-industrial-pioneers There's some great songs on here: primitive, complications, and the opener are fantastic

It kept getting better (very rare for an album to do!)

Not my style

J'aime le rock, je me sentais à la maison. Je peux tout à fait voir comment ce groupe a influencé Nine Inch Nails

Didnt enjoy, it wasnt terrible, but just not really that good for me.

Nothing special, expected to like this more - I guess there's historical significance here but their formula was massively improved by bands such as Big Black a few years later. Let's go a generous 3.

clash but grundgyer

Not very interesting. Not bad but also doesn't stand out. My star rating: ⭐- Hated it ⭐⭐- It was ok / meh ⭐⭐⭐- I liked it, good for background music. ⭐⭐⭐⭐-I really liked it, would recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐- Best thing since sliced bread. Other people are wrong with their perfectly logical criticisms. It's part of my personality now.

Finally, a band I've never heard of before.. let's go! Half way through the album. This is EXACTLY the type of album that makes this project worth it. Top notch discovery incoming! After two full listens. This is easily the best discovery I have made so far on the generator. In other people's reviews, everyone has a different opinion on who this band sounds like, or who they've clearly influenced. Obviously, the extent of their influence stretches pretty wide. But beyond that, this is a very solid, exciting assortment of songs. The album is well balanced, well paced, there are no weak tracks, there are no weak links within the band, just great music all around. 5/5 defiant fists in the air ✊✊✊✊✊

I can see why this belongs on the list but not for me.

Metal uden rigtig at være det

Not my vibe

Pretty sick. Is it Punk maybe? Industrial sound and slightly groovy Fave track - Change

It's oj. Main protagonist theme.

Another album I just didn't get enough time with. I have a sense of dread with any band I'm not familiar with that has post-punk as a description. What a hit and miss genre. This was pleasantly surprising. Loved the heaviness. Appreciated the defined sound and song structure. I suspect this would get a 4 rating if I had more time with it...but, gotta move on. 1 = bad 2 = average 3 = good 4 = great 5 = outstanding

Punk never really my thing, even though this band was emerging from the punk scene. They were influential to follow on groups, for example, Dave Grohl, so we have to thank Killing Joke for helping formulate the sound of groups like Foo Fighters

Maybe I am just not in the mood for this kind of genre, maybe I am not into the music. Cant say that I enjoyed listening to the album. Will I listen to this album again? I dont think so. unless, if there's something that direct me this way again, some discoveries, some suggestions, I might. 2.1/3

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

Killer it

Still as impressive as when I first heard it over 30 years ago, and not just for the happy nostalgia it evokes - a great album.

Basic.

Hadn't heard this before. Mixed feelings, there were parts I enjoyed, other parts less so. What was with the vocals on Wardance? Sounded like a Dalek!

These guys should have either added more to each song that wasn’t repetitive or trimmed the fat. Too much of the same thing in each song. Repeated choruses way too many times. Put another verse in or trim the length

This was a cool blend of Industrial and 80’s sounds. Bloodsport was a cool instrumental tune, that oddly sounded like a gritty rendition of the Ferris Bueller, Oh Yeah song. I can definitely hear the influence Killing a joke would have had in NIN, Nirvana and others. First time listening to one of these albums during a workout and it was absolutely a great workout album, I’d return to it for sure. 4 stars!

The sounded like they were on the edge of a sound that was going to be something special but never got there. This isn't great, didn't finish.

This sounds way ahead of its time to me. A nice mix of garage band rock and punk. That being said, it's not really made for me. It was just okay.

I enjoyed this. Thought it was melodic at times and hard at times. You could tell they influenced many prog rock bands. Favorite Track: Tomorrow's world

Better than I expected. Will listen to again.

I'm picky with post punk but this falls on the side of not boring so awesome yay. Wasn't expecting the synths but they are very welcome.

Great. Nin influence

With this apocalyptic album, Killing Joke become anything but as they, with an industrial post-punk sendup, provide the blueprint for what would become a defining sound for various inspired bands of the late 80s and early 90s. Favorites: Requiem, Wardance, Bloodsport, Complications, S.O.36, Change.

Couldn't get into it or understand why it is so seminal

Até surpreendeu pelo instrumental mais pesado, carregado do tom industrial. Só o vocal ainda me incomoda com o tom marcante dos anos 80 pós punk.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Change

Really liked this album.

very solid punk sound. I enjoyed it more than I thought. almost a 4.

i dislike the rough distorted sound plus FX on the vocals

C'est correct, j'ai aimé l'écoute et ca m'a permit de me concentrer pour mes tâches moins passionnantes. 3.25

What a sick joke!

I like it.

Was expecting to really not like it but turned out to be decent!

2.8

Thought I would hate this, but ended up enjoying it. Oddly, sounded a bit like Gang of Four in spots.

Pretty sure this album gave me a headache. Major thumbs down

This is like a dark, distorted Talking Heads and I dig it. Very moody, very spiky. I especially liked the track Bloodsport.

I’m not sure if I’ve heard Killing Joke before. I might be thinking of the graphic novel, although I’ve never read that either. It seems to be 80s rock from what I can gather from a cursory glance on Apple Music, so this could potentially be very suited to my taste. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Requiem, Bloodsport What a fantastic sound! When the synth intro of Requiem started up, I wasn’t sure which way it would go as it wouldn’t sound out of place in house music, but this is punk rock through and through. I can definitely say that I’ve never heard punk rock that utilises synths quite like this. It never veers into what would be considered pop-punk these days, which is hard to wrap my head around with that synth. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and the instrumental Bloodsport was outstanding. I’ll certainly be giving this a lot of play time.

I didn't like that one. The music lacks creativity and the singer sounds like he is in the room next door trying to talk with his band.

Groovy, bleak, industrial punk.

A little bit too punk for me, don't really find most of it that exciting

Don't remember a lot from yesterday, that's a bad sign

Like it! It's quite straightforward and took a couple of listens to land. Nice punk vibes. Definetly mad about stuff now, not sure what yet.

I was quick to dismiss this album as "just another punk, or post-punk british band", which is true, but up to a point. Killing Joke is in my opinion much more climatic and more music-orientated than their contemporaries from the time. A lot of the album is instrumental and those parts are definitely the best assets, showing real talent from the musicians, but also creating a great atmosphere on the album. Perhaps what actually attracted me to this record is the slightly heavier approach to the genre and bleaker sound, which somehow still feels fresh today. So far I gave it only a quick glance, but for sure I am saving this album for future reference and to come back and listen to it without rush.

2 Thought it started off decent but got weaker as it went on.

Another questionable pick. Some ok guitar but lyrics and singing were naff.

What Ben said

Pretty interesting noise rock or early industrial rock. for the 80s this sounds pretty modern but not my favorite style of music

Very good

favourite song: tomorrow’s world least favourite song: requiem very solid album, no major complaints but didnt quite grab my interest

Interesting

loved the german radio in the background in that one song

Not the best album

Clear line from the clash>killing joke>Jane's addiction, minus the good guitar work of Jane's. First song is fine. The growly synth vocals are not needed. Some of this navigates the space between tolerable and good. Early Nirvana vibes on The Wait. It's OK overall. Probably closer to 3 than 2 but I round down.

Well the shitty synths and reverb drenched guitars are back. This band probably said "hey lets be like The Clash but really suck".

Interesting listen. Cool blend of post-punk, metal, electronic, industrial, and even dub. Not something I’m likely to visit again, but I will admit that this album was at least 10 years ahead of its time and definitely deserves its spot on this list.

Classic industrial post-punk also with a bit groove and a sprinkle of shoegaze, I thought. The opening track ‘Requiem’ is the standout but the rest of the album chuggs along reassuringly in the background.

What's not to like about dystopian art punk funk rock?? Sounds like a soup made from The Cure and Joy Division, that's been mixed in a Pet Shop Boys synth blender.

‘Bloodsport’ was a great song, didn’t particularly like anything else.

Really enjoyed the driving rhythms throughout

Great opening track and the rest is also really listenable.

A strange listen and way better than expected. No love for the vocals but really liked the raw and repetitive music. Swear I can hear shades of this in certain 90s albums. Prime cut: Requiem

Got better each time I listened to it. By the end of the day….i was a fan. Still need more time to give it a higher rating. 3/5

Very good and can definitely hear the influences they had on future artists in many of the songs. Way ahead of their time.

me morí de risa

No fun man

Another album ahead of it’s time and underdeveloped but had some cool stuff

Прослушано. Альбом яркий, но не мое.

I didn’t mind this. I didn’t feel like it dragged at all but I preferred the instrumental songs. I doubt I would listen to this again but it was alright.

Good for heavy lifting at the gym. Wouldn’t listen to it during other activities. Like the guitar and drum but not really the voice/singing part.

This album made me overlook my dislike of both post-punk and overtly British things on this list. I'd heard The Wait before (yeah lol), I know I've listened to one of their later albums and it left me cold, but this was kinda fresh. I like the industrial vibe. A bit minimalist and repetitive - really sets the stage for something like Ministry a few years later. 3/5.

I need to always stop and think about genre definitions when there's a UK "punk" band on the list. Another ok album though I'm sure influential.

Not a huge fan

Love the music. Hate the vocals.

Wow, really liked this one. I would have loved to listen to the original, as opposed to the remaster, as the band produced it themselves and I can only imagine that the intent of that was heavily muted on a 2005 digital remaster

Well, it certainly isn't the sound I was expecting when I started the album. Sadly not really a sound I'm crazy about. It takes a very simple approach for a lot of the songs, but that just means a lot of the songs start out good then don't do anything to stick in my head. I will agree that the bass is very nice, and some of the songs remind me of other songs I do like (early Ministry comes to mind), but this really doesn't do it for me.

Ok album. I liked Complications. Everything else kinda forgettable/samey/repetitive

The repetitive character of the guitar riffs, the keystrokes and the rousing drumwork have an hypnotic effect on the music, and musically and lyrically it provides a somewhat nihilistic and grey view of the world. It is the link between the punk and the post-punk. Killing Joke succeeds in creating a the atmosphere and sound that is characteristic of the British urban environments in the early 1980s. The album cover also contributes to that feeling. Absolute masterpiece

Never heard of this band, couldn't understand a lot of the lyrics but the music was fun. I could see picking this up if I saw it at a shop to slot in alongside The Clash and Sex Pistols on the shelf

Outstanding example of early electro-punk fusion.

I hadn't heard of this band, though it looks like I should have. This is the third or fourth punk band it's picked lately. It was fine but didn't stand out to me.

Ikkje så inspirerande

Not my thing - a bit coarse and heavy

Not crazy about this one. Bloodsport was pretty good, but even that went on a little too long.

Cool, thought it was going to be scary because the name is scary but it wasn’t scary

Very cool album

Forgettable

Totally missed this band down the decades. Reminds me (a little bit) of Gang of Four who I love. Vrey giid indeed.

not my cup

Pretty good. I liked the songs where he sang. Some songs were just the same riff on repeat for 4 minutes

Album de post-punk intéressant. Un peu gloomy comme son, parfois les chansons sonnait toute pareil. La chanson Change est un bon single pour l'album

Unpleasant to focus on and as background music.

amazing

This is right up my alley, never heard of Killing Joke and for a second I accidentally started listening to the 2003 album that has the same name before realizing my mistake. Based on the name and the album I'm expecting some Punk. Instead, this is some straightforward solid Rock. It's parts Industrial, Metal, Grunge, Goth, but where it falls in between all of those you get some solid rock music that sounds way ahead of its time. Definitely dig this, would listen again and I'm interested to explore more of this band. Really well done, the instrumentals really stand out here.

First impression: these guys sound like the Anti-Nowhere League. Second impression: there's some good guitar and bass playing in here. Third impression: it all kinda runs together, and the vocals are often hard to understand. This feels like an album of unmet potential. 2.5 stars rounded down to 2.

So glad this is on the list. I enjoyed it so much I listened to it twice along with two other albums. I was already a fan of their most popular songs, Eighties & Love Like Blood, but this album was rougher with a mix of rock, punk & industrial. At times, they reminded me of Ministry. I'll be listening to Killing Joke regularly (which is something I've been meaning to do anyway). They've got a new lifelong fan.

I have no idea why I never listened to much Killing Joke before. Caught my attention with the very first track and didn't let go until the album was done. I'm definitely remedy the fact that I've paid so little attention to Killing Joke up until now.

As much a post-punk band as a proto-industrial one, Killing Joke have a somewhat important place in the history of those two genres, even though what they accomplished during the eighties was later refined by very different bands going from Big Black to Nine Inch Nails, bringing more interesting rhythms and sounds to the barebones formula displayed by the band's first LP. With this mind, it's still nice to hear that highlights "Requiem", "Wardance" and "The Wait" still set a pretty high bar from the get-go, in spite of the early years in which they were recorded. And apart from the extremely clunky white-funk instrumental (?) "Bloodsports"--clearly out of place here--everything else on this record is more than decent, if not absolutely mindblowing. Check out the later album *Night Time*, too, if you're intrested in the band. Not for "Love Like Blood", a poppier experiment that hit the charts and yet didn't age that well, but at least for two other tracks: mesmerizing "Darkness Before Dawn" and catchy "Eighties". The latter is famous because Kurt Cobain probably nicked its intro for the one on "Come As You Are", but it's not the only reason the song should be listened to given its prophetic lyrics about how said competition-driven "eighties" would be perceived in later decades. Because, hey, Killing Joke could get pretty topical too, even if it was in a goofy, somewhat low brow way. And this topicality is *also* an asset of their first record for those who are into that sort of thing, by the way... I need to know if I have enough room on my list to include this one, to be honest. But I *do* wish I have room for it, even though I'm not a *huge* fan of the industrial genre. Time will tell. Hope "the wait" doesn't seem too long for me, at least... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 838 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 89 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 40 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important: 34 (including this one)

Mira, no tenía idea que esto existía, pero la primera canción me cautivó y se fue directo a mis listas.

Another ok album

The Wait is a good song, the rest is bad.

some heaviness similar to metal punk too 2.5

I loved being introduced to this. This is an ur-text for much of my favorite music, esoterically the industrial stuff I love. A mixture of metal, dub, krautrock and post-punk, the claustrophobic, apocalyptic sound is muscular and riving. I enjoyed this so much, and it goes onto my must-get list.

Only listened to half of the album. It's not that it was so bad. In fact, I guess I found it more enjoyable than unenjoyable. But it was just too distracting during work.

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

Meh

This album is a seminal post punk record that has been cited by many musicians as influential. This album goes beyond its post punk pedigree and anticipates grunge and alternative rock while incorporating electronic sounds. The fact that Killing Joke was released in 1980 is astonishing given how it sounds like it was released within in the last 30 years. All in all this Album was incredibly ahead of its time.

They're only on this list because Nirvana and Metallica liked them.

Better than expected, although similar to other albums still enjoyable

Heavy, industrial, feel like there are also some dub influences here. Surprised I'd never heard of this before; feel like a band like Big Black or Failure would have worn copies of this record. Favorite tracks: "Wardance", "The Wait", "S.O.36"

Loved it. Some really great rifts and just beats. Don't know how this escaped me. this what this list is for.

Brutal filled with grunge punk and many other fast paced genres. Vicious almost

Average.

Vraiment bon, en avance sur son temps, définitivement à réécouter.

Nice gritty light industrial feel. Not bad but unlikely to be on my replay list

Complications tem um vocal interessante

Not that good really.

took me a couple of listens but i think i like this one. War dance is a lot of fun

It had it's moments, I just didn't love it. Feeling too lazy to go into detail.

This is one heavy album. And the opener Requiem is the albums heaviest song. The album is carried by the greatness of Requiem. Requiem is the perfect distillation of classic Black Sabbath through the filter of 1980s Punk/post punk in GB. Both reminiscent of the past as well as predicting the Goth and Industrial styles to come. There are other good songs on Killing Joke, But its Requiem that makes this album a 4.5

Ok

Not bad but definitely not great. I liked Bloodsport

Somewhere in the space between Joy Division, Sonic Youth, and proto-Nine Inch Nails. Really cool, and excellently executed vision.

Really firm and raw. Got a little bland a few songs in, but I really desired a live show after this.

Generic and very plodding in places, everyone else did it better than this. The Wait is the only redeeming feature.

Listened to this on Friday and thought it wasn't great then, flicking through it now and I don't disagree with past me. Not awful, but not particularly good either. Not my favourite genre, and I don't think a particularly good example of it. 2/5.

fine, but had my fill of this in the Phono in Leeds Merion Centre in 1994

Después de varias vueltas este 3.5 es de los más difíciles qué he tenido para subir o bajar. Me sorprendió la fuerza de la banda y que no suenan a algo que tiene 40 años. Por otro lado, se quedaron en la línea de volarme los sesos. Es buena música, sonido crudo y fuera de lo cotidiano pero que le falta un pelo para asombrar completamente.

Rock agradable a ratos pero al final se vuelve cansado porque todo el tiempo está al máximo de saturación la voz y las guitarras. Me gustó más cuando se acabó. Una de las rolas me sonó a Héroes del Silencio pero en inglés.

Wow! What a perfect example of a transition from punk to post-punk. It's got the raw energy of early 70s punk with the refinement yet experimental nature of punk's 80 predecessors. Amazing stuff.

enjoyed this a lot more than i expected. for some reason i always had them down as being a pop punk band who sing about willys and being immature.

A bit of an ordeal

Is it goth? Is it post-punk? Is it industrial? All I know for sure is that Jaz Coleman looks disappointingly normal while doing his weekly shop.

Connaissais zéro ce band, peut-être vu un t-shirt ou une patch de bummer... J'appréhendais mais c'était meilleur que je pensais. Un peu répétititf mais quelques surprises, sons de synths cool et bass pas inintéressante.

2-3 bons trucs. C’est pas très conventionnel, mais c’est pas hyper intéressant non-plus. Ça s’écoute bien quand même.

J'ai découvert Killing Joke en 2003 avec l'autre album Killing Joke sorti à cette époque lorsque j'étais disquaire. Cet album de 2003 a été enregistré avec Dave Grohl au drum. Ça fait un moment que je l'ai écouté, mais j'avais bien aimé. Ici on est donc où tout a commencé. J'ai découvert à l'écoute de cet album que la chanson The Wait que j'avais découverte sur l'album The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited de Metallica est de ce groupe. Je savais que l'album de Metallica était des reprises, mais je n'avais pas cherché à découvrir les pièces originales. Bref, j'adore cette chanson. Sinon pour le reste, j'aime vraiment plein de choses sur cet album. On est dans du post-punk, du rock, des racines d'industriel (voir une bonne influence pour Nine Inch Nails). On a mix de la voix et une façon de chanter qui fait penser par moment aux premiers album de The Cure. On a une guitare incisive qui se démarque de ce qu'on entend habituellement, tout comme les synthétiseurs qui sont plus agressifs. La basse très en avant qui a souvent sa propre ligne me plait beaucoup. Je trouve que tous les musiciens se complètent bien. Mon point un peu négatif serait que ça devient un peu répétitif par moment, surtout après The Wait. Je vais assurément revenir à cet album et sûrement l'ajouter éventuellement à ma collection. Pièce préférée: The Wait

Punk is not my favorite genre. That Said, Some of the songs were good! Particularly the beginning of the album. Later in the album gets to be a little harsh for my taste, but overall is was good

Highlights: Bloodsport. I love an album that is specific and pointed in what it's angry about. Also I love a funky guitar groove.

Album won me over in the end. Great listen.

"Killing Joke" is an early and raw effort in the industrial rock genre, mixing post punk with a very metallic instrumentation. I understand that this is an historic record for the industrial scene, but doesn't sound particularly good.

meh

Great for a mood, or a soundtrack to throwing a molotov.

I know nothing about Killing Joke, the album or the band. There is an early punk feel to this album. Some of the music felt like it was an attempt by the Clash to play music by Echo and the Bunnymen or perhaps music from the earliest version of the Cure, all with a set of amplifiers trying to open a door for Rage Against the Machine. I enjoyed the album enough to listen to the additional tracks from the re-release. "Requiem" was easily my favorite track from the album. I'd come back to this album for a second listen.

Post-punk which I listened to more or less happily. I understand the band evolved after their debut, leaving me with rather higher hopes for other albums. This one is a touch too produced up front, starts to stretch its legs and then ends.

Just boring? A really forgettable album. 4/10.

Very industrial post punk. Could have been 1990 rather than 1980. Impressive on that basis, but too harsh for me.

Feels very dated to me. I like other Killing Joke albums more, but still a pretty impressive debut

Music that sounds way too simple to these ears. Maybe I could have grown to appreciate it if I grew up with it, but that is not the case (and, I’d argue, for very audible reasons).

Hard to pin this sound down. Industrial, post-punk, Brit-rock. Is an odd mixture. Sometimes catchy (like "Primitive"), sometimes redundant and goes no-where ("Tomorrow's World"), sometimes hard driving ("The Wait"). Has it's own sound which appears a bit ahead of their time. To me, is like an unpolished version of Tool. In the end, not really much to me. D+

“Not my thing” - Rich, probably. Also me

Nice sound but bit samey through the album

3.5-4 but cool innovative album.

This rips. 9/10

amazing!

A good joke

Solid Debut, but I wasn't too invested into it. Favorites: "Requiem", "Wardance", "The Wait"

Nah, wasn't all that great.

An okay listen. It was an interesting combo of 70s rock and 80s punk. I probably won't relisten, though.

Thought this was great, Talking Heads vibes.

My main reaction to this is that I find it astounding that it came out in 1980! It sounds remarkably fresh and vital after all these years. Very ahead of its time and certainly holds up well. Love their heavy sound, especially when they incorporate the electronic elements. Love the atmosphere. Only thing I didn't care for were the modulated vocals on "Wardance."

I like a bunch of these, especially Requiem, that simple pulsating synth is a lot of fun. There are a few songss here and there that are just "ok" for me, but overall a cool post-punk album for sure.

1980 - Post-punk; industrial rock; gothic rock; new wave; synth-pop; industrial metal

* Not for me, but I didn't hate it.

This feels like an awesome amalgamation of 70s Punk and 80s Goth and New Wave with a bit of Motorhead sprinkled over the top. Overall result is something that must have sounded like nothing else in 1980s and still sounds fresh today. You can hear the influence in contemporary industrial metal bands like Rammstein for sure

A heavy throbbing slab of post punk with elements of metal. The opening track, Requiem, is the stand-out. 3.5/5

En la mayoría de canciones de este disco parece como si un hooligan se hubiese colado en el estudio de grabación pegando gritos y al grupo le hiciese gracia y se quedase así. Por lo demás, este álbum pasa sin pena ni gloria por tus oídos. Solo “Change” se hace notar un poco.

6.3

asså ja. ja ja ja. fy fan. jag älskar sån här skit. slow gothic punkigt. kanske inte är världens bästa skiva men för mig personligen så mmmmmm

Några bra stunder men lite för mycket edge för mig egentligen. Så jävla whack sound, känns som de medvetet clippar ljudet för att ge en högljudd image. Lyssnar hellre på hög volym utan clipp

Mitt första intryck var kanon. Vid andra genomlyssningen känner jag inte riktigt att det har staying power för mig. En stark 3:a!

Detta var mycket bättre än jag trodde att det skulle vara. Jag förväntade mig inte så mycket alls. Baserat på namnet hade jag gissat att det skulle ha nåt med cool hard rawk att göra, men det var ju gothrock? mm

Like this album very much.Older now but would def be rocking this back in my party days.wish I had known

This was terrible. My ears hurt halfway through the second song

You can't go wrong with post-punk. Instant like. I love the mix of synths with rhythmic drumming and riffs that give off a very gothic appeal. Not to mention that badass album cover. Reminds me of the Wire's Chairs Missing. Some tracks remind me of other post-punk / New Wave songs I know, but I can't put my fingers on it. "Bloodsport" kinda sounds like something from the A-side of Bowie's Low. Only issue I have is that some tracks are too long, which means that repetition tires me by the time a track's only halfway, but it's still pretty cool. The pop-like tracks "Requiem," "The Wait," and "Complications" give me plenty of options to convince other people to get into postpunk. Enjoyed all the tracks, I'll seek out their other work!

Not for me

Really simplistic punk rock -- no real instrumentation to speak of, mostly the same handful of riffs and chords, very repetitive. Also struggled a lot with the vocals -- not very melodic, and while the vocal FX have been used to good effect for bands like Mars Volta, I found it really grating when paired with the lackluster music. Just not my jam, I guess?

It was An album.

Man, those are some wacky sounds in this one! I'm elated to finally have an album I've never heard before for this one. It seems like the real kicker for this album is the lyricism and it's importance in the 1980s UK. Most people brushed it off when it dropped and only picked it up as a faux warsong album. As a 70s diehard, it feels very nostalgic of the post-Vietnam era songwriting, but with an early metal vibe. As I'm listening, I'm most drawn to the weird instrumentation during the intros of most of their songs and then by the vocals. I don't know the name Jaz Coleman, but, after hearing his voice, I want to know more. All in all, a very interesting piece. I'm sure it would mean even more to those that lived through the protest era in the UK. I wonder if the lyrics might be an interesting study given the current climate of protests and civil unrest. Might be more to it than we think.

Good proto-industrial music mixed a bit with new wave. I hadn't heard them before and thought it was a nice little discovery. My industrial days are mostly over but this was good enough to convince me to listen again sometime soon. Giving it 3 but feels more like 3.5.

This was alright, I'm not the biggest fan of it. The thing with most Punk bands is that you can tell that they have a lot of musical talent. However, most of the punk I've listened to is not very enjoyable. Maybe that's the point.

Wow. I already knew this record, along with the super catchy '80s'. This time listening again I could really appreciate the vocals. I have never heard such grandiose aesthetic rock histrionics before, opening sonic dimensions. Oh yeah, and the guitar and rhythms are kick ass, as well. Nevermind chicken little panic about asteroids, but Dave Grohl was on drums, so come as you are.

Pretty rad

No

had a couple jams but overall it was just angsty and british in a way that i don't really care for. 5/10

7/10. Enjoyable enough considering the length.

British critic bait. If only life in London wasn’t so shite. 4/10

It felt like nothing worked: mix was terrible, sound was bland, words were uninspiring. I'm not really sure what the point of this album was, but it was extremely mediocre.

There are a lot of interesting, very thematic with post-punk musical ideas here that blend right into the vibe of the music. That being said, I think other bands like Magazine and New Order did it better. I don't find this particularly exciting or new, especially when Magazine's Self-Titled came out the year before. These are just kind of punk songs that lack the grip, bite, and catchiness of predecessors & contemporaries such as The Clash, Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, and Ramones.

Nice post-punk album. Been wanting to listen to this band for awhile