Closer

Was surprised at how bored I was listening to this.

Can say I enjoyed this. Very meh for me. I’ll have to go back and listen to the previous album from these guys. I gave that a 3 but this one had much less of that something that would make you want to listen. Music was just kind of boring. Which made his voice kind of annoying. 2.25

Still think they're criminally overrated but liked this album more than Unknown Pleasures. 2.75/5

não gostei

Joy Division kept most of their bangers for singles, a practice I admire and wrinkle my forehead at when listening to their LPs, here imagining a version bookended by “Live Will Tear Us Apart” and “Atmosphere”. Instead we start with oddball “Atrocity Exhibition”, Curtis turning Ballard into a ringmaster to champion no-wave guitar skronk, Hook’s bass carrying the melody as it does throughout, a fine kick-off to a fine album, themes consistent over runtime, bleak but sharp-dressed, quietly aggressive, unsettlingly raunchy, ZZ Top if they grew up by the factories reading Anna Kavan and dreaming Malevich’s geometric abstractions. The synths are church organ-like, brooding and insistent: it has taken me the twenty years from when I first heard “Decades” to now to be won over. Back then, “Twenty Four Hours” was my standout, suitable for post-adolescent stroppiness. I wonder if Joy Division adapted their songs to match their producer and his minimalism made for crappy car stereos - subtraction and separation the sound direction. As before, I recommend “Les Bains Douches” to anyone who would like to hear what a tight, rollicking rock band they were.

Appropriately enough, we follow with the darker of the Lancastrian trench coat cohort (fun fact - both this and "Crocodiles" were released on the same day; you're right, Mark, the Bunnymen are very much "fey" although I did not classified them as such before!). I've never spent much time with this album, so was excited to hear it over the weekend - much more enjoyable than "Unknown Pleasures", as it turns out. "Atrocity Exhibition" has exactly what I imagine when people eulogize Joy Division, a recording worthy of their legend. "Isolation" is a banger and the rest never lost my full attention. Excellent stuff.

What a great album. Tragic to hear about the lead singer’s death. Listened to an album or two of New Order the remaining band members new band following Ian’s death. It’s good too! My friend Mike and his partners relationship apparently exists because when they met they were both huge fans of Joy Division.

Not for me.. why do the vocals sound like someone is singing into a tin can or a storage container, and why does it sound like they are always off key in a not intentional way, sounds wishy washy.

Really dull album, nothing exciting, expected better because of the artists reputation

Not my fave soundscape, maybe would be better if I were inna different mood

adivinen? mas música de fondo

I discovered Joy Division when I was still going through my goth phase. Yeah, that’s how some bands sounded back then, and I liked it. These days, though, this genre doesn’t really do much for me anymore, and I find this album in particular rather lackluster. I probably won’t listen to it again. 3/5

Come Closer

Not feeling this one

A atmosfera depressiva (gótica) é interessante, mas faltam melodias e arranjos mais atraentes. Regular!

I found myself listening to this one while doing some Wikipedia diving on Ian Curtis. That really framed the album as a whole for me and while I don’t think any particular track pops out, the album itself is a beautifully gloomy tapestry of sorrow

cool

I don't think it's really bad, but I don't really like it.

ich mag das album sehr gerne aber unknown pleasures mag ich mehr:) aber finde das ist das beste albumcover das existiert

I appreciate the album for it’s place in the musical canon but didn’t particularly like the listen

Lots of synth new wave, some consistent, good stuff there. The singer sounds so much like Interpol.

The lyrics are the strong point. The melodies are very similar. The punk vibe is all there. I wish the production wasn’t so treble laden and separated. It’s distracting.

I've never been a Joy Division fan. While I enjoyed some of the songs, it's not my cup of tea.

I might be the person who respects new order most in this world. JD really sounds like a work site in construction.

Stellar lp. 4.5/5.

Might not be as famous as the album before it, but this is still a damn fine piece of post-punk. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

I’m at a 5. I think I get Joy Division now, or at the very least, I get this album a bit more than I did “Unknown Pleasures”. This feels darker, but it also feels remarkably innovative for 1980. The musicianship involved in crafting soundscapes that compliment the repetition in the drums is hard to describe, but easy to feel throughout, especially with headphones in. It’s apparent from “Atrocity Exhibition”, which uses a literal drill or chainsaw or something to comprise the unsettling backing soundscape. The drums stay consistent, but they melt into that eeriness, acting as more of a heartbeat or pulse that defines the tension underlying the track. If you train your ears to focus too much on the drums throughout this album, you’ll probably find them too bothersome. Just don’t do it. Let everything else surrounding the drums guide the way, including the bass, the guitars, the synths, & surprisingly, Ian Curtis’s monotone vocals. I felt like Ian’s voice didn’t play well against the musicianship on “Unknown Pleasures”, solely because he was practically fighting against some rich & captivating soundscapes. He wasn’t complementing much there, and it just made the album suffer a bit for it, with his voice taking too much attention away from everything else. With this album, his monotony acts as a strong foil to tempos that seem to be defined by external panic, striking me as someone moving too fast to fully cope with & internalize the struggles present in the lyrics. Yes, his suicide before this album’s release paints a lot of this album’s lyrics in a far darker tone in hindsight, but I think it’s still possible to feel some of their weight without knowing about it. Overall, with the drearier tones of this album’s lyrics & vocals contrasting with a slightly higher & slightly brighter energy in the soundscapes, Ian feels like a natural positive here. That higher & brighter energy comes from instrumentally leaning a bit more into the new wave tones that would define New Order. You can hear it throughout, but it’s especially apparent on “Isolation”, “Twenty Four Hours” & “The Eternal”. “Twenty Four Hours” sticks out as a highlight to me, if only because the 2002-ish garage rock tones being met with Ian’s drab vocals really leans into that “fast life vs. panic & internalization” that made this album work for me. “The Eternal” is another highlight, if only because the synthwork there feels way ahead of pace for 1980, in a proto trip-hop kind of way. Ultimately, I liked everything here. I totally get it if the repetition is too much to handle or if Ian’s vocals are still far too abrasively monotone to get something out of this, as I do think this album relies a little heavily on its lyrics. If you don’t want to hear the dreary cynicism present throughout, you probably just won’t like this at all. The ceiling is a 3 under those circumstances. If you can handle everything I mentioned though, I think there’s something here for you. To me, it feels like something unique bridging post-punk & new wave, and it’s a bridge that makes me feel like I get Joy Division a lot more now. I probably need to relisten to “Unknown Pleasures”, honestly. As it stands, this is a strong 45 minutes, a pretty easy 5 for me, and I’m glad it’s on the list.

Not my cup of tea.

yayayaya

Crushing. 9/10

REALLY not a huge fan. My bad.

RIP Ian Curtis… but this album as a whole didn’t do much for me.

The lead singer's delivery would be better suited to a comedy album. This is post punk...I think it is proof that everything is circular because this album sounds like an homage to the Velvet Underground for a world after punk. Also, I think that maybe Brian Eno was right about the Velvet Underground because they influenced punk and then post punk. Honestly, if I could get past the lead singer, I kind of like the music.

Okay

I rather enjoyed this. The more I listened the singer is reminiscent of Paul Banks from Interpol, who are one of my top 3 favorite bands. Great listen.

I can't believe this group having a cool album cover from the 70's has made me think this was some groundbreaking musical act. After finally listening to them, I don't see what the fuss is about...

Very dark, I don't fully understand it to be honest, the story is tragic, the lyrics that I grasped were so dark. That being said I don't really like the vocals, the other instruments are a bit eh and don't really pull me. The only track I saved was Decades. 3/5 overall

"Atrocity Exhibition" is by far my most favorite and played song of all time as of late. I’m really listening to this daily for 2 years now. My second favorite song is “Wilderness” which is not on this album. I am a big fan. I’ve liked this band since I first heard them in the early 90’s. I do not like the song “Love will tear us apart”, also not on this album. I like the faster noise rock bops. I love the hypnotic drums. I can only imagine how cool this was to hear when it first came out. It’s fun, witty, expressive, experimental, poetic and I think kinda funny. I don’t think it’s all that dark or depressing but at the same time I’m not either. I get the tone but it’s a solid banger. Obviously I’m obsessed.

This isn’t the easiest listen. It’s heavy material, beautiful and sad. Isolation always hit me especially hard. Despite what anyone else thinks, I think the vocals are perfect for the album. 9/10 for me.

album poznat otprije! malo žalim što sam njihovom prvencu dao peticu jer je ovaj album na valjda svaki mogući način bolji od prethodnog. zaboravim koliko je posljednja stvar izvrsna. sintićastije što će još više doći do izražaja u bendu-nasljedniku. sve u svemu izvrsno

Sou fã do gênero, memória afetiva fala mais alto, mas a verdade é que é um disco do seu tempo e apenas do seu tempo. Não parece se comunicar com outras épocas. Como curiosidade histórica, basta escutar uma ou duas músicas, não o disco.

Influential. A lil too monotone on the vocals. Very consistent sound that I still thoroughly enjoyed tho. 7/10

bo-ring

🤷

We'll always have Disorder and the Unknown Pleasures cover

Whiney, grunge-y men...again.

Had high expectations

I liked this better than average but a 3 it gets.

The other Joy Division came up almost a thousand albums back. I only gave it a 3! I thought music was, overall, a lot better then. Unknown Pleasures is now a 5. This one’s score is accurate, on a Joy Division/New Order curve. They rock obviously. Obviously.

it's just not for me :/

I am consistent surprised how hard it is to connect to this band and easy it is to connect to New Order. But it is a true statement.

Genre:Sadman

goce división!!! porque vos estás allá y yo estoy acá ja

gran álbum, goce división tiene algo que se repite en todos sus proyectos, personalidad. sabes diferenciar un tema de ellos al resto del mismo estilo. menos mal que nuevo orden surgió para salvar las papas

Eternoooo y aburridisimo. No me gustó nada. Capaz no estaba en la vibra pero realmente me pareció un embole.

The first song is named after a J.G Ballard book, I gotta love it.

Moui, bon il y a quelque sorties musicales sympa mais je suis pas sûre de mon entrain général.

The production and instrumentation on this are so good and it’s a shame the vocals blow ass, it’s really dragging it down for me

Rating: 5.0/5 Short Review: Haunting, beautiful, and unforgettable. Closer is one of the darkest albums ever made, yet it never feels bleak for the sake of it. The combination of Martin Hannett’s spacious production, Peter Hook’s melodic bass, Stephen Morris’ mechanical drumming, Bernard Sumner’s guitar, and Ian Curtis’ voice creates a sound that no one has truly replicated. Released shortly after Curtis’ death, it has an added emotional weight without being defined solely by that tragedy. (en.wikipedia.org⁠) Favorite Track: “The Eternal.” Slow, desolate, and mesmerizing. It’s one of the album’s emotional centerpieces.

An excellent band that led to the formation of an even greater band (New Order). This one will definitely not be everyone's cup of tea but if you like Pink Floyd or other post-punk acts give this one a listen.

Not much joy in this.

This one is actually very nice

File under P for Poignant, given it was recorded two months before Ian Curtis' suicide and released two months after. I guess better that than the other way round. Not sure how that would even work to best. But you get a real sense of claustrophobia, darkness, melancholy, despair as the walls come closing in. This really should be the None More Black album.

al principio pense q era yo el problema asi q lo escuche dos veces, me aburri igual. yo no soy parte del publico objetivo lolz

Not my favorite of theirs

I would listen to it second time. But it has something that I like

One of the most depressing listens so far, this album delves deep into the sadness. I learned afterwards that the lead singer killed himself shortly after production wrapped on the album; makes sense when thinking back at the lyrics and overall tone. This album is a case of something that just isn't for me, as I'm never in the right frame of mind to listen to new wave goth sad rock. Maybe that's a privileged point of view, having a healthy mental state, but it's the only one I've got. I like music with a lot of energy and passion, and this is the exact opposite of that. There's a couple interesting things musically, primarily the bass guitar being front and center on most songs, but I didn't like much. I'm sure this is a lot of people's cup of tea, but it ain't mine. 2/5

Good album, too bad they weren't around longer, but really good

со всем уважением, но не мой жанр

Decades was my introduction to this album (and to Joy Division for that matter, at least to my recollection), and though I've listened to Closer a couple of times since, nothing in the album comes close to that song’s ponderous annihilative despair. That said, I still do like this, particularly the second half.

love this type of music

Actually 200 this time? I’ve screwed up the review numbering at this point so we’re sticking with it. The first track, Atrocity exception, was very aptly titled. That’s what it sounded like, a circus of atrocities. I mean that in a good way. Isolation was a bop. Passover definitely was a very interesting track to listen to and I liked the heaviness of colony. A means to an end was repetitive, but wasn’t bad. Heart and soul was pretty cool. More calming than some of the others. The guitar in twenty four hours was pretty sick! The last two tracks I listened to while driving home, and I liked how steady and full of musical moments they were. 3.5/5 ⭐️ 200/1089

First time I’ve listened to this for a while and forgot how good it truly is. Notwithstanding the death of Ian Curtis, this album is full of monumental atmospheric melancholy

It's so funny how this band always hated their producer's work on their records because they wanted to sound like louder, straight punk. But Martin Hannett knew his vision was right, his detail in the way the space of the sound feels is just straight chilling. Joy Division started to sow the seeds of a new order here with more synth-driven songs, but I do think the songs are, for the most part, not the best in their catalog.

I like it, it's not really my style, but i can listen to it again, my favorites are The Eternal and Decades.

Noisy. Not to my taste.

Less dreary and more edgy + textured than Unknown Pleasures. Zero memorable melodies though. It is time for the Joy Division to end. A New Order must rise.

Another album I’m really glad I gave a few chances because I didn’t really like it the first few listens. But like all good things, they found an audience. It’s really haunting but also very goth dancy. That was really one of my biggest reoccurring thought while listening is how much this album sounds like almost a Bauhaus album. It just sound so atmospheric and dramatic. I honestly thought this album was so close to being a skip album but honestly I didn’t care for the last two tracks. I’m honestly not sure what specifically I didn’t like about those songs, I just thought they were the weakest tracks and also the most grating, especially decades. I really struggled to decide if I liked this album more than I liked Unkown pleasures or not. I honestly think this is my favorite album of theirs. It’s just feels so special like they accidentally created an entire genre of music (which they basically indirectly did). This really probably should be a really depressing emotional album, but I think a big reason why I like it so much as well as Unknown Pleasures, it’s that they are just so fun. Like they just have so much creativity and intriguing decisions like the laser fight in the middle of “insight”. Ok now I’m going off on a tangent. Just go listen to how much this band fucking rocks.

Bought this when it first came out. The opening track is a shock to the system. Definitely takes time to come to terms with it. When you get into it is heartbreaking and sublime. 5 stars

Further away!

Okay.

This is a beautiful, dark, gutwrenching album, and its one of my alltime favorites

Musically this is great, vocally not so much. Thank god for Peter hook and new order.

This album really grew on me as the tracklist went on. The drum parts are simple but sort of trance-like. Each song is pretty distinctive, and the vocals fit really well. EnJOYed it! 3.9/5.0

Ian Curtis just sounds so old - aged before his time, bent, broken, withered. He is the oldest young man I have ever heard, a sense enhanced by both Martin Hannett’s faraway production and my knowledge of Curtis’s death by suicide at age 23. When I first encountered this album as a teenager I found myself impatient with it; it was too slow, too ponderous. I thought I knew what it had to say and wished it would say it already. Now, decades on and with a more pronounced sense of my own mortality, I have the good sense to be afraid of it - of the gunshot snares on “Heart and Soul,” the sickening scrapes of “Atrocity Exhibition,” the failed race against time captured by the aptly named “Twenty Four Hours,” the arbitrary Old Testament God of “Passover.” One of the loneliest albums ever, a forlorn masterpiece.

The dark, gritty yet also dreamy sound of the album reflects the context in which it was produced.

Weary inside, now our hearts lost forever Can't replace the fear, or the thrill of the chase Each ritual showed up the door for our wanderings Open then shut, then slammed in our face

4.5 amazing songs, wasnt a fan of some of the vocals

This album touches perfection...

Heard it before. Quite randomly A Means to an End is one of my favourite Joy Division songs. But the rest of the album? Eh? I mean there are some other good songs here too but I'm just not crazy about the album 2/5

I took a rainy morning walk around my neighborhood to listen to this album, stopping to get a smoothie and wander around a Barnes & Noble under grey cloudy skies. I only knew Joy Division (and by extensions New Order) by their reputation as an incredible band and the ubiquity of the Unknown Pleasures album cover. Despite hearing so much praise for them over the years, I had no firm idea of what they would actually sound like; based on vibe alone, I was expecting something heavy and grungy. However, I was surprised at just how much funkier this album ended up being, being far more in line with new wave acts. I also enjoyed Ian Curtis' unconventional singing voice reminiscent of bands like REM; as lyricist, vocalist, and guitarist, much of this album's tone and vibe is a credit to him specifically. To lose Curtis just before this album is tragic, and I can completely understand where the rest of the band would have to undergo a complete reinvention to carry on without him. With their generally dark tone, unconventional drum patterns, and more synths than I would have initially expected, I can hear where Joy Division represents another early step on the path of goth music. In fact, in Joy Division's proximity to new wave, I can even more clearly understand how the pomp and aesthetics of that genre slowly trickled down into goth music; the melodramatic emotion of goth pairs beautifully with the grand sincerity in the instrumentation. While some songs here are just a little slow and barren for me personally, I can absolutely understand why Joy Division left such a permanent mark on music history in only two albums. Highlights: Atrocity Exhibition, Isolation, Passover, Colony, A Means to an End, Twenty Four Hours

NEW WAVE! 5/5 - i don’t quite remember when I listened to this but it was a good album!

Joy Division is a band I still don’t get. I really like New Order, but I think Joy Division reaches too far into the edgier and more gothic direction. I understand the appeal, but it’s not for me.

Some good riffs on bass and guitar, but it was hard to get past the vocals for me, which made me feel kinda bad once I read about the album and the lead singer's death. But I still stand by it, unfortunately.

What.

Really liked this. Can see how they were so influential to so many artists. Not a fan of the vocals though. Sucks what he went through but I didn’t think he added anything special to this. Liked the album in spite of his voice, not because of it.

Probably my favorite Joy Division album that I've heard thus far.

Very good record.

It’s ok.

Правда хорошо, особенно под конец

It's always interesting for me to listen to a band or album that I know is beloved, but I have no real experience with it. Sometimes it feels like the weight of the renown gets in my way of just listening to a piece on its own, but then again, knowing the context of a piece and how it fit into the world adds to the experience. It was with all of that in mind that I put on my first Joy Division record, and for the most part, it was a fine listen. I heard a few parts that reminded me of DEVO, and a few that felt like Talking Heads. I didn't pay the closest attention to Ian Curtis's lyrics, but knowing his story, his whole vibe really was the centerpiece of the album. Nothing really stood out to me, but I liked it overall. I'd listen again.

What if they made an evil Talking Heads and they sucked

Too mopey and not interesting enough. Still cool but not what I’d listen to on the regular.

Meh

Never really listened to Joy Division when they came out, but I really enjoyed this album a lot!

tipico rock tranquilo oscuro con voz no muy presente, meh, todas muy parecidas, 1/5

This is a seminal post-punk transition album that influenced nearly all "alternative" music. Pitchfork: 10.0 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #309 Best Songs Atrocity Exhibition Isolation Colony Twenty Four Hours

As someone who hasn’t listened to either band, I was totally unaware of the relation between Joy Division and New Order. Digging into this record, it feels like more of a modern art museum piece than music to “enjoy.” I’m aware of the context of what Ian Curtis was going through but I just can’t really latch onto the vocal performance, similar to with the B-52s it bumps me off focusing on the other instruments, even in a song as good as Twenty Four Hours. He kinda sounds like Will Forte singing parody songs. I fear I may just not be much of a punk person, which apparently extends to Joy Division. Curious if I’ll like their debut album more when that pops up. As it stands, if I was listening to this and a friend walked in the room I think they’d say “wtf is this.” The backing band hit the pocket on the last three songs and that was nice.

4.0- Very Good

this is objectively the weaker of their two albums which is to be expected after ian curtis i suppose :( but the overall score is bumped up by how excellent twenty four hours is

Meh. Another British post punk album.

Made me sad,in a good way.

You can hear this album in so many newer bands that followed. Interpol is the first that jumps out to me. I really enjoyed it.

This is the better of the two Joy Division albums imo, I love how cold everything feels, it is produced so well. The whole record is really stark and bleak

this is not me

Totally brilliant and hypnotic opening track. Overall I really like the sound and most of what the band is doing but while I don’t mind his singing, I just find the actual vocal lines quite samey and hard to engage with and so am unlikely to revisit this much.

It sounds like the walls closing in on you, but the walls have never sounded better.

Good album:)

This album makes me sad that we didn't get more Ian Curtis. In the same vein as Bauhaus, She Wants Revenge, it is gothic dance music. A truly fun album front to back.

A classic of new wave.

Solid Joy Division album

Excellent album, brought back some great memories, couple of tracks I’d not heard before too, what could’ve been later?

I feel like it was just being pulled slowly into quicksand. I am just stuck, depressed but I can't get anywhere.

The first song sounds like they are rubbing their guitars against power tools and it doesn't get much better from there. The songs are monotonous and boring. Musically uninteresting and lacks any kind of melody.

This wasn’t bad but it had a whiny quality that I had a hard time getting into, and it just kind of depressed me. It had enough cool moments to escape Twosville though.

just boring, nothing to catch onto or any memorable features, mostly repetitive, good production and sound though

Boff

Well - I listened.

Unknown Pleasures is so much better than this it’s insane.

Pretty generic trash. Usually a Joy Division fan, but this just was not up to par.

Torn on what to give this. I love a lot of what the New Wave sound has become. I like some of the underlying beats and melodies that this album provides. I cannot stand the singer and their style. So where to put this?

Repetitive and discordant melodies. Out of tune for most of it. 3/5

I think I like the New Order sound a bit more. Think I need to run this one back though

I'll give Joy Division one thing: both their albums start on the absolute best foot possible. "Disorder" on the debut innovates an entire genre in real time, and "Atrocity Exhibition" is that genre's vampiric cousin, brough to life (back to it?) just a year later. I really thought I was in for something absolutely exceptional, but the album ended up being more hit-or-miss than anything else to my ears. For every clear highlight like the opener or "Colony," there were 2 songs that just did noting. Too moody, too ambient, not enough rhythm to move anything forward. It felt like the B-side took a really weird left turn into synthwave especially on those last 2 songs. There's enough here to make me appreciate individual songs as highlights of post-punk and the gothic sound that emerged out of them, but they feel a little bit hidden in the gloomy, murky mire that is the album they're on. Furthermore, while the rest of the band has improved leaps and bounds from the debut to Closer - it's apparent in the grooves on the more driving songs - Ian Curtis' voice just has not kept up. It's still the same pitchy monotone on basically every song, which really detracted from the incredible potential these songs had. I know that Joy Division sold a lot of people on the strength of that voice, but I honestly find it sounds so... amateurish compared to the instrumentals. Came in with high hopes, left with a mild appreciation. Key Tracks: Atrocity Exhibition, Colony, A Means to an End

Overall feels like a dark labyrinth.

This also has some of the best post-punk music ever made. This record played a pivotal part in shaping my music taste, when i first started to obsess over joy division, when i was around 17. I kinda feel sad for people who can't stand people singing off-tune, they're really missing out on some of the rawest emotions in popular music. I think unknown pleasures is a better record altogether. This is way more depressing. I think decades and Heart and Soul are some of their best, this has to be only a strong 4 compared to my fives.

Definitely prefer Unknown Pleasures. Lost interest a little of the way through.

I do not know a lot from joy division but from what i know they are iconic. This album creates a really cool dark and mysteriour ambience and i love that. Plus the cover art is also really cool!

Joy Division is tragic "in real life" and it makes it magnify the melancholy, EMO lyrics. I mean if one wanted to find the roots of EMO music, look no further. Nevertheless for some reason I love this band and their follow up New Order. Yup, the lyrics are outright depressing, the way they present their songs... But somehow it is still special. Maybe it feels real, if not a bit dread dramatic, it is not uplifting or hopeful, but it is exquisite somehow still. Sometimes it is unclear, maybe I like the kind of pioneering electronic vibe or how the emotions cut right through or it feels raw and personal Or all those things in combo, but I am a huge Joy Division fan-girl and always have been.

This brought me little joy,.

Funny how randomness works, I got Unknown Pleasures last week. Unknown Pleasures is a seminal album. For some reason I never listened to closer. I expected Atmosphere to be on the album, as well as Transmission. Apparently both songs never were released on an album. Closer was everything you expect. Dark, prominent bass, machinelike drumming. It is terrific record, but it lacked the lasting impact that Unknown Pleasures had. Now I’ve got to watch Control and 24 Hour Party People again

I was not looking forward to this album because honestly Ian Curtis' voice gets on my nerves. I mean, when they are good they absolutely kick ass ("Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Interzone"), but I found it difficult to overcome his singing. It has no melody, and no coherence to the actual music. Surprisingly, I enjoyed this album despite his voice. It just rips. Best songs are "Twenty Four Hours" and "Isolation", though the whole album just has a brooding darkness that I am drawn to (though there are plenty of moments where Curtis' voice still gets on my nerves). Very good album.

Man I don’t think I’m depressed enough for this I wanted to love this, but I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed it. There were some interesting ideas, but they were often cancelled out by the band’s droning. With what happened to Joy Division after this, it is truly a tragic album, but not one I can really appreciate.

Crushing and hypnotic in the best ways. Makes my body want to thrash and spasm along.

Good sound, important album

acho que é necessário estar sob efeito de drogas pesadas para apreciar este album por inteiro

Ok listen but another I wouldn’t want on regular rotation.

The beginning is tough, and not because of the lyrics and music, but for me it was non-existent. But after “A Means to an End” it’s just… beautifully sorrowful.

Kind of disappointed with this album. Not as good as their other album .

The kind of album that probably improves on each listen. Dark and moody but still keeps a little groove here and there. Favourites: Atrocity Exhibition Heart and Soul Twenty Four Hours

I really don't like this style of vocals/singing. Colony did sound like he was saying Paula Deen tho.

I tried it three times. I still am not getting the influence they had with this album. Did I like some of the songs? Sure. But I didn't find them mind blowing

5/10 No me convencional mucho, mas canciones medio pelo que buenas pero no son todas malas

History knows of several cases where an artist's death, above all else, makes their final work a cult classic. This second and final Joy Division album is one of them. Objectively, it's truly more cohesive than the debut, with more interesting sonic and production innovations. Subjectively, it's incredibly difficult to listen to; it's not just mournful, but Ian Curtis's oppressive, cold voice, from beginning to end, speaks of the impenetrable darkness of the universe, moral decay, and death. Not only do the vocals sound eerie, but they're made even more mystical, buried deep in the mix, and the mechanical, albeit powerful, bass lines and guitar, which in the first song could easily be mistaken for a chainsaw, are brought to the forefront. Some see decadent beauty in Closer, but after listening to it I had the feeling of "Death is vile from post-punk, coffin, coffin, cemetery..." and so on down the list.

This guy's style of singing was reminding me of the B52s guy and the Talking Heads guy. This album is super depressing.

Early alt

It’s a good sounding album and flew by but it never really grabbed me

WAY ahead of its time with pretty fantastic bass and drum work throughout. Obviously also a huge tragedy; many of the lyrics are remarkably sad given the lead singer's tortured life. Tons of power and energy.

Enjoyed their sophomore (and sadly final) album better than their debut. So many tragic backstories on this list.

Misery

No joy, just division

I so desperately want to like Joy Division. I feel like I'd get 17 points cooler if I could get down. But alas. Fuck this music. The only positives I have to offer are: 1. These are two of the coolest album covers that probably exist 2. The lyrics are truly very, very cool Other than that, it's just such a suck fest. They find one mediocre-at-best lick and milk it dry for 5 straight minutes, paired alongside some seriously god-awful vocals. In theory, Joy Division should be so perfect and so damn cool. But I just don't think they ever pull it off. Fave tracks: - Isolation (for the ending) - Twenty Four Hours

Joy Division album had an energy that this one lacked. Not curious to rewind

Dark lyrics were thoughtful at the same time predicting the future of the band. Traces are also of the future sound of New Order.

Ihr bestes Album imho.

good and gloomy, as anticipated

I remember hearing this for the first time decades ago, at a friend’s apartment, and I thought the singer was terrible. I went as far as to say that even though it’s horrible that he killed himself, New Order emerged from the ashes and unleashed something upon the world that they may never have done with Ian still associated. Time has crumbled that critical edge in me though. This album is an absolute classic. There are labyrinths in these tracks.

4.5

I wanted to like it more than I actually liked it

Yaaay - the Nazi art school kids make sub-par post punk and the other nazi art school kids go crazy for it..wooo.

Incredible

Me tardé mucho en encontrarle la genialidad a Closer, de Joy Divison, pero por fin pasó. Supongo que es el momento en la vida en que uno lo escucha. Un amigo de la preparatoria me lo prestó diciéndome que era lo máximo en el planeta, y me pareció todo lo opuesto. Durante los años seguí escuchándolo sin encontrarle mucho de qué enamorarme, y resulta que hoy, hasta los 45 años, lo escuché y ahora sí fue toda una revelación. Supongo que es lo genial de la música. Encontrará un momento para hablarnos, para conectar, y de ahí no volverá a irse.

This is my second album from them and it's just not for me. The entire thing sounded too much like generic 80s pop and rock with all the synthesizers and that specific style of bass line. Honestly, the whole record just feels way too bleak and monotone to actually enjoy listening to. The vocals are flat, the drums sound like an assembly line, and the electronic elements make everything feel cold and robotic. It just drags on without any real energy or memorable hooks. If you want something with a dark mood, this has it, which was appropriate because my first chance to listen to it was when I was sitting in the dark last night while our power was out thanks to a tornado

If a band could only have 2 albums, they would be lucky to be as good as this and Unknown Pleasures.

Britpop, lite najs ibland men så flat sång.

I...guess Im not into Joy Division as much as I thought I might be. A couple songs hit for me,, but not an album I'm going to revisit any time soon.

Rock, but flat and dull.

6 - AVERAGE

Joy Division is a band which reinvented music at an odd time. Although this isn't my favorite of their works, it's such a great sound.

I appreciate the music to an extent, but I don't know if the total package is really for me. It's just kind of there. I want to like it more I guess but it's just middling. The music is fine, Ian Curtis' vocals aren't really for me. "Isolation" and "Passover" are probably the best songs for me.

Depressing af

I knew “Closer” by Joy Division as an important album marking the transition from post-punk to gothic rock. I hadn’t listened to the album yet, but it sounds exactly as you’d expect: dark, emotional, with a slight new wave influence, and a bit monotonous. In the right mood, it’s certainly brilliant; on a sunny spring morning (like today), it feels more like a surreal dream. Even today, however, the lyricist’s struggle with himself is evident, and it feels like a dark prophecy of the events that unfolded between the recording and the release. Thus, “Closer” became, quite unintentionally, a memorial to Ian Curtis. The cover apparently sparked controversy at the time; personally, however, I find it all the more fitting.

Okay. Haven’t had one of these in a while. A record that perfectly encapsulates a band at their most interesting and creative peak and every song fully realized. A record that stands as an exemplar of everything that came after. A record that actually belongs on this list of 1001 albums I should listen to in my lifetime. When this record came out following Ian’s death, I like the rest of the world that had discovered this unique band that stood out amongst the rest of the post-punk explosion as it created a complete austere and yet strangely beautiful world that was completely immersive. “Isolation” aptly sums up the environment and the record perfectly encapsulates the Joy Division experience. The fact that “Love Will Tear Us Apart” is not on the album is appropriate as it truly deserves to be the capstone to Joy Division as a band. For those who only play the hits this is the very rare album that should be experienced as a whole and on vinyl. You need a break to life the needle at the end of A Means To An End in order to prepare for the beginning of side 2 and Heart and Soul. Side 2 is such a perfect song order with Decades as a remarkable closer. I do want to note that New Order was a bunch of shit and except for Blue Monday, unlistenable whiny crap. Closer is true genius in music and lyrics and the back story with Ian makes for compelling listening after more than 45 years. 5/5

I just don't get any joy it's sad, grating to listen to and sounds very dated in a very bad way, I think there is a reason people don't really talk about them anymore other than man they where depressing.

I really like Joy Division but although the album is awesome to me because I heard it a billion time, I now feel they were a bit overrated and pushed through with the help of Ian's suicide. My kids didnt like it at all and they said it was all the same song. So seeing a different perspective from kids I now feel they are right. Dark album for sure but they were so young. I feel the new order era was better in terms of music more mature and also reaching critical and commercial success. Feel their best was in 1986 for Broterhood album. Still really good dark album that really was a stepping foundation for the post punk era music genre.

When I feel good I do not vibe with Joy Division, when I feel down I certainly do not vibe with Joy Division. Very angular, drum heavy mix. OG Editors

Do I prefer the shaky, freaked out punk sound of Unknown Pleasures? Probably, but that doesn't stop me from seeing the beauty here. I do wish that a few of these songs didn't go on and on and on and on as they do, but to pretend like Ian Curtis's half-toneless mumbling isn't poetry would be dishonest. The dense, droney thing this album is going for did melt my icey heart by the end, but the 1st half is a bit repetitive. I wish we could've watched this band grow into something more, but what was laid to tape is worth celebrating.

beautiful

I can totally see how those who got to experience this record when it was brand new found it to be revolutionary. Joy Division is, without question, a heavy influence on so many. While I enjoy music from this period a great deal, this record in particular is a bit dark for me, so I don't fully resonate with it... I can still recognize genius when I hear it.

I listen to Joy Division all the time, and this was another day when the album ended Spotify kept playing and I didn't notice.

For better or worse, I wouldn't be the same person I am today if it wasn't for this album. I still prefer Unknown Pleasures which has more punk energy, but the sound, the themes, the rawness of the emotions make it one of the most important albums of my entire life.

I've only really heard Love Will Tear Us Apart by them I guess. This album was nice, I liked the sounds. Vocal style is a bit strange, but ya.

I went back and forth on this. On the one hand I enjoy the dance music vibes of much of this album; on the other the singing didn't do a lot for me. It's a very specific sort of drone that likely inspired groups like Depeche Mode later in the 80s. But whereas I like Depeche Mode's vocalizations a bit more, this didn't hit for me. Ultimately I think this places the album solidly in 3 territory.

Classic.

Day 42 — Joy Division — Closer (1980) Listened: May 13–18, 2026 Genre: Post-Punk / Dark Wave / Gothic Rock Vibe: Cold, suffocating, and relentlessly bleak — a wall of anxiety that never relents and offers no light. Highlights: ★ The Eternal Impression: Gave me anxiety every single listen. Had to pause or turn it off repeatedly. Last listen was pure endurance — going track by track just to never have to hear it again. The Eternal was the one moment of calm in an otherwise punishing experience. Not my world at all. Rating: 0.5/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Hell no

This is a good Goth / Dark Wave record. I've known it a long time and amongst my group of friends my opinion is something of a hot take. Firstly, I think Joy Division's refusal to put their singles on their lps stops either album being a classic. Atmosphere and Love Will Tear Us Apart were released two and one month before Closer - they'd have added an extra star here. Secondly, Joy Division can be thought of as New Order's juvenilia. That's not a sleight on Ian Curtis, New Order's albums would have been better had he contributed to them. But the rest of the became better musicians as the eighties wore on. The sound is fuller, the decisions more confident, the rhythm more insistent. Still an important album though, personally I lean more towards Unknown Pleasures (and the singles).

Bleak bleak bleak, but so so good

Naporno do bola, baš naporno. Nekad imam osjećaj da je ovaj projekt oblik suvremene torture. 2/5, 3/10

3.5/5

sigo sin entender este grupo ya lo siento, en plan muy dark misterioso y tal pero nose

Had a sound and aesthetic and went for it. Pretty sad stuff, and makes sense given the context. Respect more than I enjoy,

Closer is one of those records that shrinks if you reduce it to mythology. “The dark one.” “The suicide album.” “Proto-goth.” None of those descriptions are wholly false, but they all miss the scale of what’s actually happening here. This doesn’t feel like an album about depression to me. It feels like an album about horror - historical horror, personal horror, modern horror - and the awful fact that ordinary life continues underneath the knowledge of what human beings are capable of. The pulse of the record matters enormously because of that. Even at its bleakest, the machinery keeps moving. Songs don’t collapse. They continue, often past the point of comfort, until they finally seem to run out of steam like exhausted engines. The postwar atmosphere hangs over the whole thing. Not in any simplistic “songs about war” sense, but in the emotional weather of the record: industrial Britain carrying on after catastrophe, civic systems still operating under nuclear dread, ordinary people trying to function in the long shadow of mechanised slaughter and moral exhaustion. This is not gothic fantasy. It’s monochrome modernity. Wet concrete, sodium light, decayed optimism, public spaces still inhabited after faith in progress has quietly eroded. That’s why the band’s increasing machine logic feels so important. The repetition throughout the album is rarely hypnotic in a psychedelic sense. It’s procedural. Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook often interlock less like guitarist and bassist than components in a primitive sequencing system, while Stephen Morris somehow manages the impossible trick of sounding both mechanical and deeply human at the same time. The songs repeatedly create the feeling of systems continuing under emotional strain. And yet the more machine-like the structures become, the more melodic freedom Hook discovers inside them. You can hear the entire emotional architecture of New Order beginning to emerge here. Once the pulse is being held by repetition and machinery, the bass no longer has to merely support the song - it can ache, climb, yearn. The future is all over this record: early Mute, Soft Cell, 4AD, post-rock, synth melancholy, electronic alienation. “The Eternal” alone probably launched a thousand careers in atmospheric sadness. Martin Hannett’s production remains miraculous because it never simply creates “mood”. Every sonic choice carries psychological meaning. The metallic reverbs, the treated delays that turn Curtis’s voice into ghostly recurrences of itself, the vast empty spaces around the drums, the sense that sounds are occurring inside architecture rather than inside a studio - all of it contributes to the album’s central tension between humanity and systems. Curtis often sounds less like a singer standing in front of a band than a consciousness being transmitted through damaged civic infrastructure. What makes the album genuinely distressing at times is the lucidity of the lyrics. Not because they predict tragedy in some romantic “doomed poet” sense, but because the warning signs sit there plainly in the songs. Curtis continually interrogates himself, unable to fully inhabit moments of hope or connection before analysis destabilises them. “I exist on the best terms I can” may be one of the bleakest lines ever written precisely because it avoids theatrical despair. It sounds like a negotiated settlement with existence rather than a cry for help. And yet for all the dread, this is not nihilistic music. The album never says “nothing matters.” Quite the opposite. It suggests that consciousness itself becomes difficult because things matter too much once properly seen. The central question running through the record seems to be: how do we continue, knowing who we are? The answer, if there is one, is simply that continuation remains compulsory. People still work, love, dance, argue, remember and endure under the weight of historical and personal knowledge. Even the title becomes slippery by the end. Closer as in nearer. Closer as in shutting down a process. Approaching understanding, collapse, intimacy, exhaustion and finality all at once. The most remarkable thing about Closer is that such enormous emotional and historical weight is carried using such modest means. The opening of “Decades” sounds almost like something assembled in a school hall from borrowed equipment - simple synths, ceremonial pacing, a kind of municipal solemnity bordering on the naïve. It feels as though the band are trying to process the entire postwar condition using whatever cultural tools happen to be available. Somehow, against all odds, it works. The result is one of the few albums that genuinely feels larger than genre. Not simply a great post-punk record, but a sustained attempt to sonically map what modern consciousness feels like after the 20th century.

If I was a teen in the 80s this probably would have been my style.

Krasse backstory viel Emotion aber schafft es für mich nicht über drei sterne

Krasses Album

Con temas un poco melancólicos pero geniales

Very 80's. Some talking heads vibes. Hints of the damned. Not my fave. Not the worst.

This is a great album. It’s got the dark moody atmosphere driven by an excellent rhythm section. I do have to deduct a star for the vocal performance. I find it quite tiresome when singers don’t even try to sound good. Otherwise these are beautiful pieces of music coming from a place of real pain.

The Eternal

Probably an unpopular opinion but I think this one is overrated

Never been a joy division or new order fan. Let’s give this a whirl. This is going to be hard. Right away I don’t like the vocals. 2nd song starts great. These vocals are hard for me to listen to. I just don’t like how they sound. Musically I get the hype. Vocally I don’t.

Joy Division have a very cool sound. The rattling doom of "Atrocity Exhibition" makes for a great, dramatic opener. And "Isolation" is a great, poppier second track. It's still got that brooding, cavernous style, but with a great, high-pitched synth hook too. The rest of the album continues their dark and strange post-punk. I dig it, although it doesn't exactly rev my engines. Some music just hits you, other music you only respect. This is the latter for me. I can't believe lead singer Ian Curtis is 23 years old on this! He sounds much more world-weary than 23 would suggest. And the affectation he's putting on his voice is deep and strange. It's very theatrical.

I never got too far into this band but I definitely can appreciate the cool ~apathetic~ vibe and monotone vocal parts. It's like they set out to come up with a really cohesive and unique sound and visual aesthetic and they execute on it every time. This album was a nice listen, but I will say that submitting my review ~3 days after writing it, I'm not really holding onto any songs or moments from the album. It came and went.

I like the album cover

3/10 My second Joy Division album and it continues to not be my thing.

While I appreciate Joy Division and their musical impact (they've influenced some of my favorite artists, like Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins), this album just wasn't hitting for me.

First song was pretty good, then it goes down hill from there. I don't really see all the hype.

Very cool at moments, especially for some tracks like Twenty Four Hours and The Eternal for example. With that said, it was mostly just making me wish it was cooler than it was, with occasional odd tonal choices and unusual vocals confusing me more than anything else. It's certainly unusual at points, in a good way, it's evocative and creative, and I suppose you can tell that it's well performed, but ultimately it wasn't particularly fun or pleasant for me to listen to as a whole. Better than I can give it credit for or even perceive properly, I think, but worse than I would like to just for raw enjoyment for passive listening. I fear that the vocals are a big issue I can't quite get over...

I knew I wasn't gonna love this, but I did end up liking it. It definitely goes for an atmosphere it does end up creating - especially through the instrumentation of the bass, guitars and synths which was simply enthralling. I typically prefer more expressive vocals but they were definitely not as bad as what some people here are saying. I also have to say, you can hear the just tad slight honeydrop of New Order in this album, which is interesting to pick up on for me personally considering I had a New Order album through this website before any Joy Division.

No me gustó nada. Se hizo eterno el disco.

Autant New Order j’adore, autant Joy Division vraiment ça passe pas

Pas fou

I really wanted to like this, as a lot of the music I listen to traces it's dna back to Joy Division. I even listened to it twice. Still didn't enjoy it, although the back half wasn't terrible.

I wanted to like it more than i did. HATED the singers voice 💔

Eu queria muito ter gostado desse álbum. Possui ótimos riffs, mas a repetição excessiva na letra e pouca entrega o tornou simplesmente em um treino de banda gravado.

Tried to make it a 4 by listening again but didn’t quite make it. 3.5 rounded down.

Found that very boring.

Joyomission

a skip for me, really. sounds mysterious but too long. for relaxing nights

I prefer Unknown Pleasures and while some of this is enjoyable, interesting and maybe even foundational, I don't think I'd listen to it again of my own accord.

I remember hearing Love will tear us apart for the first time and thinking; wow that’s amazing! Imagine my disappointment when I heard the rest of their output? They are band that I feel I should like and have tried but I much prefer New Order.

Classic Joy Division. The audience at the time thinks they're getting punk/post punk and instead they are actually getting something far more textured and nuanced from an instrumental performance than either of those genres describe. After Bauhaus, this is the other goth rock proto album that setup an entire sub-genre. This sonic tapestry of more depth in the instrumental parts is what has always set Joy Division/New Order apart from most of the rest of the punk/post punk bands from their era. Hannett might have annoyed the band at the time, but he almost singlehandedly assured their ongoing relevance this many decades later with the changes he made with respect to the effects and mixes. For 1980, this album seemed way ahead of its time. The unspoken bit that needs to be said aloud is that the Ian Curtis' vocal performance sucks. The lyrics are actually interesting because for once they are not the simpleton political lyrics of your typical punk album of the time and instead are deeply personal examinations of the self, which I find to be far more interesting as a listener than what tribe you identify with. But, in my opinion, the instrumentals are so lush that the lyrics and vocals could have been cut entirely, and you would still get the gist of the mood and vibe they were going for. I wish there was a rip of these songs as instrumentals without Curtis' terrible poetry reading. While some critics and fans rank this album above their debut album, UNKNOWN PLEASURES, I enjoy both equally for different reasons. On tracks like "Heart and Soul" we hear a glimpse of fertile imagination that the band will explore when they make the full transformation from Joy Division to New Order. Faves: "Atrocity Exhibition", "Heart and Soul", "Twenty-Four Hours", and "The Eternal"

Nice instruments but with how separated the vocals are from them i didn’t enjoy it that much.

Isolation is a great song but the singer is not good

I tried to like it but just didn't.

One of the greatest achievement in human history, and the superior Joy Division album. 10/10

This post-punk and Gothic Rock stuff is a big discovery for me on this list. This is 1980 and feels decades younger. Poetic and vulnerable lyrics, moody delivery, driving beats and electronic adjacent sounds. It creates a very cool atmosphere.

I mean it’s no The Idiot

Very nice. Very well done.

Still not cool enough to say I like JD.

Tenía mucha expectativa por lo que iba a escuchar, tengo que decir que soy fanático de New Order, y la verdad es que no me encantó. Ahí se escucha el grupo en que el que derivará Joy Division y tal vez por eso no puedo ser el más objetivo, como si lo fuese a hacer en todo lo demás (siendo sarcástico, por supuesto), pero me pareció apagado e incluso deprimente. No sé si desde ahí se ve el destino del vocalista.

Not my favorite Joy Division record, but it gets stronger in the second half. Twenty Four Hours and Decades are great.

Still do not understand this

it was okay

Like Nirvana, I feel like Joy Division and this album has such a dark energy around it considering what happened with Ian Curtis. But for me that adds to the appeal of this, the music, lyrics, and sound is so personal and you can feel what he was going through making this music. There is just much depth and emotion in every song. It's a dark piece of music but moving and worth many listens. Top Songs: Atrocity Exhibition, Isolation, Twenty Four Hours, Decades

This one was mehhh. But I liked the drums.

Joy Division is a band I came to later in life, and never listened to this one. I was very into Closer across two listens today. Head banging hard. Main issue? It was too short! Ohhhh, I see. Only nine tracks. One song too few.

Impossible to say for sure obviously, but I think this would still be a great record even if he didn’t kill himself

4.5

I just don’t get why this is so loved. Only liked Isolation. The vocals are terrible and I don’t want to listen to it again

This is not Joy Division’s best work by any means but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t find it enjoyable. This was quite a fun listen

Personally I don't find music to be very enjoyable when the 'singer' is saying lyrics with the teeniest hint of tune to make it sound more like a song and not a poetry recital.

Sounds like the lead singer is one of those people that's been dragged to karaoke against their will and is going to make it everyone else's problem

This album had so much potential. The music itself is pretty great. It’s dark and brooding, but there are some musical elements that are whimsical and captivating. It’s just let down by Ian Curtis’s talk singing style. With a better singer in there, this could have been a 5/5, but his singing style drags this down to a low 4/5.

very dark sound but it was good

Makes me want to sit inside and smoke cigarettes Best Song: The Eternal Rating: 5.0/10 Stars: 3

Yeah it's seemingly impenetrable artsy shit, but there's just a lot of fantastic instrumental sounds here that have aged so well. I'm glad I gave it a second chance, bc the first listen resulted in a lot of shoulder-shrugging. I like how Ian Curtis and co. synthesize a lot of influences- Bowie, the Doors, King Crimson, Iggy Pop, Gary Numan, and the Police.

I’ve been waiting a LOOOOOOOONG time to get this album. In fact I’m really glad I got it because I could’ve gotten it 3 years from now, but instead I get it today. I think I specifically mentioned this album in a past review too. I never loved joy division, I thought unknown pleasures was a polite 8.5/10, but I thought the instrumentation was immaculate throughout. This though… just from the first song it’s something else. I’m sorry but I really don’t get the “tortured soul of Ian Curtis” vibes on unknown pleasures. He’s not the best vocalist on that album and that’s not even crazy to say. But HERE… “Atrocity Exhibition” is such a perfectly depressive, self-destructive opener. It literally sounds like the song is destroying itself. And then “Isolation” is surprisingly really really awesome! Like an off-kilter, darkwave synthpop song, and I really love it! The next song, “Passover,” is much more normal of a song compared to the previous, but it’s still incredible, with those incredible guitars and drums. The song after that, “Colony,” is great too, with a great performance from Curtis, and a great outro. “A Means To An End” is also beautiful, with a great introductory moment with these weird sound effects… one of the best parts about this album is that it really embodies a feeling that I more and more realize is timeless: standing in a dark incredibly cold man-made room. The coldness of this album isn’t natural, not like that of, say, The Glow Pt. II or Paysage D’Hiver. It’s not wintry. It’s a small, dark, 50-year-old basement that feels like it’s 30° fahrenheit. Or something like that, I don’t know. Anyway, the looming vocals of “Heart and Soul” combined with the occasional guitar strums make it a really great song. “The Eternal” is great as well with its slow, building instrumental. Great stuff. And “Decades,” the closer, has more of that synthy stuff from track 2!! Really great. This album is so cold, and dark, and sad. As a whole it’s astounding, it’s really something else. R.I.P. Ian Curtis yo. 10/10

??? not mine

There’s a reason Love Will Tear us Apart is the most famous Joy Division song rather than anything off this album. It definitely leans kind of funeral dirge-y throughout the album. I didn’t dislike it, but it doesn’t show that much range. Musically significant-yes. Highly listenable- not as much

It’s ok but a little too goth for me. I liked the band that many of the members formed after the lose of Ian.

2 - not for me

Pretty funny that I got this 2 days after Unknown Pleasures. This has always been a more difficult than pleasurable listen. Crazy that this was released only 1 year after Unknown Pleasures! What the hell happened to their sound? The answer is Martin Hannett. In the same vein of guys like Joe Meek, he had a vision on how this album should sound, and I don't think I've heard anything like it in my life. The instruments are as separated as physically possible, with tons of dynamics and subtle aspects from the drums, guitars, and bass mixed as if they are floating in a void, with Ian Curtis attempting to sing in the middle. The result makes for a fascinating, wild, if often ugly and screechy experience. I enjoy the sound more than the songs overall. It's definitely not something I'm often in the mood to listen to, but it's seminal for what it is. 3 stars only because I'm a non-fan, but I'll give it 4.5 stars for the fans. As much as Curtis was in as bad of a condition as he could be for the recording (it was recorded two months before he took his own life and released two months after his death), he still left his mark as doomed lead singer of sorts, especially in the final three tracks and overall throughout the album. Have you read these lyrics on "Twenty Four Hours"?? "Excessive flashpoints, beyond all reach Solitary demands for all I'd like to keep Let's take a ride out, see what we can find Valueless collection of hopes and past desires I never realized the lengths I'd have to go All the darkest corners of a sense I didn't know Just for one moment, I heard somebody call Looked beyond the day in hand, there's nothing there at all" Amazing stuff. So tragic that he died so young.

yep, another perfect album i'm happy to listen to again.

The way I'm actually so fucking excited to finally dive into this! Unknown Pleasures was one of the first albums I got on this generator and I really really liked it then, and I've fallen in love with it more and more on each listen. I should've given it a 5 instead of a 4 back then. Now I get to hear more of there stuff, well I guess the last of their stuff, but I'm excited nonetheless. first listen notes 1. Atrocity Exhibition - So, is it wrong to say this is kinda reminding me of Kate Bush in the best way? I think it's the drumming. Either way, I really like this one. The lyrics are...wow 2. Isolation - Immediately I'm like "THE GUITARS!!! THE SYNTHS!!!" 3. Passover - So I do like the sound of this overall, but I think it'll grow more on me with time. I don't love it at the moment 4. Colony - Again, I'm immediately in love with the guitars. Okay, this might be my favorite so far, I absolutely love this one holy shit. I can't wait to replay this one often 5. A Means to an End - AGAIN THE GUITARS, I just...I love them. AHHHH. I really really like this one too. 6. Heart and Soul - holy fuck, that bass, woah. Wow, this one is interesting. I mean, all the songs are, but this one is kinda different in a way I find interesting. There's a lot going on lyrically and it'll be interesting going back and parsing everything out on future listens. (story wise, I'm kinda ignoring the super personal stuff cause...idk it's art and that feels a bit invasive) 7. Twenty Four Hours - I'm very repetitive at this point, but OMFG that bass and guitar holy fuck. the build, ahhh. i fucking love it here. Yep, this is my favorite song so far actually, I LOVE this sound. and the lyrics. omfg. and the drums. wow. 8. The Eternal - holy fucking piano. god, i love the atmospheric tone of this. The lyrics are so vivid and captivating, just wow. I really really like this one 9. Decades - ooh, this one is interesting. Really fucking cool, with the drums and synths. Interesting lyrics too. I know I probably sound like a dumb fangirl in some of those notes, but I really am just excited to hear more by them. I guess I'm bias towards liking this from the get go, but wow I...I absolutely loved this. This is what this list is about to me. Even those I don't love everything on it, it is so so so worth it to find gems like this band. I mean, I'd heard of them vaguely before, but who knows when I would've checked them out, if ever, if not for this list. But yeah, I absolutely fucking loved this oh my god. 5 stars, IDC. I'm not sure at the moment if I will like this or Unknown Pleasures more in the long run. Only time will tell I guess, but either way I'm so so so glad to now have this album in my brain. I loved this

Is that a prehistoric version of what came to be known as singing?

Didn't really feel much for this

It sure was sounds that could be called music. Way too monotone for me. Rather listen to Molchat Doma thanks tho

Yeah, myeah, not really my thing. Not the worst to listen to either. I do really love some Joy Division songs, but this album was not great for me.

Not bad.

There are people who get Joy Division and people who are wrong.

Look, New Order is a better, more complete band. They just are. Apologies to any 80s goth kids out there gnashing their teeth about it. That said, yo, this thing has some incredible dark vibes going. Absolutely a mood piece. It is currently a bright, sunny day in early spring. There are birds and daffodils outside, and this record is the exact opposite of all that. There's a lot to like here, but choose your moments. It's music for a desolate grey November. Skeletal thorny branches clutching the shriveled remains of your heart and all that. It's music to brood by.

Distinct voice. Meditative beats.

Me encantaría poder decir que amé este disco; lamentablemente, estaría mintiendo. Me gustan las letras, me gusta la composición, y me gusta el estilo de Ian Curtis al cantar, pero hay algo en el resultado final que no termina de cerrarme. ↑: Passover, A Means to an End, Twenty Four Hours, Decades ↓: –

Interesting and not much else

An extremely dark and emotive piece of work that given the tragic events before its release, strikes you as a sort of brooding suicide note for Ian Curtis. That being said, I find the vocals and lyrics too depressing to go alongside the upbeat and catchy bass lines on some songs to the point of being at times, fairly jarring. A bit of a slog, and not an album I'd rush back to.

Joy Division are so unique that you either just feel it or you don't. I very much do

Thought I might like this but it did not move me 🙁

Meh. This was not as cool, fun or interesting as the wombats or the t shirt wearers had me believe.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Decades Very raw, gritty, stripped down music. Grimy is probably the word to use. Joy Division is a band name I've heard thrown around a lot since I started this journey (this is album #381) - usually in a good way, I think - and I guess I can see why. Like Siouxsie and the Banshees, this album sounds like a missing link that bridges the gap between the punk, post-punk and new wave genres. I like the punk and post-punk elements - the exceptionally grinding guitar at the end of Atrocity Exhibition, the speak-singing and barely keeping a tune singing, and just the washed out sound in general. The parts of the album I'm not super thrilled about are the tracks that feature synthesizers. Or maybe I just want to not like the synth sounds. I seem to have a love-hate relationship with the New Wave genre. Sometimes I can't stand it and other times I find myself wanting more and more. I think its related to the fact there's just so much 1980s music on the List. It gets tiresome hearing a new wave album every 5 or so albums.

Emocionante, me gustó relativamente

Not my thing

Always loved this album.

Well, that was depressing. Yeah, I kinda knew that Joy Division's final album, Closer, was going to be on the darker and sadder side of albums on this list, but yeah it really is kind of haunting at times... and I love it. There is a part of me that feels a little bad for enjoying this as much as I did knowing the context regarding this album and Ian Curtis's death and the end of Joy Division as a band, but sad music appeals to me when it's done well, and Closer is a very well-made album. Dare I say, it's quite fantastic. Honestly, I'm not even sure whether it or Unknown Pleasures is better! It's genuinely a close enough call for me to say that it's a close call. Unknown Pleasures is probably better, but Closer is still excellent in many of the same ways. The somber writing, the brooding atmosphere of the instrumentals, and the audible depression of Ian Curtis's voice make for an unforgettable experience. I will say that this album really picks things up in the second half. The first half has some great songs, don't get me wrong. "Atrocity Exhibition" makes for an opening that immediately distinguishes itself from Unknown Pleasures with its unique drum groove and "Isolation" is probably the closest that you can get to a sound reminiscent of Joy Division's followup band New Order on any of the 2 Joy Division albums. But it's with the latter half where this album goes from pretty good to outstanding. "Heart and Soul" onward is just a perfect 4-song string. "Twenty Four Hours" is probably my favorite song on the album. I like the more intense atmosphere on that one. The guitars are a bit louder and dronier and I like that. And the album's closer, "Decades"? That one's not far behind. I don't know what else to say. I am really tired right now, so maybe that has something to do with it. But yeah, Closer is just amazing. Even without knowing the context surrounding the album and its release, Closer captured my attention with its bleak lyrics and emotive sound. It's a masterpiece. 5/5.

There is no way to listen to this without considering the mythology of Ian Curtis and hearing a dark, angry poetic cry for help. Which is why I think I’ve always liked New Order much more than Joy Division, especially this last album. I appreciate the evolution from post-punk to spare, electronic driving rhythms but this is a hard listen. 4⭐️

The first song was god-awful, and it only improved modestly from there. File this one under “life’s too short “. Two stars.

4/5

just too good <3 rip ian curtis

Solo para iniciados....

Pas un fan ni expert de ce style mais j’ai bien aimé ! 3/5

Here is where I confess that while I love immersive, percussive music with gloomy vocals, I never bought either Joy Division record back in the day. Which from my current perspective makes no sense; I suppose if I ever go back in a time machine, I will give 1980-me marching orders. This is especially dark considering Ian Curtis' sad demise shortly before its release. And of course as always the one song you'd want to hear most from this period is "Love Will Tear Us Apart," but it was a post-album single. But still, as I said above: music combined with vocals like this always works for me, so I really enjoyed this, especially the opening track "Atrocity Exhibition." I pondered 4 stars since this was my first listen, and I need to get into it more. However, I'm sure I'll want to listen to it again, so I'm giving it 5 stars, if nothing else than to encourage 1980-me to run out and buy a copy.

It’s fine

I really like the vibe of this album. Whoever is singing, their voice reminds me of David Bowie.

There's a really weird feeling I get when I listen to stuff like this. Somebody killed themself after writing this. It's such a weird thing to conceptualize. I could go out to my local record store (shoutout to Wax Records in Vero Beach, FL :D) and buy a dude's final words to the public on a plastic disc, put it on my record player, and hear them as many times as I want. It's horribly morbid to think about. The album is horribly morbid as well. It's like a bunch of guys grooving to a suicide note being read aloud. It does make for some really interesting music, but "at what cost?" really understates how I feel.

Whenever I listen to this album, I finish a song and say “wow, THAT is the best song on the album” and then I listen to the next song and the cycle repeats

Joy Division are always good. The bass guitar just drives every track on this album with a visceral energy.

Very british

Bleak

Creates an experience of minimalism through repitition and long timescales

(3/7) sounds like the background of a strange dream