Caustic, ferocious, gloomy, and excellent new Killing Joke m
Oliver Sheppard | US | 11/04/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After reading some of the negative reviews from listeners below -- and consequently wondering if my eyesight was failing -- I felt like I had to jump in here and defend this LP, which I think will easily be one of the Top 10 LPs of 2006 when all's said and done.
First thing's first: Killing Joke have been around almost 30 years and have gone through various phases. Some folks like the New Romantic, dance floor-ish KJ of the mid- and late-1980s; some like the MINISTRY/KMFDM-sounding Killing Joke of the mid 1990s; others prefer the original era of Killing Joke from 1978 to 1983, the incarnation that toured with JOY DIVISION and had much in common with GANG OF FOUR, PiL, UK DECAY, AMEBIX, and others, but who always kept their own, distinct noise above that fray. During those ambitious years, KJ virally influenced almost every punk-related genre you can imagine: post-punk, heavy metal, punk, hardcore, crust, industrial, and more.
This KJ release is not for those who want every Killing Joke song to sound like their 80s dancey "Love Like Blood" from 1985. Instead, "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell" is an amazingly angry, driving, thrashy LP that has a lot more in common with the kinds of angry hardcore punk bands KJ inspired over the years more than with their industrial or techno-nightclub-y accolytes (though there are hints here of that element, too). In fact, "Hosannas" *boasts* that it is a relatively lo-fi, back-to-the-roots affair. And it's a qualified and amazing success: It was recorded on an 8-track studio in a basement in the cold dungerons of Eastern Europe. The album bleeds with urgency and ferocity of a like KJ listeners haven't heard since their first LP's "The Wait." In fact, the "Hosannas From the Bsements of Hell" LP finaller heralds the return of the Killing Joke of "The Wait," and at times has much in common with MOTORHEAD, VENOM, and AMEBIX -- or, for the more esoteric, even modern doom-y crust like TRAGEDY or P.E.S.D. -- as it does with their earliest material.
Remember, KJ's 1980 "The Wait," a song METALLICA covered only 6 years after its release, and which is also a fan favorite at live shows, inspired the dark sub-genre of punk known as crustcore: AMEBIX, early NEUROSIS, etc. So, when you buy "Hosannas," expect to pulverized along those lines. DO not expect the cleanliness of "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns," or to swoon to stuff that sounds like THE CURE. Expect a fiery armageddon: The album is as apocalyptic as the times singer Jaz Coleman sings about in his lyrics.
Highly recommended for fans of the 1978-1983 era of KJ and for fans of modern metallic crust."
Shut up and buy it already
Fudo Myo | Geneva, Switzerland | 05/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album retains all the thunder and fury of 2003's eponymous reprisal, but relies more on texture rather than the solid hooks and polish of the latter to carry the listener through. To wit: the bassline of Invocation is comprised of just one cord (and I was making fun of Johnny Cash for all his basslines having only two), but makes up for lack of complexity with layers of strings, electronics, and Geordie's subtle noodling. Dave Grohl's monster pounding is sorely missed here, but KJ's rhythms remain tribal and driving, if not simpler. In this way, it's an album better catered to the patient and well-inducted KJ fan rather than the newbie, but that's not to say newcomers won't get their asses rocked. It harks back to KJ's true return to metal aggression, 90's Extremities, Dirt, and Various Repressed Emotions more than the band's early days (just compare "Majestic" to "Intravenous" if you require proof). As you progress through the album, each track is better than the last, the last half culminating in a sonic sandblast with my faves "The Lightbringer" and "Walking with Gods". "Gratitude" gives us some respite with a twisted bass groove, but is no less operatic for it. Jaz's blistering vocal delivery will always be my favorite in the rock world, achieving a distortion with mere booze and cigarettes what Al Jourgensen requires batteries of vocoders and fx pedals to achieve. In short, KJ fans will be well chuffed; newcomers might want to try the last album to get sucked in, but this is the next best place to start."
Joker's wild
R. G. Wheeler | 04/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this new 2006 release reflects the true ambition of coleman, walker, raven and incredible new drummer like no other... the sound and the fury is exactly what they want you to experience and will. kj have seen the world through unfiltered souls without cultural or religious boundaries, and now serve it back to their ever growing acolytes who flourish in the glory of what is real. Let the blood dance in your veins - light up the fire - put on your masks and animal skins; we're off to the Western Lands!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1