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Killing Joke finds a new fan

Eddie Lancekick | Pacific Northwest | 07/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am new to this band so my review will lack constructive criticism in comparing it to past works; it is simply a review of this album as it stands.



I love the album, Killing Joke where have you been all my life? These guys mix a variety of styles that come together for a very tight album. Old school dynamics of an alternative aura remind me of the days I enjoyed bands like Faith No More and Anthrax. This album is very powerful with sounds of rock, metal and a little punk perhaps all wrapped into one. Make no mistake about it, they can rip and roar with the best of them. Heavy, grinding riffs and infectious beats abound with driving songs like "The Death of the Resurrection Show" and "Asteroid". Another rollicking tune is "Blood on your hands" and by this point in the album I'm just kicking myself for not checking these guys out earlier. The tune "You'll never get to me" slows down a bit and is more of a hard edged, soulful tune that I will refuse to call a "ballad" since that term seems to be a label applied far too often to the wailing tunes from late 80s rock bands. I have to say it is also a pleasant surprise to see that Dave Grohl was the drummer on this album.



The tune "Loose Cannon" is awesome as well; with an eerie backdrop that gives way to a forefront of hard-hitting vocals, and the guitar parts during the chorus are a shred of delight. Eleven tracks altogether that includes the brilliant bonus track "Wardance", Killing Joke found a new fan in me and I look forward to listening to their other albums. The CD arrived in mint condition and was not damaged. If you enjoy songwriting that is against "the man" in the likes of Rage against the machine or KMFDM, you will probably find this to your liking. Beyond that, I find the beats, rhythm and overall vocal effort of Killing Joke to be extremely enjoyable.



"

I Love this CD

Nodamidis | Maryland | 10/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not the "type" of person that would like a band like Killing Joke. I am a middle-aged female and mostly listen to Christian pop and Dance music, although I do have an affinity for Nine Inch Nails. I originally bought Killing Joke because I liked the song, "Seeing Red." I ripped the song onto my hard drive and loaded it onto my iPod and didn't give the album much thought until one day while cleaning my house, I decided to give it a try. WOW. All it took was one listen and I was hooked, despite that it was so different from the music I generally listen to. It was dark, rebellious and pounding, and I couldn't get songs like "Loose Cannon," "Dark Forces," and "You'll Never Get to Me" out of my mind. This has become one of my favorite CDs and I am looking now at other Killing Joke releases. The songs on this CD, together with songs from Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero, With Teeth and The Slip make a great "Raging Angst" playlist on my iPod. I find that I mow the lawn much more aggressively than I ever used to. Seriously though, this album is fantastic. It will be $10 well spent for the download."

KJ, THE RETURN !!!

JUAN MARTIN GABASTOU | Weston Hills, FL United States | 04/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Self titled as their first album and suppossed to be a return to their roots, this is indeed a heavier, tribal sounding album that drops earlier subtleties for a more raw, heavy sound. Guitarwork is now brutal and distorted with little soloing and bottom end is huge and dynamic. Jaz's vox is now very low in the mix. Some reviewers regarded this new sound as ¨heavy metal ¨!! They're so way off. These guys have never been easy to label and their sound has been influneced by many styles; industrial/afterpunk/indie/new romatic/hardcore or a mixture of them all. But never resorted to metal. Not that it wouldn't suit them, mind you. They recorded this one without drums and sent it to Dave Grohl so he could add whatever came outta his.....let's say imagination coz I don't want this review to be censored. The result reeks of Foo Fighters all over. I don't care if Dave is considered a modern Bonham and I even like some of his albums but the drumming here is pure effect, he just didn't quite get the essence of Killing Joke. I say bring back Paul Ferguson !! On the audio side, the recording lacks upper treble and most of the time the guitar is way louder on the left channel which was annoying. But it's way better than their horrid lo-fi follower ¨Hosannas... ¨ .Worth the bargain bin price I paid for it."