Killing Joke 2003: the Album (c'mon, ya knew it was coming!)

Quick Disclaimer: Yes, I know the ILM nation is fucking well-tired of my ceaseless invokations and rants about Killing Joke, but being that I finally aquired the proper album, I'd feel remiss in not posting something about it here. Please note, however, that the below passage was initially written for the Gathering, and not ILM, hence the "of course, we all know blah blah blah" sorta tone. Thanks.

So, after furiously rifling through every conceivable "import section" in the bigger stores and every remaining specialty shop in NYC (their numbers are dwindling like those of the great beasts on the African plain) since the album's UK release, I'd come up empty, almost resigning myself to wait for its proper release or try the Internet. Then, as fate would have it......

Walking up to Madison Square Garden to catch the Iron Maiden/Motorhead
(and...er..Dio) gig, I briefly popped into Academy Records on W.18th street as a lark......when lo and behold......HOLY SHIT, THEY HAVE IT. I picked up -- for a paltry $8.99 -- a copy of the US edition (must've been pawned by some rock hack reviewer). "Bonus Track 11. Wardance". Apart from a cut-out in the serial box, it's official (nowhere does it say "promo only, not for re-sale"). I bounded smugly up to the counter and purchased the fucker, somewhat embarassed that I was purchasing a Killing Joke album whilst wearing a Killing Joke shirt like Johnny Fanboy, but FUCK'EM!!!!!! IT's MINE!!!!

I'm still only wading into it, but here are my initial impressions......

1. This has been a bigger topic of discussion on The Gathering, but the US edition does *NOT* include the tracks "Zennen," "Future Shock," "Inferno" nor "Tailspin." The "bonus track" is "Wardance". Thanks for playing. Those other tracks may be scattered between the UK and Japanese editions.

2. The cover art is -- I'm sorry to join the choir here -- flatly
indefensible. I was hoping for maybe a little more diversion on the inner booklet, but it's only the same image repeated in different hues.....(think Technique by New Order, only less elegant). In other words, it's a blinding dayglo nightmare. I know album covers aren't the meat of the matter, but thinking back to some of the brilliant covers of this particular band's past, it's sort've a
mystery how they ended up with this. I know, I know -- maybe they just
decided to scale everything back and keep it simple....but simple doesn't have to equate with stupid or half-assed, right? This album deserves a better sleeve.

3. In terms of the tunes, I've already weighed in on many of them:

(a) I think "TD&RS" is fucking great.

(b) I've cooled significantly on "Total Invasion" and "Dark Forces". In fact, those two are my least favorite tracks on the album (ranking lower than "Loose Cannon" actually). They're still fine songs, but they're not nearly as distinctive nor immediate as some other selections here.

(c) "Asteroid" is both fantastic and infuriating at the same time
(something about the "told'ja so!" way Jaz sings "ASSS-TA-ROOOYYYYYYYD!" sorta bugs me), but the riff is chuggtastic and the pace is exhilerating.

(d) "Implant", again, is fucking genius, and does indeed out-Motorhead Motorhead.

(e) "Blood on Your Hands" is *SIMPLY BRILLIANT* and completely restores my faith in this band.

(f)"Loose Cannon" is....well..."Loose Cannon," innit! I believe we've milked dry the topic-cow of this song.

(g) "You'll Never Get to Me" was a surprising corner to turn, and I'm still wrapping my cerebellum around it. Definetely has the elegiac flavor of the Democracy period.

(h) "Seeing Red" is, like "Blood On Your Hands", absolutely magnificent.

(i) "The House that Pain Built" isn't my favorite. Starts off
promisingly enough, but the bits where they speed up recall the Atkins era, wherein the band seemed to try to compete with the hardcore corps. Killing Joke can be stealthy, but the breakneck pace of hardcore doesn't really suit them, I find. This track is, admittedly, kind've a headache.

(j) Regarding the new rendering "Wardance," I still prefer the first version.

4. Regarding the Very Metal Sound here, I'm torn. I've always been a fan of metal, but when I initially discovered the celestial majesty of Killing Joke (circa "Eighties"/"A New Day"), I didn't connect them with metal in the slightest. There are certainly "metallic" elements to their music (more so the first album than anything until Extremities), but I'd never call them a "heavy metal" band. Part of the genius of Killing Joke, however, is their elusive nature. The Punks claim them. The Post-Punks claim them. The Industrial scene claims them. The Goths claim them. The Metalheads claim them. Meanwhile, they belong to no proper 'scene' other than their fucking
OWN, thank you very much. Geordie's guitar is the defining element each time, and he's back on the power-chord chug here for most of the proceedings, rather than the sinister "bell" chime (though that reared its head as recently as "Aeon," let's remember). If I had to guess, I'd suggest that the band feels that this "harder" sound better suits the sentiments being expressed on the album (more desperate the hour equates with more anxious the sound, maybe?) The argument could also be made that being that this is essentially yet another 'comeback' album (their own fault for being away so long, mind you), they feel the need to out-"oomph" the Nu-Metalers currently making the `rounds. I'm just fucking relieved there's no rapping
on it.

5. Jaz's vocals.....all stripes on this one. It's great to hear his sonorous tones on, say, "Blood On Your Hands" and/or "You'll Never Get To Me". The shouty, phlegmy, screamy style is also in abundance, but at least there's a diversity of style.

6. Would've liked to have seen Raven get a bit more recognition.

7. Dave Grohl definetely adds a punch that has been sorely missing from the band since the brief Atkins period. I'd prefer it if next time they all recorded together and not piecemeal (Grohl's drums weren't added until the very end, in an entirely different studio).

8. Overall, I'd say I'm pretty pleased. It's definetly an album I can see myself returning to more than Democracy and Pandemonium. The low points are largely forgivable for the most part, and the high parts are fucking celestial and rank with some of the band's best work, I feel (I'm talking specifically about "Blood on your Hands", "Seeing Red" and "Implant").

Anyway, therewith my two euros.