B-side S.A.D. Length 3:30 | Format 12", digital download Label XL | |
Released January 7, 2013 (2013-01-07) (download)
March 19, 2013 (2013-03-19) (12") Genre Experimental rock, electronic | ||
"Judge, Jury and Executioner" is a 2013 single by the supergroup Atoms for Peace. It is the third single from their debut album, Amok, preceded by "Ingenue". It was made available for sale on iTunes on January 7, 2013 and was released as a 12" vinyl on March 19, 2013.
Contents
History
The song debuted live during the band's U.S. tour in October 2009 and April 2010. The song was released digitally on January 7, 2013, after its broadcast on BBC Radio 1. The fans who pre-ordered the album were able to free download the song. A music video, composed of visuals by Tarik Barri, was released simultaneously. The limited vinyl version of the single, with an accompanying b-side "S.A.D." was released on March 19, 2012.
A hidden live video of the song, recorded in Fuji Rock Festival was released on the band's official website.
"Judge, Jury and Executioner" is also an alternate name for "Myxomatosis", a song by Thom Yorke's band Radiohead, released on their album, Hail to the Thief.
Reception
The song generally met with positive reviews, despite being likened to the works of Radiohead and Thom Yorke's solo material. Will Hermes of Rolling Stone gave it a 3.5 star out of 5, with praising "Yorke's swarming choral-style" and Flea's basslines, and describing it as "a morph between Flea's instrument and Yorke's humming". Daniel Kreps of Spin depicted the earlier version of the song as "a dark, aggressive centerpiece among the post-Eraser material", while calling the album version as "mellower and more harmonious". Kia Makarechi of The Huffington Post extensively compared the song with the works of Radiohead, claiming that the band is "a sonic extension of Radiohead". David Greenwald of Billboard also described the song as "a blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, with Yorke's voice floating over wordless background vocals and insistent percussion".