Killing Joke (1980 album)

Recording

Killing Joke was recorded in early 1980 at Marquee Studios in London, shortly after a small tour promoting the Almost Red EP. The album was self-produced by the band.

Content

The album's lyrics were written by frontman and vocalist Jaz Coleman, and expressed his opinions on issues such as politics, death, hypocrisy, human nature, pollution and exile.

The artwork was based on a photograph by Don McCullin of young rioters trying to escape from clouds of CS gas released by the British Army in Derry, Northern Ireland, on 8 July 1971 during the Troubles. The original picture was taken a few months before the day now known as Bloody Sunday that took place in the same town in early 1972.

Release

Killing Joke was released in September 1980 by record label E.G.. It entered the UK Albums Chart on 25 October 1980, and reached number 39.

The album produced three singles: "Wardance", "Change" and "Requiem".

The 2005 and 2008 reissues of Killing Joke featured several bonus tracks, such as previously released B-sides and demo tracks. The tracks were listed in addition to the UK original release, being that "Change" was track 9 instead of track 7, as it was in the original US release. The 2008 reissue was dedicated in memory of bassist Paul Raven, who performed on his last album with Killing Joke in 2006. Raven died of heart failure in October 2007. Since then, every reissue of Killing Joke's studio albums has been dedicated to him.

Reception

In his retrospective review, Bradley Torreano of AllMusic praised the album, writing, "Since 1980, there have been a hundred bands who sound like this, but before Steve Albini and Al Jourgensen made it hip, the cold metallic throb of Killing Joke was exciting and fresh", calling it an "underground classic" that "deserves better than its relative unknown status".

Sputnikmusic called it a "post-punk masterpiece of tribal funk-rock and grinding heavy metal with suitably doom-mongering lyrics and splenetic vocals".

Legacy

Dave Grohl has cited it as one of his favorite albums. Several musicians, including Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Tool, Soundgarden, Metallica and Marilyn Manson have been influenced by Killing Joke.

"The Wait" was covered by Metallica on the The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited EP in 1987 and was later featured on Garage, Inc. "Primitive" was covered by Helmet in 1993 as the A-side to their "Primitive" single, and later added to their Born Annoying compilation album. "Requiem" was covered by Foo Fighters in 1997 as a B-side to the "Everlong" single.

The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Jaz Coleman; all music composed by Killing Joke (Coleman, Kevin "Geordie" Walker, Martin "Youth" Glover, Paul Ferguson), except as noted.

Personnel