The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh - Idolator Comments

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

semtex23 — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:01:17 EDT

Ah, Killing Joke. With all the fuss over postpunk over the past few years, they're one of the two bands that should have gotten at least a bit of the ink that Gang of Four and Joy Division received (the other being Magazine). Not that I don't love Gang of Four and Joy Division unwisely and too well; I do, but Killing Joke's influence extends way outside the boundaries of postpunk/new wave/alternative. And unlike so many of their peers, they've kept on making interesting music for decades.

I have no comment, however, on Jaz Coleman's symphonic reworkings of the music of Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Sotnes, or Pink Floyd.

semtex23

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

Death — Tue, 08 May 2007 09:11:19 EDT

While KJ are not my alltime favorite band, they are hands-down my alltime favorite live performers. Catch them if you can!

Death

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

MissParker — Tue, 08 May 2007 07:02:47 EDT

Fabulous offerings. My only exposure to this band was "Love Like Blood." Thank you for the opportunity to become better acquainted.

MissParker

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

Tenno — Mon, 07 May 2007 19:13:40 EDT

ASTEROOOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID!

Tenno

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

KVLTPUNK — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:14:56 EDT

Excellent stuff. The two tracks you feature are probably my two favorite on the LP, but with "Complications" and "The Wait" also as serious contenders.

You probably know there's a hidden track version of "Wardance" ("The Ultimate Version," it says) on Killing Joke's second self-titled LP, released in 2003 (the one produced by a member of Gang of Four and featuring Nirvana/Foo Fighters Dave Grohl on drums). That version of "Wardance" is just devastating, with down-tuned guitars and even more menacing vocals.

Cheers, and thanks for posting this.

KVLTPUNK

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

JaviMex — Mon, 07 May 2007 18:08:08 EDT

... and at my 8 years old, while i was enjoying the movie watching Olivia Newton John skating and singing in Xanadu, Killing Joke released this magnificent debut album, unique, ahead of their time. When listening to it you would never guess it has 27 years old!
Killing Joke defined their sound since the very beginning. Many followers hate the "industrial-rock" term, but in my opinion this album -along with it's follower "What's This For" (1981)- really created solid foundations for many "industrial" bands in the future: the mechanical rhythm, distorted vocals, the weird futuristic synth machine-like sounds, even the guitar and those wonderful repetitive riffs, all resembles to a top class clockwork machine. Wardance it's a good example of this.
This album is a master piece. I discovered it -along with Killing Joke- circa 1986, and I still love it very, very much.

JaviMex

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

noamjamski — Mon, 07 May 2007 17:13:30 EDT

@Jude: There are only two and they are both awesome. To avoid iPod confusion I named the second one to their original working title "The Death and Resurrection Show."

Love this band, they still make amazing records. Glad to see someone calling attention to them.

noamjamski

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

Jude — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:58:42 EDT

lovely, legendary band that needs to stop self-titling multiple records ala Peter Gabriel.

Really, stop it.

Jude

The Vault: Killing Joke Gets The Last Laugh

Ned Raggett — Mon, 07 May 2007 15:29:43 EDT

There's a New Yorker I know who will be very happy that fire was honoured.

Ned Raggett