Killing Joke [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Geordie's hypnotically cascading guitar intertwined with soaring synth washes and the tribal funk dub of Youth's booming bass. Riding this doom laden wave were the savage vocals of Jaz Coleman conjuring up images of decay and paranoia.

Their iconicly subversive artwork, almost always rendered just black, white and red, featured intentionally inflammatory images... they were once banned from performing in Glasgow after promoting the gig with a poster featuring the Pope blessing battalions of Nazi stormtroopers. The gatefold cover of the original vinyl release is no exception with it's urban guerillas silhouetted astride a graffitti'd wall in a wasteland that all too accurately evokes the mood of the Thatcherite 80s.

The band quickly amassed a loyal following from the both punk and funk scenes with hard-edged, anthemic, danceable tunes like the chainsaw riff-laden "Requiem" which was released as a single and backed with the monstrous staccato groove that is "Change". Coleman coughs his way into the metallic assault of "Wardance", before tumbling through the bleak desolation of "Tomorrows World" and into the abrasively brilliant instumental "Bloodsport".

Killing Joke is the desperate soundtrack of a stark hopeless future and more convincing depiction of an oncoming audio apocalypse would be hard to find.

Its hard to believe this was recorded nearly 30 years ago

KJ have inspired too many bands to mention and are still a force to be reckoned with now

Buy me

In Requiem you have a neo-religious anthem for those that opposed. It's also a classically structured piece of operatic drama based on turbo-powered synthesisers and huge drums - the new wall of sound. And accompanied by a voice that Jaz Coleman surely discovered in the bins of hell provides the edge that makes you scared to play it in the dark. (The 12" single version is backed by the fantastic dance-oriented Change which is a must-buy.)

Wardance is another tremendously powerful track that is very much a call to arms. Possibly one of the earliest examples of hard, urban techno-dance (well that's what I'd describe it back then), there is also a stripped down (and in my opinion even better) version on 7" single.

This and the next Killing Joke album "What's this for?" still do it and provide a great reminder for the late 70s/early 80s post-industrialist miserablist period that featured equally articulate musical commentators such as Joy Division/New Order, Cabaret Voltaire and DAF.