Band: Killing Joke
Release: The Singles Collection 1979-2012 (Album)
Release Date: Out now!
If you have no idea who Killing Joke are, then allow us to refresh your memory.
Killing Joke are one of the most important, consistent, and vital to have survived in modern alternative music. From the decent beginnings of their post-punk / new wave sounds, to their later ranges of musical influences spanning from gothic rock, industrial metal, electronica, and even at times hardcore punk, they were and are still not afraid to experiment with any musical boundaries they have not yet crossed.
They have inspired artists and bands all over the world such as Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Tool, Foo Fighters, Helmet, Rammstein, and Korn. To put it quite simply, they are one of the most important bands to have lived through the decades of not just alternative music, but happen to be one of the most inspiring bands of all time.
Whilst of course this is not a new studio album as such, this is a collection of their standout hits. The singles that defined the career of a truly remarkable band.
The first disc focusses on the first part of their lifetime, from the classic ‘Turn To Red’ EP in which the opening track ‘Nervous System’ kicks off from, to their critically flawed release of ‘Outside The Gate’ to which the closing song on the first CD ‘My Love Of The Land’ ends on.
Where the second disc contains selections of songs (Mainly radio edits) from their 1994 release ‘Pandemonium’, to their latest studio release ‘MMXII’.
With such standout tracks such as ‘Wardance’, ‘Eighties’ (some of you may remember this as the song that Nirvana ripped off with their hit ‘Come As You Are’ if you are not up on your Killing Joke knowledge), ‘Kings And Queens’, ‘Money Is Not Our God’, and ‘Seeing Red’, it is a stark reminder as to how much the band have musically progressed over the decades and have become not just more creative, but a lot more mature and just outright established musicians individually and collectively.
If you are a new beginner to Killing Joke, we absolutely URGE you to use this as a starting point to hear and realize just how much of a great band these guys truly are. They have quite an extensive back catalogue (around about 15 albums), so this is more likely picking the best from the archives. Although many a Killing Joke fan would probably put some other choice selections in this collection of songs, it does not matter one bit. What you hear here is a brief but vital history lesson in to just why Killing Joke are still important and cherished to this very day, and will continue to inspire, create, and garner your full attention.
Anyway enough dawdling, buy yourself a copy of ‘The Singles Collection 1979-2012‘ and educate yourself!
8/10
Reviewer: James Paul Matthews
