Album Review - Killing Joke: MMXII

Killing Joke
MMXII
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Over the past 35 years, Killing Joke, made up of Jaz Coleman, Kevin 'Geordie' Walker, Martin 'Youth' Glover and Paul Ferguson, have blazed a trail which, while never giving them huge popular success, has influenced hundreds of other bands. Their subtle merging of punk/post punk/industrial/new wave/dance/electronica paving the way for bands as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, and Metallica. After 2006's punishingly dour Hosannas from the Basements of Hell, KIlling Joke broke up, only to return after the death of original bassist Paul Raven with 2010's Absolute Dissent, which found none of the band's aggression and fury lessened. Follow up MMXII doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of sound, the drums are still pounding, guitars roaring, and Coleman's distinctive voice alternately whispers and growls. What is does bring is typically tight songwriting and sense of drive and purpose. It is rare to see bands this late in their career continue on with no real loss in quality. You always know with Killing Joke you are not going to get a half-assed effort.

The album starts off in a roar with the droning grind of opener "Pole Shift" which erupts into a punkish fury with Coleman's voice gradually expanding into a Lemmy-like guttural growl,



while "FEMA Camp" builds off a dark-electro pulse, the guitars winding around pounding drums to back another politically charged track about government political camps.



Both "Rapture" and "Colony Collapse" combine for a one-two industrial attack of throbbing electronics and guitars.



If the rest of MMXII proceeded along like this it would quickly get monotonous and, thankfully, Killing Joke realize this, pausing the harsh onslaught of guitars and drums for a brief respite. First single "In Cythera" plays like a long-lost outtake from Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, featuring atmospheric synth washes punctuated by angular and brittle guitars.



"Primobile" is another synth-heavy track with subtlety driving guitars.



Of course, this being Killing Joke, the raging guitars are not going to remain dormant. Things kick back up in gear with "Glitch" and "Trance," the former with Coleman practically barking the lyrics over swells of guitars and keyboards, and the latter a furious rave up.



The album closes with the actually gorgeous mid-tempo track "On All Hallow's Eve" with Coleman's strong voice never overpowering the throbbing beat and lush keyboards.



MMXII is not going to change anyone's opinion of Killing Joke at this point. It is simply 10 well done Killing Joke songs that each bring something to the whole. There are no fancy breakbeats or nods to dubstep or hip-hop, or any last ditch effort to have a Top 40 hit. MMXII is just Killing Joke doing what Killing Joke have done well for over 35 years.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.