Review by SilentScream213 for Killing Joke - Killing Joke (2003)

After a lengthy period of quiet, Killing Joke return with their second self-titled album (so Killswitch Engage isn’t the only band who did this?) and what lies within is one of their heaviest and most aggressive records to date.

The political state of the world was a strong motivator for such an album. The war on terror had turned the Middle East into an apocalyptic zone, and the world was shaken after the events of 9/11. Killing Joke were not American, nor from the Middle East, but they still had a lot to say. There is a lot of anger and passion directed at those in power and the state of the world. Surprisingly, there’s not actually much about war specifically here, or even the events of the times; rather, the lyrics are pointedly timeless, aggression towards the same follies of corruption and power that have plagued humanity since Adam and Eve.

Musically… well, your mileage will vary, and obviously this is a very popular album, but musically the album really isn’t that special. The tracks are very repetitive, usually with one or two drumbeats that repeat the whole song, a simple, shallow riff that doesn’t really evoke much, and there’s probably bass too. The actual instrumental work on this album is lackluster. What improves the tracks are the effects, samples and layering thrown underneath the simple instrumentation that adds as a strong soundscape of industrial dystopia. 

What IS special are Jaz Coleman’s powerful, passionate, melodically shouted vocals. He’s got the perfect voice to deliver such venomous lyrics, and you believe every word. The way he can shout in such a gruff manner while also hitting notes and creating melodies is excellent. I WISH he had better music to shout over, cause the album would be so much stronger.

There is one song in particular I have to shout out – “You’ll Never Get to Me.” This is by far the best and most special song on the album, and maybe in the band’s entire career. This song is not political – it’s introspective, emotional, crushingly depressive but also impossibly uplifting and powerful. Instead of a boring riff, it relies on a melancholic chord progression evocative of Shoegaze material. The music, lyrics and vocal delivery all come together perfectly on this track.

Also, the scorching bonus track “Inferno” is better than every song that actually made the album except the aforementioned “You’ll Never Get to Me.” Don’t miss out on that one.