Review by Daniel for Killing Joke - Hosannas From the Basements of Hell (2006)

I absolutely adored Killing Joke's self-titled 2003 album when we featured it in early 2021 so I was really looking forward to seeing what its follow-up had to offer (especially given that its arguably Killing Joke's most popular metal record) & it hasn't disappointed although it hasn't quite made the same impact as its predecessor. The production job is noticeably rougher &, even though this is apparently intentional given that the band felt their previous record was a little too clean, I do find the guitar tone to be a bit disappointing & the drums to sound a little flabby & thin at times. It took me a couple of listens to become accustomed to this but once I got my teeth into the song-writing it was pretty easy to overlook that flaw.

The first three tracks seem to be the clear fan favourites but interestingly (although hardly surprising) I find the less popular inclusions to be the real gems. If you only listened to those first three tracks though you'd likely be given the impression that "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell" isn't actually a metal record because opener "This Tribal Antidote" (the only track I struggle with here) sounds more like the band's early post-punk works than anything else while the title track & the heavily symphonic "Invocation" are much closer to industrial rock than they are to metal. But never fear because the album gets significantly heavier from that point on with an abrasive industrial metal sound taking over for the remainder of the tracklisting. If you're not a patient metalhead & you aren't into a more cerebral style of music then turn around & walk away now because Killing Joke's approach is very repetitive with these long tracks featuring relatively few changes. The aim is to get the listener into a consistent groove that builds in tension gradually over time. It either works for you or it doesn't & luckily for me I'm right onboard with music like this (perhaps helped by my techno days in this regard).

You can detect the post-punk component of Killing Joke's sound in the guitar arpeggios & tribal rhythms employed throughout while front man Jaz Coleman's grindy vocals & beautifully timed & placed keyboard lines are always very effective. You'll have to wait till right to the end of the album to hear the true potential in this material though with the last two songs ("Judas Goat" & "Gratititude") being utterly mind-blowing & the clear album highlights for me. I also love the lengthy "Walking With Gods" which sits in the middle of the tracklisting. It's hard to argue with the pure class that Killing Joke exude here & my hopes for another vitally important record have been richly rewarded, even if I do favour "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell"s wonderful elder sibling by a clear margin.