KILLING JOKE - Killing Joke
September 11, 2003, 20 years ago
(Zuma/Sony)
If Phil Spector was the wall of sound, then Killing Joke is the wall of noise. It's funny how your opinion of a record can go from content to disappointed over the course of 24 hours, but that's seemingly what's happened with Killing Joke's self-titled 2003 comeback. Initially, I was impressed by the overwhelming grimness of it all: this is a metal band that knows how to write a great dance tune, and with Dave Grohl bashing the skins on the wreckord, even the dancefloor songs seemed big and monstrous. Today says things are still dark and egomaniacal, but beneath the muscle and power of the upfront production is a hollow void where Joy Division and Motorhead both stand, hand in hand, wondering what the hell is going on. And, by the way, really lame and basic booklet in this age of major label extras.
