Pandemonium (Killing Joke album)

Pandemonium
Studio album by Killing Joke
Released	August 2, 1994 (1994-08-02)
Genre	Industrial metal Post-punk
Length	60:32
Label	Butterfly Records (UK) Zoo Entertainment (US)
Producer	Youth, Greg Hunter
Killing Joke chronology
Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990) Pandemonium (1994) Democracy (1996)
Singles from Pandemonium
"Exorcism" Released: March 1994 (1994-03) "Millennium" Released: April 1994 (1994-04) "Pandemonium" Released: July 1994 (1994-07) "Jana" Released: October 1994 (1994-10)

Pandemonium is the tenth studio album by Killing Joke released in June, 1994, under the Zoo label.

This album marked Killing Joke's return after a four year long hiatus, the longest the band has taken since it was initially founded. This album also featured the return of a founding member, as Youth replaced Paul Raven on bass.

The screaming descending guitars of the title track, as well as the brooding "Communion" and the hyper-charged "Whiteout," would become live staples. A remastered CD with "Another Cult Goes Down" remix and an experimental dub remix of "Pandemonium" was released in 2005 by Cooking Vinyl.

Frontman Jaz Coleman considered the album a conceptual album considering the external influence of arabic music that was spread throughout the entire album. It also incorporated his perspective on life, which is apparent in songs such as "Labyrinth" and "Pleasures of the Flesh."

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Kerrang!
Metal Storm	(8.6/10)
PopMatters

The album was described in its five-K Kerrang! review as "[G]argantuanly heavy, catchy and hilarious at turns. 'Pandemonium' yokes pounding slabs of techno-metal to Coleman's cosmic visions, to exhilarating, trance-inducing effect." Ned Raggett of Allmusic felt that original drummer Paul Ferguson's "sheer power and inventiveness is missed", but praised the album overall as a "thrilling, fierce listen" and a "varied, often quite surprising experience." Mark Prindle called Pandemonium "a damn fine record", remarking that "its production is smooth and clear, there are lots of full-bodied guitars, and plenty of beautiful yet throaty vocals pit doomsday lyricism against upbeat melodicism." Adrien Begrand of PopMatters felt that "the band do struggle to maintain the momentum during the second half", but added that "the first half of the album is absolutely thunderous" and "the band do redeem themselves on 'Labyrinth', the chaotic 'Whiteout', and the trancelike 'Mathematics of Chaos', as Youth seems to take the helm, showcasing his production wizardry."

Track listing

All tracks written by Jaz Coleman, Martin "Youth" Glover, and Kevin "Geordie" Walker.

1. "Pandemonium" – 6:42
2. "Exorcism" – 7:26
3. "Millennium" – 5:34
4. "Communion" – 6:56
5. "Black Moon" – 5:19
6. "Labyrinth" – 5:55
7. "Jana" – 4:06
8. "Whiteout" – 5:43
9. "Pleasures of the Flesh" – 5:42
10. "Mathematics of Chaos" – 7:24

2005 CD reissue bonus tracks

11. "Pandemonium" (A Thread of Steel in the Suspension Bridge of Time and Space Mix) – 9:18
12. "Another Cult Goes Down" (Portobello Mix) – 6:19

Personnel

• Jaz Coleman - vocals, synthesizer
• Kevin "Geordie" Walker - guitar
• Martin "Youth" Glover - bass guitar
• Geoff Dugmore - drums
• Tom Larkin - drums
• Larry De Zoete - drums
• Hossam Ramzy - percussion
• Said El Artist - percussion
• Aboud Abdel Al - violin
• Matt Austin - programming
• Paddy Free - programming

Production

• Produced By Greg Hunter & Youth
• Engineered By Greg Hunter
• Assistant Engineers: Sameh Almazny, Natalie Heath, Matt Howe & Sheldon Isaac
• Mixed By Greg Hunter, Youth & Ron Saint Germain

Charts

Chart (1994)	Peak position
UK Albums Chart	16
U.S. Billboard Heatseekers	39