Killing Joke (1980 album)

Untitled

Killing Joke is the debut studio album of the London post-punk band Killing Joke. Released in August, 1980 worldwide under E'G Records, Killing Joke was self-produced and was considered an underground album. The album was recorded in early 1980, shortly after a small tour promoting the Almost Red EP. The lyrics of the album were written by front man and vocalist Jaz Coleman, which expressed his opinions on issues such as politics, death, hypocrisy, human nature, pollution, and exile.

The album has been considered by many bands as an influential and inspirational database. Several bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Tool, Soundgarden, and Metallica have all credited Killing Joke for influencing much of their own material.

The song "Requiem" was covered by Foo Fighters in 1997 as a b-side to the Everlong single and the song "The Wait" was covered by Metallica in 1987 and released on The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited and was later released as a single for Metallica. The song also featured in the hit movie School of Rock.

Killing Joke reached number 39 on the UK Albums Chart in 1980. Killing Joke went on to have three singles: "Wardance", "Change" and "Requiem".

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Sputnikmusic

Bradley Torreano of Allmusic praised the album: "[Killing Joke] is an underground classic and deserves better than its relative unknown status," and that the "cold metallic throb of Killing Joke was exciting and fresh."

Sputnikmusic stated that "[t]he debut album by Notting Hill band Killing Joke is a key album in the rise of thrash, funk and industrial based metal music. Jaz Coleman and his bandmates crossed punk rock with Black Sabbath for a nihilistic, bludgeoning but inspired and exciting noise and of their early albums, this is their best," and that the album is "[a] post-punk masterpiece of tribal funk-rock and grinding heavy metal with suitably doom-mongering lyrics and splenetic vocals."

Track listing

Original UK release

Side one

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Requiem"	Jaz Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	3:45
2.	"Wardance"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	3:49
3.	"Tomorrow's World"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth Ferguson	5:31
4.	"Bloodsport"	instrumental	Walker, Youth, Ferguson	4:46

Side two

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"The Wait"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	3:45
2.	"Complications"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	3:08
3.	"S.O.36"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	6.52
4.	"Primitive"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	3:37

Original US release

The original US release featured the track "Change" in between tracks "Complications" and "S.O.36". "Change" was later released as an unofficial single.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
9.	"Change"	Coleman	Coleman, Walker, Youth, Ferguson	4:01

2005 CD reissue/2008 Vinyl reissue

The 2005 and 2008 reissues of Killing Joke featured several tracks previously released as b-sides and demo tracks. The tracks were listed in addition to the UK original release being that "Change" was track 9 instead of track 7, as it was in the US original release. The 2008 reissue was dedicated in memory of bassist Paul Raven who performed his last album with Killing Joke in 2006. Raven died of heart failure in October of 2007. Since then, every reissue of Killing Joke's studio albums have been dedicated to him.

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Originally appeared on	Length
9.	"Change"	Coleman	Killing Joke	Original US release	4:01
10.	"Requiem (Single version)"	Coleman	Killing Joke	Requiem	3:47
11.	"Change (Dub)"	Coleman	Killing Joke	new release	4:00
12.	"Primitive (Rough mix)"	Coleman	Killing Joke	new release	3:35
13.	"Bloodsport (Rough mix)"	instrumental	Killing Joke	new release	4:50

Personnel

Killing Joke

• Jaz Coleman - vocals, synthesizer
• Kevin "Geordie" Walker - guitar
• Martin "Youth" Glover - bass guitar
• Paul Ferguson - drums, vocals

Charts

Year	Chart	Peak position
1980	UK Albums Chart	39