Pandemonium - Killing Joke > Reviews > "Kiss My Intellect Goodbye"

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A Powerfull and Impressive Record By Any Bands Standards
Disadvantages:	Not Quite Impressive Enough For Me

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

In 1993 I heard that what I thought was impossible had happened the original line up of Killing Joke minus drummer Big Paul Ferguson (1) had reformed and were recording and album together. Since this band had formed much of the soundtrack to my adolescence I used to enjoy inflicting Killing Joke on my so called school friends who would complain that the music gave them headaches. I was salivating at the prospect of Jaz Coleman (Vocals and keyboards), Geordie Walker (Guitar) an f Youth (Bass) were making music together I felt at the time that the best Joke album was about to be made, and quite rightly so their 1991 opus "Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions" was a stunning return to form for them, I thought things could only get better.

The hype for the album was unbelievable and rumors that they had recorded parts of it in the Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid in Egypt (Obviously) were only adding to the anticipation. Interviews at the time gave the impression that tensions within the band were high again with Youth complaining that Jaz and Geordie were threatening him with bottles during the production of the album. All this made for really entertaining reading in the press and did nothing to abate my excitement at the prospect of this album coming out…………….

Once I got it I was forced with a long bus journey home fondling the CD cover in anticipation as I had done with so many Killing Joke albums before, I had also bought a bottle of McAllen to enhance my listening pleasure and headache potential for thos I lived with. Slapping it onto the CD player and cranking up the amp with a glass of generously poured very expensive single malt in my hand I was ready……

The first track "Pandemonium" starts of with some middle eastern sounds which continue throughout before lunging into a robotic metallic grove, no one other than Killing Joke can do this sort of thing this good, Youths rumbling bass line is superb, as Jaz sings about seeing tomorrow and hearing the pandemonium, what an opener to the album it was almost all the classic elements are there. Then we go onto "Exorcism" which was recorded in the Kings Chamber of the Great Pyramid, the main problem during the recording of this was that the pyramid kept draining the power from the batteries on their equipment. This song is a rite preformed by the band through music and lyrics purging nasty stuff from you and is a techno metal piece of relentless nastiness. A lot of folk slagged them off for copying Ministry here but since KJ have always done this sort of thing and Ministry's first album was a techno pop abomination I think the answer to the who copied who debate is the opposite of what a lot of people seem the claim.

Two songs into the album and long term fan like myself is mostly happy and we are treated to Millennium. Geordie chugs out slabs of metallic robotic riffs whilst strange keyboard melodies counterpoint this. The song itself is a prayer to the future and what is going to happen to us after 2000 years of mans effect on the planet, sung with absolute conviction. After this things get better with communion as eastern percussion counters Geordies textured psychedelic guitar, this is Killing Joke at their best melodic yet muscular and powerful. The Middle Eastern themes in the song only add to the beauty of the melodies within the song. "Black Moon" treats us to more classic Killing Joke with Geordies non-standard guitar riffs confusing anyone who tries to follow them, and Keyboards countering the textures here with big meaty choruses, anyone remembering their "Hits" like "Eighties" and "Kings and Queens" will be on familiar ground here……..

"Labyrinth" starts off with some weird Middle Eastern Techno riffs and brutalization of a wah wah pedal and Jaz singing/shouting about stuff before going off into a wonderfully disjointed chorus, not very melodic but absolutely wonderful. They tread more standard songwriting type stuff on "Jana" a tale about a young lady who receives some pretty awful news in the post, and is as close to a pop song as they are ever going to get to so there………

"Whiteout" is a disorienting piece of techno metal crossover which has since become a live favorite and is absolutely great to dance to. "Pleasures Of the Flesh" is a melodic ballad type thing with great echoey guitars, which show just what an innovator Geordie is, he is possibly one of the best guitarists to come out of the post punk explosion. The final track on the original Album "Mathematics of Chaos" is a highly confusing yet wonderful bit of techno rock, the only other band that has been as good as Killing Joke at fusing Techno and Rock together are Hawkwind, both of them being my favorite bands and have inspired me greatly.

11 years on from 1st getting this album and I have the re-mastered version in my grubby mitts. I would not have bought this if some asswipe had not broken into my house and stolen half my collection, so I can than that person to thank for the two extra tracks. The first extra track is an ambient dub remix of "Pandemonium" which is good but spoils the mood somewhat, which is followed by a remix of "Another Cult Goes Down". Neither of these tracks really adds anything to the album which is a pity. The other pity is that the artwork which is bloody good has not really had anything done to it which is a pity again they could have given us a little more for our money, however as this is being redone without major label backing then I can understand the frugality of it.

Ok so what do I think about it now, well by any other bands standards it is an awesome album. However for a Killing Joke album it has moments of greatness but for a fan it does not quite live up to expectations, even though it is still one of my favorite Killing Joke Albums.

(1) In a band that thrived upon the animosity between members the relationship between founding members Jaz Coleman and Paul Ferguson had always been fraught with conflict so it is unlikely that Paul will ever return to the band. In an interview at the time Jaz Coleman had said that he would probably speak to Paul before he died