Disco de Killing Joke: “What's THIS For...! [UK Bonus Tracks]”

(Can I give 6 stars??)

I first read about these mysterious freaks in a Kerrang! magazine in the winter of 1981, and the description of "weird metal" piqued my interest. A neighbor had it, and brought it over. We played it on dad's big hi-fi system, and I felt like one of those Clive Barker characters who is whisked off to a dark, strange place. I was hooked immediately, never to return again.

The opening cut "Fall of Because" was the perfect primer for their unique sound, and I still unleash it on the uninitiated whenever possible. (My first Joke concert started with this song as well. Magnificent.) An oblique reference to Aleister Crowley (whose madness they later regretted dabbling in), it sets the tone for a compelling descent into their ugly, dazzling, and ultimately addictive musical world vision.

All the classics are here - filtered through a manic tongue-in-cheek sheet-metal disco drone that you never want to end. I've recently noticed how the title cut was YEARS ahead of its time, with minimal synth bleats over rolling drums and unsettling chewing sounds. By the time you reach "Exit" they have left you feeling initiated and deeply alive in a dying world, "'cause the drums keep thundering\in familiar ways."

Understandably, the stomp and blare of post-apocalyptic paranoia seemed much more threatening in the Reaganesque early 80's, but it still has a power and authenticity that is sadly lost on a new generation of dejected abused whiners with detuned guitars. (These guys never even included a photo of the band until their 4th album!!)

So-called 'intense' bands have never touched the primal therapy (barely) contained here.

In Philadelphia at the East Side Club, 4 men in 1981 entered. The singer, with a black magic markered, colored plastic wonder bread bag covering his head spit out and screamed his words into a microphone. The guitar player, stood on the edge of the stage angry, staring, attacking the person right in front of him, then starting with that person he then stared at the person right behind him and steadily proceeded row by row to the back, when he reached the back row, he started all over again at the front. Requiem, Follow the Leaders, Wardance screeched out from an insanely violent rythm section to the beat of a distorted sequencer driving madly, endlessly, incessantly. The volume was excessive and the audience was certainly frightened that soon they may be attacked, - physically. And as their fear grew, - the delight and twisted frenzy of the band seemed to increase proportionaly. Not sure that I've ever had so much fun.

There were only two records then. "What's this for" and "Killing Joke" They were/are some of the most intense, powerful, violent and depressing music that has ever surfaced. In the tradition of Joy Division, this band not only created a dark image of the pain and violence of a potential Orwellian ruin, but did so with a creepy Nosferatu-like absurdity. The final death dance. Yes, this was the second and last great Killing Joke record. The watered down Killing Joke followed later weakening the drama and power of the band. This is a must own record. If you like Gang of Four, Public Image, and Joy Division, this is for you.

i'll be honest. i never really saw the point of punk until i heard this album. when i first heard tracks like fall of because and follow the leaders it completely made up for all that dischordant, music-free nonsense i'd pretended to like as an adolescent. this album wasn't just exciting because it was different (like the pistols). it was exciting because it was genuinely exciting. this album is the musical embodiment of absolute human rage. even today there are few artists who have so perfectly captured the intensity of outrage and turned it into such a powerful sound. this isn't shouty, annoying teenagers looking for something to curse about. this is the sound of the apocalypse, it's frightening, it's the real thing.

Upon hearing it for the first time, I immediately fell in love with this album, and can't even make up my mind which my favorite songs are. Just about every track from beginning until end is absolutely spectacular, along with the creativity on drums. The opening track, Fall of Because, makes it clear where metal acts like Metallica got their influences, although IMHO, Killing Joke is way better. Tension provides more of a straight forward rock rhythm, but then we hear Unspeakable and Butcher, which challenge your brain to process those strange psychedelic sounds. And of course, the greatest hit from the album, Follow the Leaders, gives you that pissed off vibe, but in a good way. And I'm not sure if they intended to make the title of the last track "Exit" simply because it implies ending the album, but it still makes a spectacular ending and is just as good as the rest of the album! This must not be overlooked as one of the greatest classics of the post-punk masters.

Killing Joke is an English band that started out towards the end of the punk movement. "What's THIS for...!" was their second release, and it was a truly original release back in 1981.

Musically the bands roots seems to be quite related to the punk movement, where especially the guitar sound ows a lot to the punk movement along with the generally fast and aggressive music here. Killing Joke have taken the punk influences and heavily evolved them though, creating a sound that was rather unique back in 1981, and highly influential as well.

The guitar do have a sound that oozes classic punk. What sets it apart is the way the guitar is played, where repated riffs are combined with complex and melodic riff patterns, unlike the classic repetetive punk approach to riffing.

The drums are played in a unique manner here. Most times fast and always very aggressively played, many of the songs have what most would call a tribal drum sound. In this case the playing is so complex and fast that the songs may well be described as drum assaults - the drums are loud, fast and everywhere; truly dominating the sound on this album.

In addition to the distinct way drums and guitars are used here, the at times very angst-filled vocals and the sparingly but effective use of synths to enhance the angst and aggression on display here adds up to a very dark and disturbing sound, influencing many later bands - especially in various forms of industrial and thrash.

As for the songs here, they are a very mixed lot. Most of the songs here do suffer from being too long. The scope of the songs here are limited, and after having passed the 3 minute mark there is generally too much repetition going on. The sheer intensity, angst and brutality keeps some songs interesting past the 4 minute mark as well, but rarely any longer.

Halfway through the album the band seems to run out of ideas as well; thus the second half of the album is much weaker than the first.

Still, it's an album worth purchasing on the strengths of the first 5 songs here, all of them to a greater or lesser degree representing something rather original and unique.