With a new year comes a ritualistic return to the extensive discography of Killing Joke, a band I've been exploring since this earliest days of this music blog. These English Post-Punk emergents have had a massive influence on the shape of Industrial Rock and Metal to come, Ministry being a keen sample of their ideas propagating to new frontiers. Once finding myself burned out, its now quite a pleasure to return to their particular sound with a new set of songs periodically. This one might be a new favorite in the collection. Released in 2006, it reminds me of my Download Festival poster from that year. They headlined the third stage and given all the cracking shows I've seen over the years in the top spot of the smaller stage. I often wonder what the was like? Sadly I didn't investigate their music until many years later, that's when I noticed they played on that legendary year, my first and unforgettable outing at Donnington!
Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell is possibly the bands most engulfing feet yet. Riding on a backbone of pounding repetition and dense aggression, the aesthetic crushing of its gristly guitar distortions, beefy percussive strikes and Coleman's aged throaty shouts, caries the music into a hypnotic dimension. With a cold mechanical drive these songs drone with an unshakable pace on lengthy escapades that chew through its crammed assembly of instruments. Often with gusto in its step, the drums pound simple grooves as the guitars roar with uncompromising attitude, chopping up tight chugs and aesthetic marvels of discordant noise and pedal effects. Jaz tends to draw his vocals out, giving a little relief to the unfaltering march each instrumental sets out on. Its a strange chemistry to have two aggressive forces, playing one as relief.
Its fortunate that one can zone out a little with this record. The songs do churn a handful of ideas over and over in the meat grinder. Its atmospheric. Killing Joke have brought a curated collusion of their finest ideas to revel in the moment. If you have got the time, its a pleasure to go through. Every song comes with its own little spice. Invocation stands out for a superb integration of menacing Classical symphonics vaguely reminiscent of Kashmir. Majestic has a riff that gives me chills. The tone and progression almost sounds like a sample from a T.S.O.L. song. Walking With Gods unearths an obnoxious angular guitar noise to ride alongside the massive bass guitar, somehow finding a melodic crescendo to peak the synthetic oddities that arise.
I could go on. The point being each song has a strong intention and musical idea the band hammer out with this intense drive festering in the palm of their hands. The production aids it greatly. 2006 was a time where the loudness wars and wall of sound production still hadn't settled. Records from this era vary in quality and I feel like this was a looser, jostled production that actually aided the final result. A little low fidelity can often suit an agressive direction. Ive read that album is considered a creative peak for the band. If the next two records are not up to scratch, that is fine. Im happy to have found this one. If forced to make a list, Id put it somewhere near the top.
Rating: 8/10