If you thought you had escaped from me wittering on about just how good the new Killing Joke album is, think again. The simple fact is that I only got it myself on release day and needed time to digest it before putting my thoughts down. Actually it was quite surprising just how easy it was to get into and how damn accessible it is musically. Everything clicked into place very quickly and songs that I had heard once live were instantly remembered. As for the themes covered by the four horsemen of the forthcoming apocalypse, well these are much more involved and will take a fair bit of unravelling as they are the stuff that the prophets and conspiracy theorists wrap themselves in circles trying to get across. Jaz Coleman has provided links in the booklet after each song which will illuminate you if you choose to check them out. I have not personally had time although am intrigued as ever about these end of days subjects. Some speak for themselves, we should all know what the ‘Rapture’ refers too, others are not so clear although the song titles all take on a bit of a sinister feel. Anyway apart from stating the obvious that MMXII is Roman numerals for 2012 I am leaving you to explore all this yourself. Anyway I would no doubt fail as nobody is as proficient as summing it all up as Jaz himself.

So onto the music and the combined talents of the original line-up of Killing Joke who have perhaps above expectations held things together to carrying on touring and record more than the one album together. Jaz, Geordie, Youth and Big Paul (although one should not overlook the excellent back up from keyboard player Reza), have, I believe, pulled out the stops to get this album complete and out there before this world turns to hell at the end of the year. That does not mean it is a half assed effort or lacking in substance in the slightest, oh no. This is as complete an album as you could wish for with all elements working in complete polarity.

‘Pole Shift’ ebbs in with funereal and mournful tones that chill the spine. It broods and evolves into a real epic flow one that is gentle at first around the vocals but one you know that is going to hit with a massive impact. When it does that indignant fury is unleashed and one other thing that really hit me was the thick bass lines rumbling through it reminding a bit of Hawkwind at their prime. The synth lines at the quiet parts really are so atmospheric that after one listen you will not forget them, this is a song for the funeral of mankind and we have only just started. ‘Fema Camp’, a subject that will unveil itself to you the second you type it into your Internet search engine, follows. Melody wise this has a bit of a ‘Pandemonium’ groove about it. The hard hitting roof rousing chorus does distinguish it from this but the guitars twist and turn away in a very familiar feel. It’s a chant along number and one that is guaranteed to get boots stomping along to it live. As you would expect, ‘Rapture’ takes you to a higher place; this is the stadium anthem of the album, cavernous and multi-layered sound wise and with a chorus that surges and does not stop going. The power behind it simply knocks you off your feet and it is the Joke at their prime, the Wardance of the album and a call to arms that cannot be ignored. The bible bashers and the chosen have no escape they will be the first cut down by this purification.  ‘Colony Collapse’ is one of those numbers that has an uplifting and jubilant melody about it, yep we may well be all on the point of implosion but we may as well go out with a shit eating grin on our faces. The grinding winding guitars sound like they have come out the ‘grey goo’ of the earliest Killing Joke material and the melody and chorus, well there’s a hint of ‘Wintergardens’ about it all. ‘Corporate Elect’ is a song title that could well be on the last Napalm Death album and it is one of the most frenzied numbers here, bouncing around on a spring laden groove with another slab heavy chorus and some riffs that take me back to ‘Fall Of Because.’

Side B as such sees the flow slow for single ‘In Cythera’ which again has a ‘Brighter Than 1000 Suns’ feel about it. Based on a painting it’s a song that pitches us in a floating Nirvana as into sinuously uncoils poetically itself. The chorus again is one that’s impossible to dislodge and the yearning behind it is laid out with a beseeching clamour. Heavy futuristic sounding keyboards herald ‘Primobile’ it is these and Jaz’s almost angelic voice that command here and the mood is forlorn before the crunch of bass and guitar build a jagged mournful and epoch laden tone. There is gloom and doom behind this one in spades even the soaring chorus is no saviour, there is little hope in the mood purveyed here. ‘Glitch’ is where the machinery runs amok, everything breaks down. ‘They’re working on back up’ Jaz rants, nope they are not for when the machine breaks down we break down. The keyboards behind the rant are again incredibly evocative of a past number, and this is one of the things about the album that makes it so enjoyable, spotting these nuances. Bounce up and down post punk style for ‘Trance (In The Fields Of Light)’; it’s a total pogo number with the vocals going up and down the scales, hitting high peaks and gloriously powering their way ever upward. Final number ‘On All Hallow’s Eve’ is a soliloquy to the dead, with lyrics compelling you to make noise by banging the drums and bring gifts in memory of the departed. It sees the album off in a haunting fashion, the plaintive vocals are cleanly and harmonically sung and the song is a real grower. I admit the first time I heard it I was not convinced but the tribal beat and the massive chorus quickly had me changing my mind; a fitting epitaph.

But one that we can only hope is not their last…..

There’s not much left to say, it’s obvious I am not giving this a low mark, those that know me may say it was inevitable that I would give it a high one anyway. To be fair I have not liked everything the band have ever done but since they reformed they have been on fire and at 50 minutes MMXII is the perfect length for me to be playing on a daily basis without getting slightly tired of it and long may that continue.

(9/10 Pete Woods)     

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