Forged in a London fire ritual in 1979 and reborn with their original line-up in 2008, Killing Joke have been creating uncompromising music for 44 years. In addition to their incandescent self-titled debut in 1980, they have released essential albums in each of the past four decades: Night Time (1985), Pandemonium (1994), Killing Joke (2003) and Pylon (2015). But Killing Joke are more than a band; they are a primal force that exerts an intangible gravity on both its members and its fans. They have influenced countless groups across multiple genres - including Metallica, Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails - while their own style ranges across post-punk, dub, industrial, world music, electronica and alt-metal. Their equally eclectic lyrics traverse social alienation, dystopian futures, the folly of hubris, Cold War dread, paganism and the occult. Above all, their work embodies a process of self-discovery whose aim is nothing less than the revelation and integration of our darkest urges. Killing Joke On Track covers the 15 studio albums and almost 200 songs of Killing Joke's vocation to date. It's a celebration of a band who are often challenging, always provocative, but ultimately life-affirming.
Written and researched by long time Killing Joke fanatic Nic Ransome