KILLING JOKE: s.t, 1st, debut Gateforld French copy LP. Check videos of their songs (and covers by Foo Fighters + Metallica)

Killing Joke have influenced many later bands, such as Nirvana, Ministry, Amen, Lamb of God, Nine Inch Nails, Porcupine Tree, Napalm Death, Amebix, Big Black, Opeth, Godflesh, Tool, Prong, Metallica, Primus, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Faith No More,The Banner, Blacklist, Shihad, Pitchshifter, Das Oath, Rammstein and Korn, all of whom have at some point cited some debt of gratitude to Killing Joke

Killing Joke is the debut studio album of the London post-punk band Killing Joke. Released in August, 1980 worldwide under E'G Records, Killing Joke was self-produced and was considered an underground album. The album was recorded in early 1980, shortly after a small tour promoting the Almost Red EP. The lyrics of the album were written by front man and vocalist Jaz Coleman, which expressed his opinions on issues such as politics, death, hypocrisy, human nature, pollution, and exile.
The album has been considered by many bands as an influential and inspirational database. Several bands like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Tool, Soundgarden, and Metallica have all credited Killing Joke for a lot of their own material.
The song "Requiem" was covered by Foo Fighters in 1997 as a b-side to the Everlong single and the song "The Wait" was covered by Metallica in 1987 and released on The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited and was later released as a single for Metallica. The song also featured in the hit movie School of Rock.
Killing Joke reached number 39 on the UK Albums Chart in 1980.

During Killing Joke's '79 tour, the band began to establish themselves as unique. Fans have noted that the unusual behavior of Coleman and the conservativeness of Walker were completely the opposite of each other. Although Coleman's behavior was seen as a "frightening scene", fans of both post-punk and heavy metal quickly were satisfied by this new genre that was defined by DJ John Peel.
In May of 2008, Alec A. Head of Satan Stole My Teddybear noted that "it is pretty safe to assume that the face of music was changed forever and that thousands of sound-alike bands, most of lesser quality, would sprout up by virtue of The Joke's precedence.". He also stated that "the effect that The Joke, and particularly this album, have had on rock music is still being measured, but no one did it with as much gusto as the Joke itself." Bradley Torreano of Allmusic praised the album: "[Killing Joke] is an underground classic and deserves better than its relative unknown status," and that the "cold metallic throb of Killing Joke was exciting and fresh."
Sputnikmusic stated that "[t]he debut album by Notting Hill band Killing Joke is a key album in the rise of thrash, funk and industrial based metal music. Jaz Coleman and his bandmates crossed punk rock with Black Sabbath for a nihilistic, bludgeoning but inspired and exciting noise and of their early albums, this is their best," and that the album is "[a] post-punk masterpiece of tribal funk-rock and grinding heavy metal with suitably doom-mongering lyrics and splenetic vocals."

Catalog#: 2311 032 [2311032]
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country:French

Tracklist
A1 Requiem 3:44
A2 Wardance 3:46
A3 Tomorrow's World 5:25
A4 Bloodsport 4:44

B1 The Wait 3:40
B2 Complications 3:06
B3 S.O.36 6:30
B4 Primitive 3:32
Killing Joke
Jaz Coleman - vocals, synthesizer
Kevin "Geordie" Walker - guitar
Martin "Youth" Glover - bass guitar
Paul Ferguson - drums, vocals

Review by Bradley Torreano
Since 1980, there have been a hundred bands who sound like this; but before Steve Albini and Al Jourgensen made it hip, the cold metallic throb of Killing Joke was exciting and fresh. The harshly sung vocals riding over the pulsating synth lines of the opener "Requiem" have a vigor and passion that few imitators have managed to match. The precise riffs and tight rhythms found in songs like "Wardance" would influence a generation of hardcore musicians; yet "The Wait," with its thrashing guitars and angry vocals, would find itself covered on a Metallica album only six years later. That such a bleak and furious album could have such a widespread influence is a testament to its importance. Certain parts of the album have not dated well; the vocals and drums are mixed in such a way that they lose some of their effectiveness, and the fact that so many other bands have used this same formula does take some of the visceral feeling away. But this is an underground classic and deserves better than its relative unknown status. Fans of most kinds of heavy music will probably find something they like about this band, and this is a good a place as any to start the collection.

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