Killing Joke

Killing Joke’s never been a stranger to social commentary or eardrum-destroying industrial-metal since it formed in the ruins of the British punk scene in 1978, but with the recent reunion of its original lineup, the veteran noisemakers return with a sense of purpose. Maybe it’s the inspiration the lineup gleaned from hatching reunion plans at the funeral of bassist Paul Raven, or maybe it’s just that its music thrives when the world’s going down the crapper, but this year’s Absolute Dissent—the founding lineup’s first full-length in 28 years—finds the foursome reinvigorated. Although the band’s searing guitars and lock-step beats can’t possibly be as shocking as they were when they debuted 35 years ago, Killing Joke’s almost as volatile as it was in the Thatcher era. 

Updated 12/01/2010