Killing Joke : Requiem
On October 5, 1980 Killing Joke released their self-titled debut album, a UK Top 40 album. A soundtrack for the cynical and disaffected subject of Thatcherism, this is an album that assaults its listeners.
"Requiem" features the lyrics Man watching video /The clock keeps on ticking/He doesn't know why/ He's just cattle for slaughter .
The band has already found its unique sound. Seriously, there was nothing in the world that sounded like this.
Co-founder Paul Ferguson described it as "the sound of the earth vomiting. I’m never quite sure whether to be offended by the question of 'are we punk' or not, because, I loved punk music, but we weren't. And I think our influences were beyond punk. Obviously before punk, there was Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and there was Yes even and King Crimson, and those had all influenced me as a player, and the other guys would say other things, but I'm sure they were all part of their history as well"
Killing Joke knew how they wanted the debut to sound so no producer was hired, just technical help. Reviewers latched on to the debut's dark, heavy, bleak and bitter energy. But it is that energy, that "sheer punch" that captured the attention of fans. It's a foretaste of the industrial sounds we'd hear from Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, even Metallica who covered "The Wait".
There are only a handful of albums that have inspired as many artists as this debut. Check it out!
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