[kj] Weighing in on US Edition.

[Alexander Smith]

No messages appear to be coming through, but I'm just going to keep typing
into the void anyway.....


At the risk of beating to death everyone else's reviews, herewith mine own
thoughts.

I'm still only wading into it, but here are my initial impressions......

1. I'm sure this has been established by now, but the US edition does *NOT*
include "Zennen," "Future Shock," "Inferno" nor "Tailspin." The "bonus
track" is "Wardance". Thanks for playing.

2. The cover art is -- I'm sorry to join the choir here -- flatly
indefensible. I was hoping for maybe a little more diversion on the inner
booklet, but it's only the same image repeated in different hues.....(think
TECHNIQUE by New Order). In other words, it's a blinding dayglo nightmare. I
know album covers aren't the meat of the matter, but thinking back to some
of the brilliant covers of this particular band's past, it's sort've a
mystery how they ended up with this. I know, I know -- maybe they just
decided to scale everything back and keep it simple....but simple doesn't
have to equate with stupid or half-assed, right? This album deserves a
better sleeve (we anxiously and hungrily await your submissions, Mr.Coles)

3. A small, petty point ---- but I'd have liked to have a seen a mention of
The Gathering on the liner/thankyou notes. I'm still smarting from being
edited out of Firewater's thank you notes on their new record, THE MAN ON
THE BURNING TIGHTROPE (though Tod claims he had me down there ---- yeah
right). We've waited a really long damn time and have stood by them. A
little nod would've been nice. It's not a big deal, but y'know, throw us a
bone, eh?

4. In terms of the tunes, I've already weighed in on many of them: 

    (a) I think "TD&RS" is fucking great. 
    
    (b) I've cooled significantly on "Total Invasion" and "Dark Forces". In
fact, those two are my least favorite tracks on the album (ranking lower
than "Loose Cannon" actually). They're still fine songs, but they're not
nearly as distinctive nor immediate as some other selections here.
    
    (c) "Asteroid" is both fantastic and infuriating at the same time
(something about the "told'ja so!" way Jaz sings "ASSS-TA-ROOOYYYYYYYD!"
sorta bugs me), but the riff is chuggtastic and the pace is exhilerating. 
    
    (d) "Implant", again, is fucking genius, and does indeed out-Motorhead
Motorhead. 
    
    (e) "Blood on Your Hands" is *SIMPLY BRILLIANT* and completely restores
my faith in this band.         

    (f)"Loose Cannon" is....well..."Loose Cannon," innit! I believe we've
milked dry the topic-cow of this song.

    (g) "You'll Never Get to Me" was a surprising corner to turn, and I'm
still wrapping my cerebellum around it. Definetely has the elegiac flavor of
the DEMOCRACY period. 

    (h) "Seeing Red" is, like "Blood On Your Hands", absolutely magnificent.



    (i) "The House that Pain Built" isn't my favorite. Starts off
promisingly enough, but the bits where they speed up recall the Atkins era,
wherein the band seemed to try to compete with the hardcore corps. Killing
Joke can be stealthy, but the breakneck pace of hardcore doesn't really suit
them, I find. This track is, admittedly, kind've a headache.

    (j) Regarding "Wardance," I still prefer the first version.

5. Regarding the Very Metal Sound here, I'm torn. I've always been a fan of
metal, but when I initially discovered the celestial majesty of Killing Joke
(circa "Eighties"/"A New Day"), I didn't connect them with metal in the
slightest. There are certainly "metallic" elements to their music (more so
the first album than anything until EXTREMITIES), but I'd never call them a
"heavy metal" band. Part of the genius of Killing Joke, however, is their
elusive nature. The Punks claim them. The Post-Punks claim them. The
Industrial scene claims them. The Goths claim them. The Metalheads claim
them. Meanwhile, they belong to no proper 'scene' other than their fucking
OWN, thank you very much. Geordie's guitar is the defining element each
time, and he's back on the power-chord chug here for most of the
proceedings, rather than the sinister "bell" chime (though that reared its
head as recently as "Aeon," let's remember). If I had to guess, I'd suggest
that the band feels that this "harder" sound better suits the sentiments
being expressed on the album (more desperate the hour equates with more
anxious the sound, maybe?) The argument could also be made that being that
this is essentially yet another 'comeback' album (their own fault for being
away so long, mind you), they feel the need to out-"oomph" the Nu-Metalers
currently making the `rounds. I'm just fucking relieved there's no rapping
on it.

6. Jaz's vocals.....all stripes on this one. It's great to hear his sonorous
tones on, say, "Blood On Your Hands" and/or "You'll Never Get To Me". The
shouty, phlegmy, screamy style is also in abundance, but at least there's a
diversity of style.

7. Would've liked to have seen Raven get a bit more recognition.

8. Overall, I'd say I'm pretty pleased. It's definetly an album I can see
myself returning to more than DEMOCRACY and PANDEMONIUM. The low points are
largely forgivable for the most part, and the high parts are fucking
celestial and rank with some of the band's best work, I feel (I'm talking
specifically about "Blood on your Hands", "Seeing Red" and "Implant").

Anyway, therewith my two euros.

Alex 
    in
        NYC