[kj] Review in Brainwashed Brain

[Jerry Butson]

Graeme Rowland (who wrote this) is a regular contributor to the Wire list I
used to be on and no stranger to fanzine publishing.

He's also a prize arsehole, but he knows what he's talking about when it
comes to music.
j
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nils Winkler" <nils@nilswinkler.com>
To: <gathering@misera.net>
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 11:38 AM
Subject: [kj] Review in Brainwashed Brain


Nobody seems to have noticed the raving review in this week's Brain
(http://www.brainwashed.com/brain/brainv06i36.html):

<quote>
KILLING JOKE
Zuma
No longer can any man look me in the eye and call himself a rock fan until
he has heard this masterpiece of magical changes. This is no mere rock
performance, but a curse upon the Bush clan and their corporate cronies, a
fiery invocation to hasten the inevitable fall of the US Empire. For the
opening attack the hardcases gather around the table and the game is big
picture. "The Death and Resurrection Show" sets the scene with an
irresistably thunderous tribal dance beat from hardcore skinbeating
primitive Dave Grohl, a simply devastating give up ultimatum to false metal
guitarists from Geordie and some of the most important imagery to ever be
transmitted via the rock medium from the much maligned and misunderstood
genius Jaz Coleman. Next, a hesitant woman of liberty asks how we can go up
against the government and decides we must all rise at once. Jaz is up for
trying to inspire us to do so, and "Total Invasion" lays it on the line for
the liars who blaspheme our names in the infinitely cancerous pursuit of
profit. Fireblast riffs and collapsing skyscraper drums lumber asunder as
Jaz strangles lizards from his throat to exorcise the Bush-pig demons and
lay them in the dirt to perish of thirst as revenge for the third of the
world they are slowly, meanly, inhumanly killing to keep the cold blood
gurgling through their hardened arteries with seconds to go. Next, Jaz
assumes the form of an "Asteroid" which crashes into the ocean, flooding
and laying waste to the proliferating homogenous technocracy. It recalls
"Whiteout" amped up a zillion volts. Redefining cyber-punk, "Implant"
questions the morality of techno-genetic hybrids and mourns the inevitable
loss of diversity that is plunging the race towards eternal DOOM. Like
"Asteroid," the entire song grinds to a halt several times for Jaz to
scream his rage at the cold science fools and their deathsucking paymasters
? "You just want to FUCKING CONTROL!" Then the headlong rush of "Blood On
Your Hands" orders them to atone for their crimes and paints a picture of a
world laid waste by their idiotic short sighted greed. It would really be a
swell single, and not just for the blessed inspiration of hearing the
lyric, "Poison the water so only your GM crops grow," infiltrating wishy
washy MTV land. This is far beyond mere MALICIOUS DAMAGE. This is the most
precisely directed and accurately targeted distillation of molten rage I
have ever experienced. And I've heard a lot of so called hardcore over the
years. The second half briefly drops a rung into more personal head space.
The arm waving wasteland zombie bop "Loose Cannon" recalls imagery from the
dreams that inspired their seminal debut album and the circle is completed.
Both this rather odd choice for a single and the next track reclaim and
embellish the "Eighties" chug that poor Cursed Cobain filched in
admiration. This is the only band on the planet who could get away with a
lighters in the air ballad like "You'll Never Get To Me" probably because
they have torches. Shame they didn't replace it with the rabid "Inferno"
which closes UK copies, but has been left off in other regions for obvious
reasons. The next single is out this week and is rock perfected to sum up
the personal anger and despair at falsely mediated visions of a world gone
mad. Your mission is to buy "Seeing Red" from a chart return shop NOW and
shake up the fake money-love kiddypops charts with something of substance,
a song up there with such classics as "The Wait" and "Pssyche." What
feeling, loving, angry human could resist the joy of hearing a tune open
with the line, "They're dropping bombs again, and they're doing it in your
name," and continue with the ultimate condemnation of limited small town
England tedium and ignorance. Grohl's drums shine, reverting more to Scream
patterns than Nirvana. Geordie rips the burning sky to shreds with the
greatest one note guitar spears and the bass line is a massive descending
roll of thunder. The most harrowing trip is the eerie and desolate "Dark
Forces" in which Jaz trawls the mind of a desecrating corporate ogre and
survives to report the megalomaniac creep churnings. I wouldn't like to
spend an hour locked inside those heads but Jaz is a sterner being than I.
The final report the megalomaniac creep churnings. I wouldn't like to spend
an hour locked inside those heads but Jaz is a sterner being than I. The
final battle sees the fall of "The House That Pain Built" as Zeppelin's
"Kashmir" is ripped apart and rendered a mere grunt. After pain we WILL
have JOY. This is one band to empower the will like no other. Our Rubicon
approaches. Lets all go to the Fire Dances once again. So be it! - Graeme
Rowland
</quote>


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