Ok, so I managed to donwload the version that is circulating on the internet and here is a nice little song-by-song review of it for anyone who is interested.
This Tribal Antidote
The way the album starts really shocked me when I first heard it because it almosts sounds like one of those goth rock/metal anthems, albeit with Coleman’s trademark roared vocals instead of your typical suicidal low-pitch crooner. I have a soft spot for anthemic and simple songs with substance so I really dig this piece!
Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell
Keyboard harmonies, a post punk beat and barked vocals. This song actually sounds a lot like TMIATTTT era Ministry.
Invocation
Long, tribal piece very much in vein of the songs on Pandemonium but with more metallic guitars. This is a side of KJ that does not particularly appeal to me and the violins present in this song make it even more annoying. I think I might be skipping this one when listening to this album in the future.
Implosion
Thrash metal guitars and a punk rhythm. More straightforward than KJ has ever been. Actually, after some thought, this song reminds me a lot of Skrew’s “Gemini”, almost to the point of sounding like a rip-off.
Majestic
This could be considered to be a pretty ‘industrial’ track as the beat is reall overpowering and the guitars just play a bunch of harmonies instead of focusing on riffs. Electronic effects are also very common in this song.
Walking With Gods
Not an innovative song in any way but quite catchy. Essentially its a pounding riff played over and over and over again over dancy beats. The problem is that the track is waaaay too long. It would be great at 4 minutes but at 8 and a half, its a snorefest. Sadly, the remaining 3 songs of the album all follow the same structure.
Lightbringer
Another super-long track, this time with a riff that somehow reminds me of Rammstein. Essentially its the same as the previous track but one minute longer!
Gratitude
And another over-long track although at least this time it’s slow so it doesnt seem to us like it’s even longer than it really is.
Judas Goat
Probably the most enjoyable song out of the long and monotonous tracks on this album. The riff is addictive and does not get boring too quickly.
Hmm, overall I am not overly impressed. The band displays the same tendency to make overlong tracks with way too much repetition (as in, the entire song is just one riff over and over again). I can understand how this music is meant to have a kind of ‘ceremony’ quality to it and I could imagine really enjoying it and digging the repetition after smoking some weed or taking some psychotropic drugs. Actually, maybe I’ll do that and get back to you to tell you if its any more enjoyable.
I have only heard ‘Implosion’. It is so so at best, but supposed to be the worst track on the album. At least, that’s what the kids on the street are saying.
And who am I to argue??
The leaked copy is not the finished copy - only a promo. Maybe this is why you aren’t crazy about it? Am eager to hear the title track and ‘Judas Goat’. I dig the tribal-trancey thing. Killing Joke do that sort of thing well.
Did you like it more than Killing Joke '03? Is ‘Implosion’ indicitive of the album as a whole?
Check out the Animal Collective album, Feels, if yr into this sort of thing (tribal rythms, chanting). It is an astonishing piece of work. Download it, buy it, steal it, kill for it, whatever - just make sure you hear it. Definitely album of the year in '05.
i think in general its rather bland and the track lengths are way too long considering. there are some interesting bits here and there, but on a whole the album is rather boring.
not to mention there is one song that sounds like sun goes down and another that sounds like pssyche.
Wow, I can’t wait to hear the finished product. These mp3s are crappy, but I’ve listened to this album twice now, and am liking it a lot. Geordie’s guitar playing is much more ‘classic’ sounding on this release - lots of dissonant notes and chords which remind me of Revelations/Fire Dances/Night Time era Joke. The album is furiously-paced, with the exception of a couple of slower tunes. The drums and bass sound great.
Musically, it’s definitely not as catchy or straight-forward as KJ2003, but that’s not such a bad thing. I’m probably in the minority, but I like KJ’s stretched out 9 minute epics - they’re just really good to get lost in. My favorites so far are the title track, Majestic, Judas Goat, and Lightbringer (Pssyche part 2, essentially). The guitars in the title track sound a little like “Test” from the Mind album. Sound right, Jupitreas?
The weak spot for me is Invocation, a track that musically similar to something from Pandemonium, but the strings - ugh! A little too dramatic for me, and just an ok song overall. This album has many more ‘classic KJ’ moments than KJ2003, with many a nod to the early-early albums, along with reminders of Extremeties, Pandemonium, and the last LP.
Jaz’s vocals - hmm. There are moments where that ‘growl’ of his sounds cool, and then there are times where it’s just too much to bear. I almost feel like I’m losing my own voice listening to him scream like that! I know he can still sing with a cleaner vocal - he just seems to prefer the abravise voice. I blame Pandemonium for that, but whatever, I’m used to it by now. If anything, it definitely distinguishes new KJ from old KJ. I like KJ2003 a lot, but this one feels angrier, more intense, and just a little more inspired. It’s more post-punk than metal, and the drums sound fatter and punchier this time. I’m psyched to buy the real deal so I can crank the shit out of it.
Oh yeah, this album rocks. Im dying to get some properly mastered mp3s soon as soon as theyre done (Jaz has stated this was an unmastered test copy, a smart idea for a promo to ensure a future sale). I think those less satisfied will like it all better when the actual product came out. 'Walking with Gods" for ex. is good but I can tell it being in mono is taking alot of the punch out of it.
The weak spot for me is Invocation, a track that musically similar to something from Pandemonium, but the strings - ugh! A little too dramatic for me, and just an ok song overall.
The string parts are inspired from Arabic music (not a wonder knowing Jaz origins and his various collaborations) and in that sense the song could be some sort of a ‘Kashmir’-alike KJ song. I find the song very, very good and it grabbed my attention at first listen.
Yeah, I think this was set up by the website, not the band, and Jester doesn’t even have a true matered copy yet.
There’s gonna be a single for the title track that’ll have 2 b-sides that Jaz says are true album cuts, they’ll be playing them live, only on the single b/c they truly couldnt fit all the songs they wanted to. One of them might be ‘Universe B’, although that might be an import bonus b/c Japanese sites have been listing that track.
There is a video available on their website for the title track. The video is in extremely poor quality and actually its a shitt video too (Jaz looks like a black metal idiot with that makeup). Its hard to tell from the compressed sound in this video but it does seem to sound less murky than the promo that we all heard.
I think the album hits US streets on 4/4, the UK a week before.
www.cookingvinyl.com has the Hosannas single details up. I think it hits stores first week of March. 2 new bonus tracks “Universe B” (which given Jaz’s interperetation of KJ and his symphony work being Universes A & B, I think it’ll be another “Invocation” type piece) and “Afterburner.” He said theyre only b-sides b/c they literally would not fit on the CD, but they will be played live. Not just throwaways!
