Absolute Dissent
Encyclopedia
Absolute Dissent is the fourteenth studio album by Killing Joke
. It represents the first studio album and the second recording —it was preceded by the In Excelsis EP on July 2010— in 28 years from the band's original line-up of Jaz Coleman
(vocals), Kevin "Geordie" Walker
(guitar
), Martin "Youth" Glover
(bass
), and Paul Ferguson
(drums
). The album was going to be called Feast of Fools, but they decided to not use that track and they chose Absolute Dissent for the title of the album and of its opening track. The album was released on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom
and Japan
, and on 1 October in Europe
on Spinefarm Records
, marking the 30th Anniversary for Killing Joke. It was released in the United States
in November 2010 and distributed worldwide via Universal Music Group
.
The album, which features twelve tracks, was engineered and mixed by Clive Goddard, and produced by the band. It was released on various formats including CD, double coloured vinyl and a 2-CD deluxe edition
featuring a bonus disc entitled Absolute Respect with Killing Joke's songs covered by Metallica
, Amen
, Helmet
, Econoline Crush
, Dead by April
, Nine Inch Nails
, The Mad Capsule Markets
, Nouvelle Vague
, Fear Factory
, Foo Fighters
, and Kotiteollisuus
.
formed by Jaz Coleman
, Kevin "Geordie" Walker
, Martin "Youth" Glover
, and Paul Ferguson
decided to work together again as a unit and to record together for the first time since 1982.
When the band was rehearsing for gigs during the summer 2009 they were also writing new songs for the album during the rehearsals. Then Coleman and Walker got another few ideas together in Prague
, so when they started the album they had nine songs quite ready for the album and then they added another nine. They wrote over twenty songs for the album and then they have been arguing over which songs, and which mixes, and which artwork goes on the album.
The band used a revolutionary element in the organisation. In the sessions during the day Killing Joke did structured songs and in the evenings they did jams. Thereby, they spent all day focusing on one thing with a structured approach and then in the evening they got it as a spontaneous release with an anarchic approach.
All members of Killing Joke participated in writing the lyrics and composing the music. The album was conceived and then recorded in London
, Spain
, and Prague
. It was engineered and mixed by Clive Goddard, and produced by the band themselves.
, much of the same metal influence of their 2003 album Killing Joke, and the melodic grandeur of 1986's Brighter Than a Thousand Suns. Apocalypse, geopolitics, population, societal control, and random acts of kindness are some of the main themes in the album.
The opening track, "Absolute Dissent", with its chopping guitar, the frantic dance beat, the hymn-like chorus, and the apocalyptic content, sounds utterly euphoric somehow mimic their classic 1980 song "Pssyche". The lyrics are about the way the world is going with references to the microwave towers, already up and running in China and depicted on the artwork of Jimmy Cauty
from KLF, towers that can monitor everything on every person at all times, and the theories of Nicholas and David Rockefeller
about microchipped population and supernational elite.
The album's second track, "The Great Cull", is a heavy song in the style of their 2003 album, Killing Joke. It talks about Malthusianism
, the Codex Alimentarius
for creating a sick population, water fluoridation
and dopamine increased in the brain, chemtrails, malleable population, and mass control to maintain the population preferably around 500 million.
The third track, "Fresh Fever from the Skies", is less intense than the preceding track and has a "Chop Chop
"-like riff. It tells an inexplicable experience that happened to Coleman and about a hundred other people who saw seven luminous glowing objects in the sky when they were outside the pubs in Ladbroke Grove
.
"In Excelsis" was first released on 23 June 2010 on the extended play
of the same name. It is a simple but hypnotical mantra-chant, anthemic song with simple drums and featuring keyboards for the first time on the album.
The fifth track, "European Super State", was released as a single prior to the release of the album on 20 September 2010. The song, the most commercial track on the album, is a mixture of dance-punk
, UK hard house
, and electronic body music
., with a soundscape fitting of Depeche Mode
's Violator
era. It is a continuation of their convictions about the European dream. Killing Joke are all supporters of the European ideal. They wrote a song, "Europe", on their fifth studio album released in 1985, Night Time
, which has a similar content. It is a worth looking at Jan Huss, the origins of the European Union
, and the European roots.
The sixth track, "This World Hell (Die, Long Pig!)", is an industrial metal
piece in the style of Godflesh
, Greymachine, Rammstein
, and Neurosis
. Along with "The Great Cull", this is the heaviest song on the album. The song is played without a click track, in one take. Lyrically it was inspired by Coleman's eldest daughter who turned him on to the work of Jean Ziegler
, former professor of sociology
at the University of Geneva
and the Sorbonne
, Paris
, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2000 to 2008. It concerns with food supply and asks for a sweeping green communism.
"Endgame", first released on the In Excelsis EP, is not far away from their 1984's classic "Wilful Days". The lyrics are about several different themes such as a pharmaceutical company (Baxter
) that was caught sending the H1N1 virus to their sister company, or the war with IRAQ.
"The Raven King", is the album's emotional centerpiece. It musically fits onto their 1986 album, Brighter Than a Thousand Suns, with an atmospheric keyboard opening sets a backdrop for Coleman's voice. Guitars and bass play in for a soaring, epic chorus. It started during a jam session when Glover said: "Right, let's do one for Raven! Let's go!" Lyrically it is about Chris Knight
's ideas of that human activity must be governed by our ancestral spirits. "It's not a song about Paul Raven," Coleman said in an interview with Rob Haynes for The Quietus
, "it's about Raven's anger and things he felt passionately about. It's a song for Englishmen." "Carpe nocturno" is the last line of the song and also the last thing Raven said to Coleman in Prague
when they meet for the last time.
"Honour the Fire" features a harsh, but melodic guitar and growling bass undertow, with Coleman's mournful voice addressing all the elements. But, under the heavy production there is also a pop song buried here. It's a short Killing Joke's autobiography and tells of their relationship with money.
"Depthcharge" is a Pandemonium
-style industrial-dance track. The lyrics are about impending the environmental catastrophe.
"Here Comes the Singularity" is a Night Time
-era influenced song detailing the 2012 phenomenon
, the speeding-up process and its singularity, and the end of the world as we know it.
The closing track, "Ghosts on Ladbroke Grove", first released on the In Excelsis EP, is a moody, space-echoing lope, harking back to the dub roots of their first EP, Turn to Red
released in 1979. Ladbroke Grove
, a road in west London
, in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
and also the name given to the immediate area surrounding the road, is the place where generations of Coleman's family have lived, and where the second wave of punk
started. The music was composed first and then Coleman went in the studio on the day after and wrote the vocals. The whispering vocal is sung by Glover.
Other new songs such as "I Am War", "A Sick Sun", "Time Wave", "Suicide Tribe", and "Feast of Fools" are not included in this album, but the band still want to work on them and then publish all of them in different editions.
, which collates reviews from various publications, indicates a score of 79 (indicating "Generally favorable"). The album has received positive professional reviews. The BBC Music
review by John Doran stated that "They easily manage to step out from the long shadow cast by their own first two albums on this close-to-genius release. ... this is K[illing ]J[oke] at their distressingly original best." Dom Gourlay of Drowned in Sound
music webzine awarded the album eight stars out of ten and wrote that "they've defied all expectations and created arguably their most definitive, and overtly complex body of work in decades. ... Absolute Dissent is a remarkable achievement for a band whose creative zenith appeared to have been locked in the annals many moons ago. ... if this is the last time Killing Joke embark on a recording project together, they couldn't have concocted a more fitting finale."
Neil Gardner of British magazine Rock Sound
wrote about the album that it is "Still angry, still vital", and gave it seven stars out of ten. Darryl Sterdan of Canoe.ca
gave the album a rating of four out of five. Phil Freeman of Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five and ended his review with: "it's damn nice to hear a band still operating at this level over 30 years into their career." Laura Wiebe of Exclaim!
praised the album and wrote that "The (post-)punk ethos is there, but this is heavy, intelligent rock, aggressive and insistent sometimes, but tempered by several laidback, reflective moments. And, in a way, it sounds like these four guys were never apart." Mike Schiller of PopMatters
gave the album a rating of eight out of ten, and in his review, wrote: "the sound of Absolute Dissent is remarkably consistent—mostly straightforward rockers with some combination of tuneful singing and gravel-tinged bellowing over the top, well produced and tightly performed. There are a couple of low points, [...] but even those tracks pass fairly unassumingly." Ben Donnelly of Dusted Magazine gave the album nine stars out of ten stating that it "reaches a few new peaks".
Q
magazine gave the album a rating of four stars out of five, pointing out that "The post-punk provocateurs' 13th album finds them straddling post-millennial metal and ritualistic pounding, Jaz Coleman still still roaring like he's the only sane person in a world of fools". Mojo
stated that "from the title track's monolithic defiance down, this one's an out-of-the-blue, anti-establishment classic", giving the album a rating of four stars out of five. Less enthusiastic reviews, but still positive with a rating of three stars out of five, reviews were written by Kerrang!
, Now
, and Alternative Press. The first stated that "thirty years on from the release of their earth-jolting, trouble-divining self-titled debut, Killing Joke show no signs of either mellowing or cracking a smile". Jason Keller for Now wrote that "the tracks are long, grinding and relentlessly angry about the state of the world", while Alternative Press pointed out that instead of building on their strengths, frontman Jaz Coleman & Co. have backslid into subdued sogginess of the band's mid-period". Tim Klingbiel of leading Australian music website FasterLouder
wrote that "Approaching controversial subjects such as population control, chemtrails, microchipping of the world's population and bioterrorism, Coleman's lyrics are fascinating as always, and he remains one of the few truly enigmatic and captivating frontmen in the world of modern music" and summed up the impact of the record and cultural significance of the band by stating that "More than anything else, Absolute Dissent highlights exactly why Killing Joke remain so culturally relevant after over 30 years – far from being content to rest on their laurels, they continue to explore territory far beyond almost any other band today."
In November 2010, Killing Joke were honoured with the trophy for Innovator at the Classic Rock
Roll of Honour for their unique and influential evolution of sound over the years. The magazine ranked Absolute Dissent at number ten on its album of the year list. The album was also listed at number ten in the Terrorizer magazine's Top 40 Albums of 2010, and number four in the Metal Hammer
s Top 50 Albums of 2010. It came eighth in Revolver
magazine's end of year list.
Deluxe edition CD two: Absolute Respect
Notes
Production
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
. It represents the first studio album and the second recording —it was preceded by the In Excelsis EP on July 2010— in 28 years from the band's original line-up of Jaz Coleman
Jaz Coleman
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
(vocals), Kevin "Geordie" Walker
Geordie Walker
Kevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Martin "Youth" Glover
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Paul Ferguson
Paul Ferguson
Paul Ferguson is a rock drummer, best known for his work in the post-punk/industrial group, Killing Joke, and cult English punk band, Pink Parts. Ferguson was a founder member of Killing Joke, and was their drummer from 1978 to 1987, and was known as 'Big Paul Ferguson' during this period...
(drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). The album was going to be called Feast of Fools, but they decided to not use that track and they chose Absolute Dissent for the title of the album and of its opening track. The album was released on 27 September 2010 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and on 1 October in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
, marking the 30th Anniversary for Killing Joke. It was released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in November 2010 and distributed worldwide via Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
.
The album, which features twelve tracks, was engineered and mixed by Clive Goddard, and produced by the band. It was released on various formats including CD, double coloured vinyl and a 2-CD deluxe edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
featuring a bonus disc entitled Absolute Respect with Killing Joke's songs covered by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Amen
Amen (band)
Amen is a hardcore punk-influenced band formed in 1994.The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos remaining as the only constant member throughout...
, Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
, Econoline Crush
Econoline Crush
Econoline Crush is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada formed in 1992. Originally formed in Seattle, they eventually moved back to Vancouver...
, Dead by April
Dead by April
Dead by April is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in February 2007. The band consists of Jimmie Strimell, Zandro Santiago, Marcus Wesslén and Alex Svenningsson. They released their self-titled debut album in May 2009. In 2010 the two guitarists, Pontus Hjelm and Johan Olsson, left the...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets
The Mad Capsule Markets were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006...
, Nouvelle Vague
Nouvelle Vague (band)
Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese...
, Fear Factory
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, and Kotiteollisuus
Kotiteollisuus
Kotiteollisuus is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in 1991 in Lappeenranta. The band released its first demo tape in 1993 under the name "Hullu ukko ja Kotiteollisuus" . The shortened name and current line-up was established in 1997.Kotiteollisuus is said to combine "furious...
.
Recording and production
After meeting up on October 2007 at Paul Raven's funeral and the intimations of mortality that Raven's passing gave to them, the original line-up of Killing JokeKilling Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
formed by Jaz Coleman
Jaz Coleman
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
, Kevin "Geordie" Walker
Geordie Walker
Kevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
, Martin "Youth" Glover
Martin Glover
Martin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
, and Paul Ferguson
Paul Ferguson
Paul Ferguson is a rock drummer, best known for his work in the post-punk/industrial group, Killing Joke, and cult English punk band, Pink Parts. Ferguson was a founder member of Killing Joke, and was their drummer from 1978 to 1987, and was known as 'Big Paul Ferguson' during this period...
decided to work together again as a unit and to record together for the first time since 1982.
When the band was rehearsing for gigs during the summer 2009 they were also writing new songs for the album during the rehearsals. Then Coleman and Walker got another few ideas together in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, so when they started the album they had nine songs quite ready for the album and then they added another nine. They wrote over twenty songs for the album and then they have been arguing over which songs, and which mixes, and which artwork goes on the album.
The band used a revolutionary element in the organisation. In the sessions during the day Killing Joke did structured songs and in the evenings they did jams. Thereby, they spent all day focusing on one thing with a structured approach and then in the evening they got it as a spontaneous release with an anarchic approach.
All members of Killing Joke participated in writing the lyrics and composing the music. The album was conceived and then recorded in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. It was engineered and mixed by Clive Goddard, and produced by the band themselves.
Songs
Absolute Dissent has the sludgy sonic quality of their 2006 release Hosannas from the Basements of HellHosannas from the Basements of Hell
Hosannas from the Basements of Hell is the thirteenth studio album by Killing Joke released on April 3, 2006 under Cooking Vinyl Records. The track "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell" was released as a single, and made it to #72 in the UK. Tracks "Invocation" and "Implosion" were also released as...
, much of the same metal influence of their 2003 album Killing Joke, and the melodic grandeur of 1986's Brighter Than a Thousand Suns. Apocalypse, geopolitics, population, societal control, and random acts of kindness are some of the main themes in the album.
The opening track, "Absolute Dissent", with its chopping guitar, the frantic dance beat, the hymn-like chorus, and the apocalyptic content, sounds utterly euphoric somehow mimic their classic 1980 song "Pssyche". The lyrics are about the way the world is going with references to the microwave towers, already up and running in China and depicted on the artwork of Jimmy Cauty
Jimmy Cauty
James Francis Cauty is a British artist and musician born in Liverpool, England, in 1956...
from KLF, towers that can monitor everything on every person at all times, and the theories of Nicholas and David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller
David Rockefeller, Sr. is the current patriarch of the Rockefeller family. He is the youngest and only surviving child of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, and the only surviving grandchild of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil. His five siblings were...
about microchipped population and supernational elite.
The album's second track, "The Great Cull", is a heavy song in the style of their 2003 album, Killing Joke. It talks about Malthusianism
Malthusianism
Malthusianism refers primarily to ideas derived from the political/economic thought of Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, as laid out initially in his 1798 writings, An Essay on the Principle of Population, which describes how unchecked population growth is exponential while the growth of the food...
, the Codex Alimentarius
Codex Alimentarius
The Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety. Its name derives from the Codex Alimentarius Austriacus...
for creating a sick population, water fluoridation
Water fluoridation
Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water has fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride...
and dopamine increased in the brain, chemtrails, malleable population, and mass control to maintain the population preferably around 500 million.
The third track, "Fresh Fever from the Skies", is less intense than the preceding track and has a "Chop Chop
Chop-Chop
"Chop-Chop" is Killing Joke's second single from their third studio album, Revelations. It released under E'G Records as a 7" single. The B-side, "Good Samaritan", was also off Revelations. This single, unlike "Empire Song", did not chart....
"-like riff. It tells an inexplicable experience that happened to Coleman and about a hundred other people who saw seven luminous glowing objects in the sky when they were outside the pubs in Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
.
"In Excelsis" was first released on 23 June 2010 on the extended play
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
of the same name. It is a simple but hypnotical mantra-chant, anthemic song with simple drums and featuring keyboards for the first time on the album.
The fifth track, "European Super State", was released as a single prior to the release of the album on 20 September 2010. The song, the most commercial track on the album, is a mixture of dance-punk
Dance-punk
Dance-punk is a music genre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the post-punk and No Wave movements.-Predecessors:...
, UK hard house
UK Hard house
UK Hard House or simply Hard House is a style of Hard Dance music that emerged in the 1990s.-Sound:Proper hard house is typified by a set formula of up-tempo house music compressed kick drums, signature style off-beat basslines and the use of 'hoover' type sounds...
, and electronic body music
Electronic body music
Electronic body music or industrial dance is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic dance music...
., with a soundscape fitting of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's Violator
Violator
Violator may refer to:* Violator , a 1990 album by Depeche Mode* Violator , a Brazilian thrash metal band* Violator , a comic book character who appeared in Todd McFarlane's Spawn...
era. It is a continuation of their convictions about the European dream. Killing Joke are all supporters of the European ideal. They wrote a song, "Europe", on their fifth studio album released in 1985, Night Time
Night Time
Night Time is the fifth studio album by Killing Joke, released in 1985. It was an international hit, featuring some of their best-known tracks like "Night Time", "Eighties", "Love Like Blood", and "Kings and Queens"....
, which has a similar content. It is a worth looking at Jan Huss, the origins of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and the European roots.
The sixth track, "This World Hell (Die, Long Pig!)", is an industrial metal
Industrial metal
Industrial metal is a musical genre that draws from industrial music and many different types of heavy metal, using repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Founding industrial metal acts include Ministry, Godflesh, and KMFDM.Industrial metal's...
piece in the style of Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, Greymachine, Rammstein
Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, formed in 1994. The band consists of members Till Lindemann , Richard Z. Kruspe , Paul H. Landers , Oliver "Ollie" Riedel , Christoph "Doom" Schneider and Christian "Flake" Lorenz...
, and Neurosis
Neurosis (band)
Neurosis is a post-metal band, based in Oakland, California. They formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band, and their sound progressed towards a doom metal style that also included influences from dark ambient and industrial music as well as incorporating elements of folk music...
. Along with "The Great Cull", this is the heaviest song on the album. The song is played without a click track, in one take. Lyrically it was inspired by Coleman's eldest daughter who turned him on to the work of Jean Ziegler
Jean Ziegler
Jean Ziegler is a former professor of sociology at the University of Geneva and the Sorbonne, Paris. He was a Member of Parliament for the Social Democrats in the Federal Assembly of Switzerland from 1981 to 1999...
, former professor of sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
and the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food from 2000 to 2008. It concerns with food supply and asks for a sweeping green communism.
"Endgame", first released on the In Excelsis EP, is not far away from their 1984's classic "Wilful Days". The lyrics are about several different themes such as a pharmaceutical company (Baxter
Baxter International
Baxter International Inc. , is an American health care company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat hemophilia, kidney disease, immune disorders and other chronic and acute medical conditions...
) that was caught sending the H1N1 virus to their sister company, or the war with IRAQ.
"The Raven King", is the album's emotional centerpiece. It musically fits onto their 1986 album, Brighter Than a Thousand Suns, with an atmospheric keyboard opening sets a backdrop for Coleman's voice. Guitars and bass play in for a soaring, epic chorus. It started during a jam session when Glover said: "Right, let's do one for Raven! Let's go!" Lyrically it is about Chris Knight
Chris Knight (anthropologist)
Chris Knight is a British anthropologist and political activist.Following an MPhil in Russian Literature from the University of Sussex in 1977, he gained his PhD in 1987 at the University of London for a thesis on Claude Lévi-Strauss's four-volume Mythologiques...
's ideas of that human activity must be governed by our ancestral spirits. "It's not a song about Paul Raven," Coleman said in an interview with Rob Haynes for The Quietus
The Quietus
The Quietus is a British online rock music and pop culture magazine, focusing on arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication led by John Doran and a group of freelance journalists and critics, some of whom have worked for other media outlets...
, "it's about Raven's anger and things he felt passionately about. It's a song for Englishmen." "Carpe nocturno" is the last line of the song and also the last thing Raven said to Coleman in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
when they meet for the last time.
"Honour the Fire" features a harsh, but melodic guitar and growling bass undertow, with Coleman's mournful voice addressing all the elements. But, under the heavy production there is also a pop song buried here. It's a short Killing Joke's autobiography and tells of their relationship with money.
"Depthcharge" is a Pandemonium
Pandemonium (Killing Joke album)
Pandemonium is the tenth studio album by Killing Joke released in June, 1994, under the Zoo label.This album marked Killing Joke's return after a four year long hiatus, the longest the band has taken since it was initially founded...
-style industrial-dance track. The lyrics are about impending the environmental catastrophe.
"Here Comes the Singularity" is a Night Time
Night Time
Night Time is the fifth studio album by Killing Joke, released in 1985. It was an international hit, featuring some of their best-known tracks like "Night Time", "Eighties", "Love Like Blood", and "Kings and Queens"....
-era influenced song detailing the 2012 phenomenon
2012 phenomenon
The 2012 phenomenon comprises a range of eschatological beliefs that cataclysmic or transformative events will occur on December 21, 2012. This date is regarded as the end-date of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar...
, the speeding-up process and its singularity, and the end of the world as we know it.
The closing track, "Ghosts on Ladbroke Grove", first released on the In Excelsis EP, is a moody, space-echoing lope, harking back to the dub roots of their first EP, Turn to Red
Turn to Red
Turn to Red, is the original version of Killing Joke's debut EP, released in October 1979. It lacked the track "Almost Red", which would appear a month later on the 12" release...
released in 1979. Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, a road in west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a central London borough of Royal borough status. After the City of Westminster, it is the wealthiest borough in England....
and also the name given to the immediate area surrounding the road, is the place where generations of Coleman's family have lived, and where the second wave of punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
started. The music was composed first and then Coleman went in the studio on the day after and wrote the vocals. The whispering vocal is sung by Glover.
Other new songs such as "I Am War", "A Sick Sun", "Time Wave", "Suicide Tribe", and "Feast of Fools" are not included in this album, but the band still want to work on them and then publish all of them in different editions.
Reception
Reception for Absolute Dissent was very positive. Review aggregator MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which collates reviews from various publications, indicates a score of 79 (indicating "Generally favorable"). The album has received positive professional reviews. The BBC Music
BBC Music
BBC Music is a team working in the department of Audio and Music Interactive at the BBC. Responsible for the BBC Music website - the portal site to music content across the BBC website....
review by John Doran stated that "They easily manage to step out from the long shadow cast by their own first two albums on this close-to-genius release. ... this is K[illing ]J[oke] at their distressingly original best." Dom Gourlay of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
music webzine awarded the album eight stars out of ten and wrote that "they've defied all expectations and created arguably their most definitive, and overtly complex body of work in decades. ... Absolute Dissent is a remarkable achievement for a band whose creative zenith appeared to have been locked in the annals many moons ago. ... if this is the last time Killing Joke embark on a recording project together, they couldn't have concocted a more fitting finale."
Neil Gardner of British magazine Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
wrote about the album that it is "Still angry, still vital", and gave it seven stars out of ten. Darryl Sterdan of Canoe.ca
Canadian Online Explorer
Canadian Online Explorer is a bilingual online news and information site from Canada.A subsidiary of Quebecor Media, Canoe.ca is a leading local and national interactive media provider of news, entertainment and services, helping to inform and connect Canadians...
gave the album a rating of four out of five. Phil Freeman of Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars out of five and ended his review with: "it's damn nice to hear a band still operating at this level over 30 years into their career." Laura Wiebe of Exclaim!
Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
praised the album and wrote that "The (post-)punk ethos is there, but this is heavy, intelligent rock, aggressive and insistent sometimes, but tempered by several laidback, reflective moments. And, in a way, it sounds like these four guys were never apart." Mike Schiller of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
gave the album a rating of eight out of ten, and in his review, wrote: "the sound of Absolute Dissent is remarkably consistent—mostly straightforward rockers with some combination of tuneful singing and gravel-tinged bellowing over the top, well produced and tightly performed. There are a couple of low points, [...] but even those tracks pass fairly unassumingly." Ben Donnelly of Dusted Magazine gave the album nine stars out of ten stating that it "reaches a few new peaks".
Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
magazine gave the album a rating of four stars out of five, pointing out that "The post-punk provocateurs' 13th album finds them straddling post-millennial metal and ritualistic pounding, Jaz Coleman still still roaring like he's the only sane person in a world of fools". Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
stated that "from the title track's monolithic defiance down, this one's an out-of-the-blue, anti-establishment classic", giving the album a rating of four stars out of five. Less enthusiastic reviews, but still positive with a rating of three stars out of five, reviews were written by Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
, Now
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
, and Alternative Press. The first stated that "thirty years on from the release of their earth-jolting, trouble-divining self-titled debut, Killing Joke show no signs of either mellowing or cracking a smile". Jason Keller for Now wrote that "the tracks are long, grinding and relentlessly angry about the state of the world", while Alternative Press pointed out that instead of building on their strengths, frontman Jaz Coleman & Co. have backslid into subdued sogginess of the band's mid-period". Tim Klingbiel of leading Australian music website FasterLouder
Sound Alliance
The Sound Alliance is a new media company in Australia. It is publisher of music websites inthemix, FasterLouder, Mess+Noise and lifestyle website SameSame....
wrote that "Approaching controversial subjects such as population control, chemtrails, microchipping of the world's population and bioterrorism, Coleman's lyrics are fascinating as always, and he remains one of the few truly enigmatic and captivating frontmen in the world of modern music" and summed up the impact of the record and cultural significance of the band by stating that "More than anything else, Absolute Dissent highlights exactly why Killing Joke remain so culturally relevant after over 30 years – far from being content to rest on their laurels, they continue to explore territory far beyond almost any other band today."
In November 2010, Killing Joke were honoured with the trophy for Innovator at the Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
Roll of Honour for their unique and influential evolution of sound over the years. The magazine ranked Absolute Dissent at number ten on its album of the year list. The album was also listed at number ten in the Terrorizer magazine's Top 40 Albums of 2010, and number four in the Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
s Top 50 Albums of 2010. It came eighth in Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
magazine's end of year list.
Track listing
Standard editionDeluxe edition CD two: Absolute Respect
| No. | Title | Performer | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Wait" | Metallica Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ... |
The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited At the end of "Last Caress"/"Green Hell" are a few bars of Iron Maiden's song "Run to the Hills", but is played out of key. Iron Maiden responded to this on a b-side cover of the Montrose song titled "Space Station No... |
4:55 |
| 2. | "Europe (BBC Live Version)" | Amen Amen (band) Amen is a hardcore punk-influenced band formed in 1994.The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos remaining as the only constant member throughout... |
Too Hard To Be Free | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Primitive" | Helmet Helmet (band) Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member.... |
Born Annoying Born Annoying (compilation) Born Annoying is a compilation album of Helmet's early songs, released in 1995 by their old label, Amphetamine Reptile, a.k.a. AmRep. It is a collection of singles, B sides, compilation tracks, and other rarities spanning from the band's inception in 1989 until they were signed to Interscope in 1992... |
3:58 |
| 4. | "Pssyche" | Econoline Crush Econoline Crush Econoline Crush is a band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada formed in 1992. Originally formed in Seattle, they eventually moved back to Vancouver... |
Purge Purge (EP) Purge is the first EP released by the industrial alternative rock band Econoline Crush. It was released in Canada in 1994 by EMI, and it garnered them a nomination for a Juno Award... |
4:58 |
| 5. | "Love Like Blood Love Like Blood (song) "Love Like Blood" is Killing Joke's second single off their fifth studio album, Night Time. Produced by Chris Kimsey, it is perhaps the most recognized Killing Joke song to date.- Releases :... " |
Dead by April Dead by April Dead by April is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in February 2007. The band consists of Jimmie Strimell, Zandro Santiago, Marcus Wesslén and Alex Svenningsson. They released their self-titled debut album in May 2009. In 2010 the two guitarists, Pontus Hjelm and Johan Olsson, left the... |
Digital | 3:41 |
| 6. | "Democracy" (NIN Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction... Remix) |
Killing Joke Killing Joke Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,... |
Wardance: The Remixes | 7:24 |
| 7. | "Wardance Wardance (song) Wardance is Killing Joke's first single off their debut album Killing Joke. It was released under Malicious Damage in February, 1980 as a 7" single. A small number of copies from the original Malicious Damage pressing came with a pre-typed folded form comprising military 'call-up papers' to be... " |
The Mad Capsule Markets The Mad Capsule Markets The Mad Capsule Markets were a Japanese band that formed in 1990 and were active until 2006... |
010 | 3:33 |
| 8. | "Pssyche" | Nouvelle Vague Nouvelle Vague (band) Nouvelle Vague is a French musical collective led by musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Their name is a play on words, meaning "new wave" in French, and "bossa nova" in Portuguese... |
Nouvelle Vague Nouvelle Vague (album) Nouvelle Vague is the 2004 self-titled debut album by Nouvelle Vague. The album consists entirely of easy listening and bossa nova versions of songs that were written and recorded during the post-punk/New Wave era... |
4:12 |
| 9. | "Millennium" | Fear Factory Fear Factory Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band. Formed in 1989, they have released seven full-length albums and a number of singles and remixes. Over the course of their career they have evolved from a succession of styles, as well as steadily pioneered a combination of the styles death metal,... |
Transgression Transgression (album) -Credits:*Burton C. Bell – vocals, engineer, assistant, supervisor*Christian Olde Wolbers – guitar, bass, arranger*Raymond Herrera – drums, arranger, engineer*Byron Stroud - bass*Reggie Boyd – assistant*Tom Jermann – visual design... |
5:26 |
| 10. | "Requiem (BBC live version) Requiem (song) "Requiem" is Killing Joke's second official single from their 1980 album Killing Joke. The single was originally released under E'G Records as a 12" single and featured the song Change as a B-side, a previous unofficial single. That same year, E'G Records released a 7" version of the single,... " |
Foo Fighters Foo Fighters Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War... |
The Colour and the Shape The Colour and the Shape -Track information:DollGrohl stated that is "basically a song about being afraid to enter into something you're not prepared for."Monkey WrenchGrohl stated that it was "a song about realising that you are the source of all of the problems in a relationship and you love the other person so much, you... 10th Anniversary Edition |
3:33 |
| 11. | "Pandemonium" Pandemonium (song) "Pandemonium" is a song by Killing Joke, from their album album of the same name. It was written in 1994 and is the third single taken from the album... |
Kotiteollisuus Kotiteollisuus Kotiteollisuus is a Finnish hard rock/heavy metal band that was formed in 1991 in Lappeenranta. The band released its first demo tape in 1993 under the name "Hullu ukko ja Kotiteollisuus" . The shortened name and current line-up was established in 1997.Kotiteollisuus is said to combine "furious... |
— | 6:30 |
Notes
Personnel
Line-up- Jaz ColemanJaz ColemanJeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
– vocals, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Kevin "Geordie" WalkerGeordie WalkerKevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Martin "Youth" GloverMartin GloverMartin Glover, also known as Youth, is a record producer and a founding member and bassist of the UK band Killing Joke. He is a member of The Fireman along with Paul McCartney. Glover was born in Africa.-Early career:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Paul FergusonPaul FergusonPaul Ferguson is a rock drummer, best known for his work in the post-punk/industrial group, Killing Joke, and cult English punk band, Pink Parts. Ferguson was a founder member of Killing Joke, and was their drummer from 1978 to 1987, and was known as 'Big Paul Ferguson' during this period...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Production
- Killing JokeKilling JokeKilling Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
– producersRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Clive Goddard – chief engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
and mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Album Chart Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
37 |
| French Albums Chart France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
113 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
71 |