KILLING JOKE

It’s been a long adventure for Killing Joke since their conception in 1979. Since then, the band has gone through numerous internal conflicts and line up changes, the only two constant members being Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards and arrangements) and Geordie Walker (guitar). Last year, all founder members were finally reunited.

Until meeting at the funeral of Paul Raven, former bassist for Killing Joke as well as Ministry and Prong, Jaz Coleman and Paul Ferguson (drums) had not spoken for nearly 20 years. Their reconciliation meant plans were hatched for a new album as well as for a worldwide tour which kicked off Tokyo in Tokyo last September. The tour saw the foursome delivering critically acclaimed performances at sold out shows to loyal fans and new devotees alike.

This year, Triple Grammy winner, Jaz Coleman, will once again take a break from his job as the Prague Symphony Orchestra’s composer in residence. A more fascinatingly diverse musical career than his cannot be found, oscillating as he has between the white heat of Killing Joke and the world’s greatest symphony orchestras. Coleman has also recorded with amongst others, the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, The Auckland Philharmonic, and the New Zealand String Quartet, topping the American crossover charts with three top fives, and two No. 1s, one of which stayed in the top spot for an incredible 103 weeks. In 2001, Coleman was commissioned by the Royal Opera House for his first large scale opera.

Last year’s tour saw bassist, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover step back into the live arena after a near 15 hiatus, having not played live with Killing Joke since 1994’s Pandemonium tour. A legend in his own right, Youth is one of the UK’s most talented producers, with the Verve’s Brit Award winning ‘Urban Hymns’, and Primal Scream’s ‘Riot City Blues’ amongst his many album credits. . He has written and produced for bands including, The Cult, Dido, Missy Higgins, Paul McCartney, Embrace and Tricky as well as having phenomenal success as one half of highly regarded duo, The Orb. In 1998, Youth won the prestigious, Producer of the Year Award.

Drummer, Paul Ferguson’s comeback saw him takeover from a long line of uniquely talented musicians.

Former Killing Joke drummers include onetime Swans and Prong member, Ted Parsons as well as Martin Atkins of Public Image Ltd and later Ministry. Nirvana/Foo Fighters’s Dave Grohl also occupied the drummer’s stool and played on 2003’s eponymous album to great acclaim. Produced by Andy Gill and released on the Zuma/Sony label, the album was greatly influenced by the political climate and features themes of war and armageddon. Sonically and intellectually powerful, it is considered one of their finest recordings.

Despite the many exciting incarnations of Killing Joke, the reunion of the original members completed by talented guitarist Geordie with his unique and driving sound, delighted existing fans and inspired new legions of followers. Geordie’s distinctive riffs and wall of sound continue to domintate Killing Joke, in past having drawn praise from fans as diverse and influential as Jimmy Page and Billy Corgan.

Once described by Ferguson as ‘the sound of the earth vomiting’, Killing Joke is anthemic and grandiose in it’s evocation of nightmare visions. Taking a sarcastic jab at authority and perceived reality to a sonically charged mixture of post punk and metal, Killing Joke’s heavy guitars and pounding tribal drums conjure a primitive atmosphere of doom, and gloom and resistance.

Notorious for their use of inflammatory imagery, a backlash against a world they perceived as ever more materialistic, unjust and conservative, Killing Joke, railed against the establishment and created a unique sound from their very conception.

Ironically, in the current musical climate with it’s obsession with rehashing eighties sounds, the 80’s saw Killing Joke really pushing music forward, incorporating danceable elements with aggressive, grinding guitars and thumping drums. With elements of proto-techno rock, their post apocalyptic vision has inspired bands as diverse and influential as Nirvana, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden and Godflesh.

Covered by Metallica, Foo Fighters and more, Killing Joke’s place in rock history was confirmed in 2005 when they won Kerrang magazine’s prestigious lifetime achievement award. Killing Joke have always been and continue to be more than just a band.

After the death of Paul Raven, the original line up of Jaz, Youth, Geordie and Paul Ferguson announced they were to reunite.

Killing Joke record their new album with the original line-up. All members of the band have commented that it was the single most important work that they’d ever done. The new album was released on 27 September 2010, marking the 30th Anniversary of Killing Joke. It was preceded by the In Excelsis EP released on 23 June 2010, and followed by a tour in the UK, Europe and North America.

In November, the band was honoured with the trophy for Innovator at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour 2010 marking their unique evolution of sound over the last 30 plus years which has incorporated electronic, synth and alternative rock and influenced a generation of rock acts including Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More and Tool On 26 November 2010 Killing Joke released a special edition Record Store Day Black Friday 2-CD set called, Absolute Dissent (Deluxe Edition) for independent record stores.

2010 and 2011 have been two of the most successful years for Killing Joke yet and have seen us release ‘Absolute Dissent’, our most critically well received album to date. In the UK alone it won Album of the Year at The Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and theLifetime Achievement recognition at the Classic Rock Awards, presented to them by long term fan Jimmy Page.

Jaz Coleman is currently writing a mass for choir and orchestra, consisting of Killing Joke’s music with the original lyrics, translated into Latin for a full chorus to be recorded over two nights in London, while the band as a whole prepare for a summer of festivals around the world, a new album, and some rather, rather big plans for 2012.