Brighter Than 1,000 Suns

Killing Joke | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 27, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: E.G. Records
• ASIN: B000003S1W
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #176,248 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Adorations [#]

2. Sanity [#]

3. Chessboards

4. Twilight of the Mortal

5. Love of the Masses

6. The Southern Sky

7. Victory

8. Wintergardens

9. Rubicon

10. Goodbye to the Village [#]

11. Exile [#]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NOT THEIR BEST BUT STILL BETTER THAN MOST, December 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brighter Than 1,000 Suns (Audio CD)

By the time this album came out, Killing Joke had already been around for 7 or 8 years. Their first four albums are full of tribal rhythms, abrasive guitars, and lyrics that tell of an impending breakdown in the social order. With the release of "Night Time", the predecessor to "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns", Killing Joke didn't really "go pop" as much as they just decided to convey their messages in a new musical format. "Night Time" and "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" are less tribal, with more of a dance groove to them and tighter song arrangements. Jaz Coleman's voice sounds the most somber on "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns", which comes as no surprise, since most of the lyrics reflect on the erroneous nature of the human race and the coming apocalypse, which Coleman has devoted years of his life to studying. The first several tracks are the strongest- "Twilight Of The Mortal", "Adorations", and "A Southern Sky" are particularly catchy. While not as incendiary or groundbreaking as their first few albums, "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" is an important step in the evolution of Killing Joke. Definitely pick it up if you like atmospheric rock music with solid grooves.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Killing Joke, Brighter Than A 1000 Bands!, May 4, 2005

By 

Mike (North Bergen, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brighter Than 1,000 Suns (Audio CD)

I have heard Killing Joke for more than ten years before I finally purchased "1000 Suns". It was the first time that I realized there was another side to the band. Keep in mind, this cd bears all the heart and soul of the Killing Joke, basics that have always made the band who they are. Haunting, melodic, insightful, perhaps-prophetic, musicians with harsh, dreary images and messages to bring out.

Degradation, destruction of humanity and society, among other themes loom throughout the cd. It should be of no surprise considering it was the late-80s, things were going wrong and
values were shifting. Funny thing, this cd could still fit in well with today's society, to a certain extent. "Twilight Of The Mortal", "Love Of The Masses", and "To The Village" envision
wordly destruction with irreversible effects.

Much of 1000 Suns has a hooky, esoteric sound, probably the most melodic of all the other KJ albums. Seriously, don't let the smooth sound fool you, there's some real deep, dark stuff here.
"Adorations" and "Sanity", the singles that were popular at the time of its release, remain some of my all-time favorite KJ songs. They're moody, drifty, and always pleasant to listen to.
And "Exile" is a fitting end to a moody, drifty, pleasant cd.

Certainly, Jaz Coleman and company would shift gears again on their next release and they were right to do so. This type of KJ mood and sound couldn't be topped. Hence, by the end of the 80s, they would take some raging, chaotic steps forward. 1000 Suns was and is the peak of the band's smoother period. It will leave anyone wanting more after first listen.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favourite Album of All Time, October 28, 2000

By 

Jim Waugh (Aberdeen United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brighter Than 1,000 Suns (Audio CD)

I first heard this album when it was released, since then I've listened to it countless times and never tired of it's beauty. I know that many disagree, but for me it is the best KJ album, critics tend to complain that it sounds dated, or that the increase in synth and reduced guitars make it a weaker album. While I also love KJ's grittier sound, I feel that the purity of the music on BTATS never fails to leave me speechless - and tracks such as Chessboards & Rubicon have just as much energy and edge as anything else KJ have done, just in a more refined form. If this wasn't enough, the lyrics on BTATS are way and above anything else I've had the pleasure to witness ... and could stand alone as poetry in their own right. As a whole the album has a spiritual Icy ethereal feel - like a truth that cuts through anything in it's path. I'd love to be able to get this across better, but this CD touches me in a way that I just can't capture in words.