Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions

Killing Joke | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Noise
• ASIN: B00000BIL2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #283,886 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Killing Joke At Their Raging Best!!!, May 5, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions (Audio CD)

This is the best Killing Joke cd in all their years as a vital presence in underground music. Extremities has everything that makes Killing Joke one of the best bands out there, especially the rage and frustration towards the world. It is perhaps their masterpiece, filled with all the right touches from beginning to end. Once the music kicks in, you know that Killing Joke mean serious business.

Jaz Coleman's voice has never been more solid than in this hourlong cd excursion into varied aggression. Many harsh emotions pour out from track to track about such issues as power and greed (Money Is Not Our God)as well as destruction and poverty (Age Of Greed). Coleman's lyrics have never been more passionate and sincere, reacting to the world's problems,"I fill hate...don't be afraid to show your hate".

There is a deep-seeded anger that can't be ignored, listening to Extremities. Raven's bass continues to line in sync with the rest of the band. Geordie's guitars are as fierce as ever, perfect timing. Martin Atkins, formerly of PIL, fills in the drums and pounds amazingly despite the reality that this is the only KJ album he is featured in. "Intravenous" and "Struggle" instantly come to mind.

Deep down, my favorites in this cd are the ones that blend the rage with Coleman's mellower vocals previously heard in 1000 Suns and Outside The Gate. "Solitude" is haunting, esoteric,and filled with desperation. "Slipstream" seems to be a lighter song about time and age, sung to the backdrop of fierce
instrumentation. "North Of The Border" has these great riffs, lyrics, everything, including a nails-on-a-chalkboard effect.

Extremities is a tough-as-nails, poignant, violent response to many things that were wrong with society, and could still be reactive to the current state of affairs in the world. The band were as honest, loose, completely free-willed in their convictions as ever when this cd first came out in 1990. Fifteen years later, it remains Killing Joke's magnum opus.It pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Killing Joke's first "comeback" album., August 11, 2004

By 

Bighairydoofus "-" (Brooklyn Park, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions (Audio CD)

Following the very slick "Brighter than a Thousand Suns" and the truly awful "Outside the Gate", Jaz Coleman and KJ were finally rid of EG (their record label) and free to let loose. And let loose they do - this album hits like a kick to the solar plexus. Hard, raw and brutally honest, Jaz is back up on the bully pulpit preaching to us all.

Sadly, after Brighter Than a Thousand Suns, Paul Ferguson couldn't stand the direction in which the band was going and left. While this was a true loss, on this album Martin Atkins relentlessly drives the music forward with truly incredible drumming. Unfortunately it was destined to only last one album, as he couldn't get along with Jaz.

The lyrics are over the top. Yes, Jaz has always had a penchant for this, but the early albums had lyrics that were far more subtle. They aren't on this album, but they're better and come off with much more sincerity than the ones on Outside the Gate. At least this time around the subjects are more diverse and the music makes listening worthwhile. There is a bit of irony in the lyrics from the third track (the beautiful dead) bemoaning the lack of the "human element" in modern music: "all mod cons there was dust on the drums/ our electronic beat box got the job done" knowing now that KJ would go very heavy on synths and electronic beats on their next two albums makes these lyrics a bit amusing. Jaz is a mad genius after all, so we can forgive him his inconsistencies. The music is so good on this album that I just wish he'd relied more on it and less on subtle-as-a-sledgehammer lyrics, but oh well.

Geordie's guitar is just amazing, sooo heavy, chunky and it sings and whines and howls... I think this is some of his best work. Raven is great on the album as well.

This album ranks among the top five KJ albums. It's not their best, but it is worthwhile.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING INCREDIBLE INSPIRED BRILLIANT, January 8, 2004

By 

The Incredible Din (Lafayette, Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Extremities, Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions (Audio CD)

...passionate, heavy, sensitive, BRILLIANT, melodic, ugly, beautiful, inspirational to all intense, compassionate, hurting and joyful people. This is as complex as the many facets of life. How could anyone who is ALIVE with experience and passion not love this work? If you love what it means to really rock and you use music for strength and energy and DEMAND depth and intelligence in your music then THIS is one for you. I could go on and on but I'll stop here and leave you all with love...
marc