Customer Reviews

Hosannas From The Basement Of Hell

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After reading some of the negative reviews from listeners below -- and consequently wondering if my eyesight was failing -- I felt like I had to jump in here and defend this LP, which I think will easily be one of the Top 10 LPs of 2006 when all's said and done.

First thing's first: Killing Joke have been around almost 30 years and have gone through various phases. Some folks like the New Romantic, dance floor-ish KJ of the mid- and late-1980s; some like the MINISTRY/KMFDM-sounding Killing Joke of the mid 1990s; others prefer the original era of Killing Joke from 1978 to 1983, the incarnation that toured with JOY DIVISION and had much in common with GANG OF FOUR, PiL, UK DECAY, AMEBIX, and others, but who always kept their own, distinct noise above that fray. During those ambitious years, KJ virally influenced almost every punk-related genre you can imagine: post-punk, heavy metal, punk, hardcore, crust, industrial, and more.

This KJ release is not for those who want every Killing Joke song to sound like their 80s dancey "Love Like Blood" from 1985. Instead, "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell" is an amazingly angry, driving, thrashy LP that has a lot more in common with the kinds of angry hardcore punk bands KJ inspired over the years more than with their industrial or techno-nightclub-y accolytes (though there are hints here of that element, too). In fact, "Hosannas" *boasts* that it is a relatively lo-fi, back-to-the-roots affair. And it's a qualified and amazing success: It was recorded on an 8-track studio in a basement in the cold dungerons of Eastern Europe. The album bleeds with urgency and ferocity of a like KJ listeners haven't heard since their first LP's "The Wait." In fact, the "Hosannas From the Bsements of Hell" LP finaller heralds the return of the Killing Joke of "The Wait," and at times has much in common with MOTORHEAD, VENOM, and AMEBIX -- or, for the more esoteric, even modern doom-y crust like TRAGEDY or P.E.S.D. -- as it does with their earliest material.

Remember, KJ's 1980 "The Wait," a song METALLICA covered only 6 years after its release, and which is also a fan favorite at live shows, inspired the dark sub-genre of punk known as crustcore: AMEBIX, early NEUROSIS, etc. So, when you buy "Hosannas," expect to pulverized along those lines. DO not expect the cleanliness of "Brighter Than a Thousand Suns," or to swoon to stuff that sounds like THE CURE. Expect a fiery armageddon: The album is as apocalyptic as the times singer Jaz Coleman sings about in his lyrics.

Highly recommended for fans of the 1978-1983 era of KJ and for fans of modern metallic crust.

I just had to write a review after reading the previous one. Personally, I thought the last KJ was song-for-song their best ever. And this is a good, though much different follow up. If you want a band to age gracefully with, a soundtrack to your daily treadmill routine of driving your pod car to your pod office and back to your pod house, talking to your wife on the cell phone, checking your stock numbers and a football score, putting the kids to bed and sitting in front of the TV... then go buy a Coldplay album. If you're the kind of person who begins to feel like a rabid animal when confined to the indentured servent treadmill in such fashion... maybe you'll get this Joke.
Now, as for the actual music - the drums thud, the guitar crackles, the bass throbs and the voice howls. No, this is not radio-friendly watered-down pop music. Some people grow older and become less intense. Not these guys. They've grown more ferocious, Jaz even more wild-eyed now than ever before. Thank god someone is here to deliver something more than the over-produced sanitized pop rock product that feigns teeth through your satellite radio.

I'm actually surprised that this album has received mostly good reviews here, as I didn't think so many would enjoy it as much as I do. Completely cleansed in extreme aural exorcism, KJ has blessed us with an undated (unlike their 2003 release) blast of pure tribal rock ecstatic angst. They have been attempting to achieve a shamanistic state through music for the last 30 years, and I would like to announce that they finally have!
Personally, I seek the types of recordings that make you wonder why you continue to do the daily commute to the office rather saying f@#% it all, and running away to some remote island to survive as a savage. If this album doesn't invoke such feelings within you, then you probably aren't even alive enough to be eaten by cannibals. You'll be one of the lucky ones who just dissolves away watching the evening news when the coming apocalypse hits. As for those of us who let this album take us where KJ intended, we'll be ruling the world!

Lift up your spirits!

The 2003 selftitled album came as a fresh wind and blew me away with it's power and fury plus i had no idea Killing joke was back though i should have known better with this band,always when you have kinda forgotten about them they come back with something awesome.This new album,Hosannas From The basemennts Of Hell is somethinge else,This Tribal Antidot takes it off nicely but it is in song nr.2 that the band really get's going on all engines and dont let you off the hook until it is over with the amazing Gratitude in the end.After listening to this album relentlessly over 2 month's i have come to the conclusion that this is Killing Joke's best album to date!!! and i have all the studio albums,it is amazing how they manage to keep their edge and fury,after 27 years they come up with something so insane but yet brilliant,this album should be played loooooud,best songs are the title song and Judas Goat,i rank them among the best the Joker's have ever done,but trust me on that there is not a dull moment on this one!

since i just sorta ripped on killing joke's 2003 self-titled cd, i am going to make up for it with this review.

this album is one of my favorite heavy albums. instead of the obvious cash cow stance of the 2003 s/t, this album brings more of a killing joke sound to it. okay, its kind of difficult to describe, but the 2003 album seemed like a big "rip-off" of bands that were in turn inspired by killing joke and this album sounds like more of heavier version of their debut. i mean it can be heavy while still being creative. i knew this album was going to be a kick in the face from the opening "lift up your spiriits!!" shout.

i cant really describe some of the depth of this music, but yeah if you bought killing joke's 2003 album simply because of dave grohl's inclusion, you may want to hear this before you think of killing joke as a random alt rock band.

Resurrection Jokers

Killing Joke's "Hosanna in the basement of hell" is a return to form. This is a cerebral album with pure undiluted savagery, occasional manic laughter, sarcasm, and dancing tribal beats, Killing Joke are back with a vengeance. One of my favorite tracks here is the Kashmiry's Led Zep style "Invocation", with beautiful violin and orchestral arrangements; here Jaz uses his voice in his versatile 2 tones fashion, one I like to call the Jekyll and Hide style, the one moment raw and the other beautiful, in case you didn't know, Jaz is a big Led Zep fan; listen to his orchestral arrangement of Kashmir. When away from his band mates, Jaz Coleman conducts philharmonic orchestras, ironically even in Prague where this album was recorded. With Hosanna in the B O H, as stated in their sleeve note; Killing Joke have
their first engineer on board, Mark Lusardi , 26 years ago Lusardi mixed their earliest recording with old analog tape of the late 70's era, now used to recreate the feel of the band in its rawest and most youthful form giving this recording a somewhat vinyl feel, one can hear that the whole thing feels like a glued and fused band. The new album's concept works wonders, especially when you take a look on the inside sleeve and check out the painting, a disturbing painting of barbarians with fused weapons to their limbs, depicting the agony and madness of war. The music fits the art work, this is no coincidence; Killing Joke's concepts are no mere accidents. I feel that Jaz voice is as close as his earlier works and in some case even more energized, contrary to what some critics have said. Jaz singing has never been about refinement but rather about drama, except for "Brighter than a thousand suns".
Most songs are gems, there's a particular song which takes you right back to the "Follow the leaders" area, "Majestic", this is a master piece with hypnotic guitars, and awesome riffs. Not since "What's this for" has KJ made anything quite this intense.
"Gratitude" the last song, (so good in fact that it should have been their first track); here, Jaz is singing through some narrow funnel or perhaps even his hands cupped over his mouth, a brief descending synthesizer where a sudden halt sits between some avalanches of drums creates an punctuating and awesome riff typical of KJ.
Geordie's gritty and distorted guitars are the KJ trademark and are in evidence throughout this album.
Benny, the young drummer is the new blood in the band; he adds his own stamina to push forward trans-like and metal-like induced beats that manage to merge the early KJ feel with a good measure of today's modern sound.
There is a revival of bands from the 80's era, with Bauhaus currently touring, the Sisters also playing live, The Editors decent debut, and a movie about the life of Ian Curtis is on the verge of being done (no, not the 24 hr party people). In the midst of all this, Killing Joke is the "Light Bringer" as the song puts it. Many bands have come and gone, but KJ proves once more that originals never die; they just get better with time.
Mostly for KJ fans (you won't be disappointed). For new comers; hear what you've been missing all these years, Killing Joke's "Hosanna" will grow on you, and transport you where angels fear to tread!

Like other reviewers on Amazon, I often wait to read what other people have to say before posting my thoughts. I'm not surprised to find overall positive reviews about this release. It is without a doubt one of their best ever. What I find unusual about this group is how they bounced back after a brief lapse into mediocrity. Not many bands can come with this powerful a release 25+ years into their career. I was also a little uncertain of how many stars to give this. I wanted to give 5 because of how good it is in relation to past releases. I took off some minor points for production, the impossible to read lyrics, and the song Majestic (I have tried too many times to get into it and can't). I gave extra points though for actually having a good single release (Implosion and Hosannas). My favorite tracks are Implosion and Walking with Gods but I really like them all. I rate this second to only Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions. Pandemonium would be third. Before anyone would think I am biased to only the real hardcore KJ, Brighter Than a Thousand Suns is up there too. I would also suggest checking out the B-sides recorded during these sessions. They are certainly worth downloading.

If you've liked Killing Joke in the past, don't be put off by a few of the bad reviews that are posted here. [...] This is probably KJs best release since Pandemonium. You will not find much melody here. Nor will you find virtuoso guitar solos and the like (go listen to your old Yes albums, if that's what pleases you). You will find, however, overt sexual/tribal hooks accompanied by an overlay of industrial-metal-rave cacophony. While most musicians their age, and most people for that matter, are willing slaves to the military-entertainment complex, these guys still have a finger on the pulse of an anger and resistance that must be maintained at all costs.

I gave this album a fairly bad review at amazon.co.uk a few years ago but it is one of those albums that you put away for a while, then when you get around to putting it on again you realise that it has a lot more to offer than you thought. It is certainly much more a Killing Joke album than their new one, Absolute Dissent.

It has two pretty serious flaws that make it hard to get into. Firstly, the production is not up to scratch, particularly from a band with the experience of these guys. You get used to that eventually but what is harder to overcome are the self-indulgent arrangements. There are three songs on this album that are 8 minutes or longer. Sometimes that's perfectly fine but not here, I'm afraid. I think the worst offender is Invocation which would probably be a great song if it was only four minutes long but by the time it ends, you really don't want to listen to any more. That's a problem because it is only track 3. It's also a shame because the first two songs, This Tribal Antidote and the title track, are actually pretty good.

Overall though, it's got all the classic Killing Joke elements - massive guitars, pummelling drums, great basslines and Jaz's distinctive screaming. With a bit of spit and polish, I think this could have been one of their best albums. As it is, it falls short which is ultimately frustrating for a massive fan of the band like me.

this album is brilliant. these guys never seem to get old. the energy and darkness never wane - their sound always evolving. any KJ fan will not be disappointed.