Pandemonium

Killing Joke | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 2, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Volcano
• ASIN: B00000099V
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #346,682 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Pandemonium

2. Exorcism

3. Millennium

4. Communion

5. Black Moon

6. Labyrinth

7. Jana

8. Whiteout

9. Pleasures Of The Flesh

10. Mathmatics Of Chaos

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mindblowing !, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pandemonium (Audio CD)

Over the years Killing Joke has released very dark and industrial sounding albums (the first ones) and more polished rock albums (Night Time, Brighter than a Thousand Suns). As the previous release (Extremeties...) indicated Killing Joke has darkened their sound once more in th early 90s. 1994's Pandemonium is the absolute peak in the band's rich history. While the atmosphere of the album is very dark, KJ has combined this with middle eastern and oriental musical influences giving a very spiritual atmosphere to the album, especially on the 8 minute title track and "Communion". Tracks are very long and reveal themselves after repeated listening. 2 Singles were released from the album: "Pandemonium" and "Millennium". Although the singles weren't very succesful or radio friendly (even though "Millennium" has very catchy riffs), the CD singles of these tracks are a complete new journey into the music. The Pandemonium single has 7 versions of the track (among which more guitar oriented versions) and the "Millenium" single even contains two 9 minute hypnotic ambient and dance remixes, providing an expanding experience of this masterpiece.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still unrecognised, June 16, 2003

By 

Sacco (here there and everywhere) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandemonium (Audio CD)

The simple truth is that Killing Joke were a wholy unregonised band of there era. While they had some fans among the critics (noteably John Peel) they were never overwhelmingly succesful. Why I have no idea. Pandemonium is disputably there best effort as a whole. Though the camps among fans are firmly split on this, each album virtually has its own backers as the best, however over all their debut and Night Time seem to be the most popular ones. Pandemonium crushes with brute power wrapped in melody. The rythmic dance beat preceded such bands as NIN and did it better by far. The most amazing about Killing Joke has been there lyrical content. Never has such a band be so confronting and passionate. On "Millennium" Jaz Coleman takes a look around at the world and concludes it might not be far off to the apocalypse (a favourite subject of his). "Jana" deals with HIV AIDS, and is the most passionate dark songs I've ever heard on the topic. Coleman's vocals are unique half Ozzy wailing half Strummer splutter, and simply magnify the terror of the music. The concluding track "Mathematics of Chaos" is a sumblime piece of insane rage focussed cynically at a world that its on the brink. This is the sound track to the apocalypse.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The timeless lure of the mystical near east, June 9, 2002

By 

anomj7t7 "anomj7t7" (Quinton, Va United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pandemonium (Audio CD)

This album isn't Killing joke's most groundbreaking by far,but don't let anyone fool you...KJ was there before Ministry, before "Here to stay" by Korn and before all the Nine inch nails and White zombies inbetween.Don't believe it? Listen to their 1st album and then look at the date they recorded it(1979!).But this album is,in my opinion,their most mature and their most technically competent,the greatest realization of what they were ever trying to achieve musically.It's a return to form...after influencing everyone from the aforementioned Ministry to Nirvana,
and having gone through a lusher more Euro dance oriented phase,I guess Jaz Coleman decided it was time to get back in on the act that he was a pioneer of anyway....brutal industrial metal.But this album is no mere retread,no simple self reference.
I hope this doesn't sound bombastic,but this album is an incredible juxtaposition of the ancient and the modern. Its the middle east...from Sargon I to Saddam Hussein...in all its mystical glory, Its pre-millenial dreadfulness, its apocalyptic overtones. The opening track "Pandemonium" (best track) picks up where "Kashmir" by Led zeppelin left off...Hard hitting metal with a mystical middle eastern rhythmic underpinning.Drum machines,gloomy synths,thrash riffs AND traditional middle easern instruments and rhythms...what a combo.A work of rock and roll genius from a decade (the 90s)that wasn't known for giving us much of anything genius or anything new.