Music Flashback #1

Following up on yesterday's post, a song about how everything goes away.

It does seem that in the face of an imminent and ongoing environmental catastrophe "Killing Joke" is the perfect soundtrack.

Okay, okay, it's part of my formative years 80's soundtrack but that doesn't detract from the song's continued relevance.

I don't know of any band that has captured the idea that a certain amount of righteous rage is required to live fully. And I don't know of any of their songs that sum up that idea better than "Love like blood."

It doesn't bear much resemblance to the band that produced their self-titled debut or the follow up "What's This For...!" but it is one of their best singles. Thundering, insistent drums and bass, alongside Jeremy Coleman's alternately punishing and pleading voice and a guitar which moves between industrial chugging and angelic reverb/chorus fueled riffs make this a perfect embodiment of Killing Joke during the band's midlife.

If you want to really get a feel for what they were like download their self-titled debut on Amazon (I hate itunes but more on that later) and also check out 'Night time" for some of the band's most radio friendly singles.

I have always found their videos a bit creepy. They are chock full of communist/fascist imagery, but lyrically the ideas don't quite match with the visuals. Other videos put Campbell in Kabuki like clown makeup and so I take that as a none too subtle message to not take any of the imagery seriously, that true to their title like itself is a big joke.

I know the band took a bit of heat for these images during the day but it is clear from a simple viewing that Coleman makes a habit of co-opting the commie/fascist look to make some kind of greater point about the power of individuals, or about the fight against death. But dang they sound good.

Enough from me, here's the Youtube link (I don't know how to embed yet).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnpwuRlXbhk