Killing Joke - Disc of the day

Killing Joke
Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell

(Cooking Vinyl, 2006)

End-time claustrophobia punctuates the last Killing Joke song cycle to feature late bassist Paul Raven…

Jaz Coleman has spent a large part of the last decade scoring classical works commissioned by such august bodies as The Royal Opera House and collaborating with the likes of ill-coiffeured violinist Nigel Kennedy. Back in harness as Killing Joke’s frontman – alongside guitarist Geordie, new boy drummer Ben Calvert and bass player Paul Raven – Coleman’s apocalyptic fervour burns as bright as ever on this dense, heavy set which was quite literally recorded in a dank basement in the Czech Republic. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s overflowing with the unholy, proto-metal qualities that characterise the band’s groundbreaking early work, such as What’s This For?, and the later Pandemonium. Three tracks into the nine you arrive at Invocation – a widescreen affair pitting lush orchestration against pernicious pounding. It’s as close to a diabolical Bond theme as you’re likely to get, and points the way forward for a band that, nearly 30 years on, have failed to understand the meaning of the word compromise. Sadly, the death of bassist Raven from a heart attack 18 months after the release of this album has placed a question mark over the band’s future studio endeavours. While Killing Joke are due to tour with their reformed first line-up later this year (with Youth back on bass), Hosannas remains a fitting swansong for a much-missed individual.

Phil Alexander

Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 13/06/2008