Pandemonium
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Albums:
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Pandemonium
- Artist: Killing Joke
- Rating:
- Release Date: August 02, 1994
- Total Time: 62:32
- Type: Lyrics are included with the album
- Genre: Rock
Review
After the band's lengthiest hiatus since it was founded, Killing Joke returned in 1994 with a new/old lineup and an interesting enough new album. Raven, the group's bassist since the Night Time days, was replaced by original bassist Youth, who produced the album and released it on his label. Compared to the newfound intensity of Extremities, Pandemonium partially steps away from the neo-industrial/thrash of that effort for a more varied, often quite surprising experience. With no one drummer replacing Atkins, the threesome works with a number of performers, Coleman in particular bringing in some of the Egyptian musicians whom he has worked with on a variety of projects, including his collaborative work with Anne Dudley. Noted percussionist Hossam Ramzy takes a key role, replacing the frenetic fire of Ferguson's work with a subtler, more textured approach, while Aboud Abdel's violin further gives Pandemonium a haunting edge, aiming to some extent at recreating the epic, mysterious stomp of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" for a newer day. Elsewhere, the straight-ahead rampage of "Exorcism" and "Whiteout" show that Killing Joke hasn't forgotten the power of sheer intensity, and if Ferguson's sheer power and inventiveness is missed the most here, the results are still a thrilling, fierce listen. The core Coleman/Geordie partnership remains strong, the latter at points holding back on his more scalpel-sharp approach for a thicker, overdubbed flow, sometimes -- as on "Jana" -- finding a friendly, open style that revisits the radio-friendly AOR days of the band without actually sucking. In turn, Coleman slides between his declamatory persona and the closer, more controlled style of later efforts; the combination -- as on the striking, massive wallop of "Communion" -- can be incredible, the contrast between the verses and searing choruses proving captivating. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi| Pandemonium (1990 Album by The Time) | |
| Pandemonium (2001 Album by Thee Flatiners) |
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Pandemonium (Killing Joke album)
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| Pandemonium | ||||
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| Studio album by Killing Joke | ||||
| Released | August 2, 1994 | |||
| Genre | Industrial metal Post-punk |
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| Length | 60:32 | |||
| Label | Butterfly Records (UK) Zoo Entertainment (US) |
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| Producer | Youth, Greg Hunter | |||
| Killing Joke chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Pandemonium | ||||
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Pandemonium is the tenth studio album by Killing Joke released in June, 1994, under the Zoo label.
This album marked Killing Joke's return after a four year long hiatus, the longest the band has taken since it was initially founded. This album also featured the return of a founding member, as Youth replaced Paul Raven on bass.
The screaming descending guitars of the title track, as well as the brooding "Communion" and the hyper-charged "Whiteout," would become live staples. A remastered CD with "Another Cult Goes Down" remix and an experimental dub remix of "Pandemonium" was released in 2005 by Cooking Vinyl.
Frontman Jaz Coleman considered the album a conceptual album considering the external influence of Arabic music that was spread throughout the entire album. It also incorporated his perspective on life, which is apparent in songs such as "Labyrinth" and "Pleasures of the Flesh."
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Contents
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Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Kerrang! | [2] |
| Metal Storm | (8.6/10)[3] |
| PopMatters |   [4] |
The album was described in its five-K Kerrang! review as "[G]argantuanly heavy, catchy and hilarious at turns. 'Pandemonium' yokes pounding slabs of techno-metal to Coleman's cosmic visions, to exhilarating, trance-inducing effect."[5] Ned Raggett of Allmusic felt that original drummer Paul Ferguson's "sheer power and inventiveness is missed", but praised the album overall as a "thrilling, fierce listen" and a "varied, often quite surprising experience."[6] Mark Prindle called Pandemonium "a damn fine record", remarking that "its production is smooth and clear, there are lots of full-bodied guitars, and plenty of beautiful yet throaty vocals pit doomsday lyricism against upbeat melodicism."[7] Adrien Begrand of PopMatters felt that "the band do struggle to maintain the momentum during the second half", but added that "the first half of the album is absolutely thunderous" and "the band do redeem themselves on 'Labyrinth', the chaotic 'Whiteout', and the trancelike 'Mathematics of Chaos', as Youth seems to take the helm, showcasing his production wizardry."[8]
Track listing
All tracks written by Jaz Coleman, Martin "Youth" Glover, and Kevin "Geordie" Walker.
- "Pandemonium" – 6:42
- "Exorcism" – 7:26
- "Millennium" – 5:34
- "Communion" – 6:56
- "Black Moon" – 5:19
- "Labyrinth" – 5:55
- "Jana" – 4:06
- "Whiteout" – 5:43
- "Pleasures of the Flesh" – 5:42
- "Mathematics of Chaos" – 7:24
- 2005 CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Pandemonium" (A Thread of Steel in the Suspension Bridge of Time and Space Mix) – 9:18
- "Another Cult Goes Down" (Portobello Mix) – 6:19
Personnel
- Jaz Coleman - vocals, synthesizer
- Kevin "Geordie" Walker - guitar
- Martin "Youth" Glover - bass guitar
- Geoff Dugmore - drums
- Tom Larkin - drums
- Larry De Zoete - drums
- Hossam Ramzy - percussion
- Said El Artist - percussion
- Aboud Abdel Al - violin
- Matt Austin - programming
- Paddy Free - programming
Production
- Produced By Greg Hunter & Youth
- Engineered By Greg Hunter
- Assistant Engineers: Sameh Almazny, Natalie Heath, Matt Howe & Sheldon Isaac
- Mixed By Greg Hunter, Youth & Ron Saint Germain
Charts
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[9] | 16 |
| U.S. Billboard Heatseekers[10] | 39 |
References
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ Kerrang! review
- ^ Metal Storm review
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ Review Kerrang!
- ^ Review Ned Raggett, Allmusic
- ^ Review Mark Prindle, MarkPrindle.com
- ^ Review Adrien Begrand, PopMatters
- ^ Chart Stats - Killing Joke. chartstats.com. Retrieved on 2010-07-05
- ^ Billboard Albums. Allmusic. Chart information courtesy of Billboard.com © 2006 VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Retrieved on 2010-07-05.
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