It took seven years for the highly influential UK industrial/post
hardcore act Killing Joke to make a return after their disappointing
1996 effort 'Democracy', but what a return it was. 2003's 'Killing Joke'
not only reunited the classic line up of the band (vocalist Jaz Coleman,
guitarist Geordie Walker, bassists Paul Raven and Martin 'Youth' Glover),
but it also featured the drumming talents of long time fan Dave Grohl
(ex-Nirvana/Foo Fighters/Probot). The album marked a glorious return
to form for the band, as well as a reintroduction of the band to a whole
new generation as the band undertook a lengthy world tour to herald
their return.
While out on tour, Killing Joke celebrated their twenty-fifth
anniversary, and preserved the momentous occasion on 2005's live CD/DVD
release 'XXV Gathering: Let Us Prey' (recorded over two nights at London's
Shepherds Bush Empire in February 2005), before the group (who now feature
Coleman, Walker, Raven, Inertia keyboardist Reza Udhin and Sack Trick/Twin
Zero drummer Ben Calvert) reconvened in Prague (Czech Republic) to start
work on their twelfth studio album.
While 2003's 'Killing Joke' successfully re-established
the return of the band after a long period of inactivity, it only hinted
at what the band were truly capable of. 'Hosannas From The Basements
Of Hell' on the other hand is the album that The Gathering (the truly
devoted Killing Joke fans) have been eagerly awaiting. Fusing elements
of their past, while pushing forward with what was hinted on their last
album, Killing Joke has finally created a true classic to rival 1994's
'Pandemonium'.
Prior to the album's release, I caught up with Killing
Joke's manic front man Jaz Coleman at home in New Zealand (who was enjoying,
what he considered a drop, of rum and a cigar) to discuss all aspects
of the group's latest effort 'Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell',
and what he considers is the real return of the infamous Killing Joke.
"I have to admit that 'Hosannas From The Basements
Of Hell' is definitely more of a group effort than 'Killing Joke'. Walker
and I put the last album together, with the others only contributing
after we had done most of the work. I mean Youth only played on one
track, and I don't even know if we used any of Raven's recordings. I
think he just sent us some stuff via e-mail. He didn't even come over
for the recording sessions. So Walker actually put down all of the bass
lines on the last album. So what I'm saying is that the two of us basically
do everything, and that's because we're always left to do everything.
That's the way it's always been I suppose. We generally have a lot of
casualties around Killing Joke. It's always changing. The amount of
drummers and bass players we've had has been too many to count, but
Walker and I are always here. That's it really. We can think up everything
ourselves. Killing Joke changes all the time, so nothing really surprises
me these days. If I could speak on Walker's behalf, because he's not
here obviously, he was really pissed off about 'Killing Joke' to be
honest. He claims it was too manufactured. He's interested in live takes
and recording a single track for each instrument so he can see what
everybody is all about. So he was like a huge critic of the last album!
(Laughs) I mean, I like the last album, but in terms of a band being
a band that lives together and all that shit, it really wasn't Killing
Joke. Although having said that about being a band, I really enjoyed
the break away from the bunch of c**ts actually. I hope I irritate them
as much as they irritate me. That's all I'm going to say on that! But
then that's what it's like spending twenty-eight years in the same band."
As the name suggests, 'Hosannas From The Basements Of
Hell' is a celebration of the magic that Killing Joke managed to capture
out of the basement recording sessions the band made while in Prague.
'That's right. The reason the album's called 'Hosannas
From The Basements Of Hell' is because we recorded the entire thing
in a fucking basement. We lived, rehearsed and recorded everything in
Prague, and above us was a little sixteen-track tape studio. There was
no pro-tools or digital equipment in sight. We recorded everything down
in that basement, apart from the orchestration on 'Invocation'. Just
like what Metallica did with their 'Garage Days Re-Revisited' EP (released
in 1987, and otherwise known as 'The $5.98 EP'), we just decided to
do a low budget album with old echo machines, with absolutely no double
tracking. You can hear the different nuances in it. You can listen to
it, and know it's something different. It was satisfying to have everybody
live in the same city while we were recording the album and playing
gigs, but it also sent us fucking mad too, and I mean literally!"
Although Coleman admits that having to spend so much time
together in the basement led to certain members going quite literally
around the bend, he also admits that the sessions that produced 'Hosannas
From The Basements Of Hell' were relatively stress free.
"I guess that's a fair statement to make. We played
quite a lot of concerts while we were recording, so we were setting
up and breaking down a lot of the time, so that meant that we were constantly
trying to find that certain Killing Joke sound time and time again.
We were constantly rearranging the equipment every time we would return
from doing shows, along with the hassle of getting everyone and everything
into this basement. But it worked. We came out of there with the sound
we wanted, and we became a band that was nice and tight sounding from
playing it completely live. I would have to say that Calvert, our new
drummer, put a lot into this album too. I would have to say that helped
a lot."
Also helping to alleviate the stress was the additional
personnel that Killing Joke employed while making the album.
"Before we did these f**king sessions, all I thought
about was trying to find an engineer who could handle Killing Joke for
one f**king year, while we do gigs as well as record. Now who can possibly
do that? And it's only then that I realised that the only candidates
worthy of such a task are clearly in the nutcase bracket of engineers.
Only complete f**king nutters can handle that task at hand psychologically!
Don't f**king laugh at me! I'm telling you the truth! The only person
who was up for that task was Jerry Kandiah. He worked with us (as engineer)
on the 2003 'Killing Joke' album. We could have woken him up at any
time of night and told him to get out of f**king bed because we wanted
to start recording, right now! We had a twenty-four hour studio in Prague
at our complete disposal. It was ours. So that was the scenario he was
working with. But it didn't bother him one bit, because he's such a
peaceful man, and we just couldn't ruffle his feathers! Do you know
what I mean? (Laughs) He was the perfect man for the job. What a marvellous
man. We also got Mark Lusardi to mix the album too, who also happened
to mix our very first recording (1979's 'Almost Red' EP). But then you
would know, because you read that in the bio, right! (Laughs)"
While many have claimed that the latest album is a natural
extension of 2003's 'Killing Joke', in truth, 'Hosannas From The Basements
Of Hell' actually has more in common with the heaviness of 1990's 'Extremities,
Dirt And Various Repressed Emotions', the rawness of 1980's 'Killing
Joke' and the catchiness of 1996's 'Democracy'.
"I suppose that's true, because it really does sound
like Killing Joke when you compare it to the last album. Here's a funny
thing. Did you know that 'Democracy' is one of Dave Grohl's favourite
albums! I was really surprised by that, because we hated the mixes for
that album. I had to go off and do some orchestral stuff, and I said
to Paul Wright and Youth that I would leave it up to them to do their
thing, but I didn't want them to f**k up on the mixes! When I got the
finished album back, it was just f**king awful! They took all the keyboards
out. But it was one of Grohl's favourites, which is something that I
just can't figure out to this day to be perfectly honest. But then again,
it's albums like 'Democracy' that ten years later are generally considered
cult albums. It's a load of bollocks. Don't try and fool me. I've been
through this too many times. I can show you the patterns of the reviews
we get! You think I'm joking? There's a pattern. It's usually the albums
from us that get slated initially that are later heralded as underrated.
I don't listen to anyone any more. I don't even listen to music most
of the time, or even buy anything. I only listen to the stuff in my
head. I think all my colleagues will confirm that."
Apart from the primal aggression that is typical of all
Killing Joke albums, 'Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell' does boast
one track that stands out as different from anything the band have tried
in the past, that being the orchestrated 'Invocation'.
"It's a f**king masterpiece! (Laughs) F**k off! I know I'm supposed
to be self depreciating, because Australian's like it like that, but
I'm not going to be like Neil Finn (Split Enz/Crowded House) and say,
'Well I tried really hard, and I know it's OK. We'll just keep trying
and hope to do better next time.' F**k off! I hate that c**t. I conducted
the string orchestration myself. That was actually taken from my opera
'The Marriage At Cana', which I conducted at the Royal Opera House in
Covent Garden in December 2001. I wanted to do an extraordinary rendition,
so I went to Kazakhstan and used the orchestra there. I thought it would
be fun! (Laughs)"
Another important aspect of Killing Joke's latest album
is the artwork and design layout, which Coleman believes is one of the
band's greatest achievements yet.
"I first discovered Victor Safonkin's artwork when
I saw him in his own studio painting, and restoring another piece of
artwork. He's this Russian surrealist that lives in Prague. I got to
know him, and found out that his son was really into Killing Joke. It
all started from there really. He told me that he was doing this nightmare
piece, and he explained to me the details. I told him that I too was
doing a nightmare piece, because it's a f**king nightmare being with
this band all the time! (Laughs) This conversation took place around
the same time we started working on the sessions for this album. By
the time we finished the sessions, he finished this piece of work as
well. It was like working in a parallel universe if you like, only artistically.
I totally applaud visual artists working alongside musicians or composers.
You can see that the artwork (which is titled 'Inhuman Rearing') is
done in incredible detail, but wait until you see the inner artwork.
It will freak you right out. You know what, it's my favourite sleeve
out of all the Killing Joke albums, because it describes what we all
went through to make this album. I don't know if you've seen the sleeve
notes at all, but they're also very important pieces. The details are
very important. In regards to the packaging, I would have to say that
this album is a masterpiece, as well as a masterpiece of music. You
have to have the pair together, and experience them simultaneously to
get the full effect. We'll also be releasing the album on double vinyl
too, so the cover artwork will really stand out. You have to agree that
it just looks f**king amazing."
As proud and confident as Coleman is about Killing Joke's
latest effort, he clearly has no expectations from its eventual release.
"You know what, I don't hope for a damn thing every
time I do a Killing Joke album. I don't even think about that. We just
start it, and we finish it. We just go through a process together, and
then we see who's left standing afterwards! (Laughs) I don't think more
than a few seconds ahead. It's no intellectual process. You can start
out with a grand concept, but then the good lord will always give you
a good smack around the head! (Laughs)"
What Coleman is excited about however is his next endeavour,
which by all accounts is more Killing Joke material.
"This year I intend to do two Killing Joke albums.
I will not do the program that our record company (Cooking Vinyl) wants,
and if necessary, we will leave. I want to do one set that will be amplified,
but performed in a temple surrounded by jungle and fire. That's going
to be next. There will be no audience, but we'll play the album live.
It will be all new music that we will never play again, unless of course
the price is right! (Laughs) What an experience. It would be exciting,
we'll have a laugh and it would be different from just playing another
gig or recording another album. Then I want to do an acoustic set where
we tour the colonial bars of the world. I want to do different things
with my band. Why not? You see our record company would put us on the
f**king road forever if they could, but we want to do more recording.
There's a difference of opinion between us as the artists, and them
as the record label. I'm so used to dealing with this sort of thing
after my twenty-eight years in this business. I say give me your worst,
and I'll say goodbye. I'm going to proceed onto new music, instead of
all this touring and all that fucking shit. We've done enough of that.
We'll do some more of that later. I reserve the right to cancel everything
and start again as I see fit. I don't follow any pattern told to me
by some record company or the entertainment industry. Piss off. This
isn't an ongoing dispute between them and us. It's one I'm creating
right now! And I mean it."
I would personally like to thank Jaz Coleman for his
generous time, and Mishell Vreman at Shock Records Distribution for
making the interview possible.
For more information on Killing Joke, check out - http://www.killingjoke.com
© Justin Donnelly - justindonnelly@ozemail.com.au
