Killing Joke

June 6 - June 13, 1 9 9 6

*1/2 Killing Joke

DEMOCRACY

(Zoo)

Singer/keyboardist Jaz Coleman once said the purpose of Killing Joke was to "define the exquisite beauty of the atomic age in terms of style, sound, and form." In KJ tradition, on Democracy that beauty remains twisted up in doom and hunger of the soul. No frivolous pursuit of intoxicating beats or musical innovation here, just leaden ideology and equally leaden rhythms. At least the album forgoes the dismal sheen of, say, 1988's Outside the Gate, which seemed hellbent on radio acceptance. On the other hand, it's just as shrewd and contrived in the way it pushes all the proper "alienation" buttons. Modern life is stressful, friends die, politicians are evil, head Eastward for salvation.

With those nuggets of wisdom to trip over, you can guess what a song like "Prozac People" goes on about. Coleman himself took the drug because he was an insomniac worry-wart suffering from mood swings. But then he decided that this was better than being a "leveled out" pawn to the "pharmaceutical conglomerates." An original concept, no?

-- Amy Finch