Photo: zimpenfish / rjp [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]
The original line-up consisted of Jeremy “Jaz” Coleman on vocals, drummer Paul Ferguson, guitarist Geordie Walker and bassist Youth, who has gone on to be a successful producer. Their first release was their self titled debut which came out in 1980. Youth left the band after their third album, 1982’s Revelations 
and was replaced by Paul Raven who died in 2007. The band achieved their most commercial success in 1985 with the album Night Time
which contained their most famous single “Love Like Blood.” Even though Coleman and Walker have been the only constant members, the original line-up is now back together.
# 10 – Hosannas from the Basements of Hell
The title track “Hosannas from the Basements of Hell” off their 2006 album, it is one of the best of their post-millennial output. The track lives up to its name, having a doomy atmosphere which makes Killing Joke still one of the most intense and forward thinking bands making music, despite their long career. At this point this was the most harsh sounding material they had ever done and they were clearly affected by many bands in the extreme metal genre citing them as an influence and are very much embracing that within their own sound here.
# 9 – You’ll never get to me
Taken from their second self titled album released in 2003, which was something of a comeback album for the band with it being their first since 1996’s Democracy,
it features none other than Dave Grohl on drums. This slow and melodic track showed a different side to Killing Joke which was not all about heaviness and extremity. With lyrics dealing with a sentimental subject matter, seemingly nostalgically reminiscing about the past and their time together as band, it is a Joke anthem which is about celebrating life without sounding bloated and cheesey.
# 8 – Complications
One of the lesser known Killing Joke songs is entitled “Complications.” The song is from their 1980 debut album. The track defined that Killing Joke were a band who were going to take rock music in a direction of their own. The song Complications presented listeners with a unique melodic riff. The song’s chorus displays Coleman’s range as a vocalist reaching beyond his usual raspy vocal style.
# 7 – Democracy
Another title track, this time from their album released in 1996. This is a track that saw Killing Joke mellow with age to an extent with it having a rather melancholy tone. With that said, this is not a bad thing as lyrically it is just as fired up as ever, being inspired by the political climate of the time, which in the UK was just a year away from the rise of New Labour.
# 6 – Money Is Not Our God
This track, taken from the 1990 album of the same name, is classic Killing Joke through and through. It harks back slightly to the sound of the early albums but at the same time see’s them make a successful transition into the 90’s. Lyrically the title speaks for itself, being an anti-yuppy anthem attacking corporate greed and exploitation.
# 5 – Requiem
Possibly KJ’s most famous song, the opening song off their debut features one of the most classic post-punk riffs of all time, with Coleman delivering a unique and rather guttural vocal performance over the top of it. Still to this day a favorite with fans, it was notably covered by Foo Fighters in 1997.
# 4 – Pandemonium
By 1994, Killing Joke were still proving themselves to be musically relevant with this tack and album of the same name released that year, which was due in part to the popularity of the industrial genre which they basically created with bands who were selling millions such as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry citing them as a key influence. “Pandemonium” sees the band adapting their sound into a new era and generation with its metal influenced riff and lyrics that are once again reflecting on what was then the current state of the world via the perspective of Coleman’s New Age beliefs.
# 3 – Empire Song
This track from 1982’s Revelations
is a truly classic slice of early Killing Joke. Featuring a very uneasy-sounding riff, it is KJ at what they do best: apocalyptic, doomy-sounding industrial rock. By this point, Coleman had developed a fascination with the occult, particularly the writings of Alistair Crowley. So much so that he moved to Iceland in order to survive the apocalypse which he believed was coming. As a result of this, he was unable to perform the single on Top of the Pops, with drummer Paul Ferguson performing the vocals. Guitarist Geordie Walker and bassist Youth soon followed Coleman to Iceland. However, the apocalypse never came, and eventually, they all moved back to England.
# 2 – Let’s All Go To The Fire Dances
Taken from 1983’s Fire Dances 
album, this was the first sign of Killing Joke gaining more mainstream success, with it being by far the most accessible material that they had produced at that point, which they would take further with “Love Like Blood” a year later. Despite this, lyrically, it deals with concepts just as out there as ever, with the fire dances in question seemingly alluding to starting a revolution.
# 1 -This World Hell
Taken off 2010’s Absolute Dissent,
this is easily one of the heaviest tracks that Killing Joke has ever recorded and is a classic example of their modern-day metal-influenced sound. The title also very much speaks for itself and captures the band once again dealing with the concept of the sorry state of the world after thirty years! The riff is very heavy and doomy sounding and Coleman’s vocals sound more powerful than ever, being completely growled all the way through. All in all, the song could very much be the soundtrack to the apocalypse!
Updated August 10, 2023
Top 10 Killing Joke Songs article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
