Night Time

Product Information

Those who aren't cool with synths coming up-front in the Killing Joke mix might not be into this album, as might those who aren't into Jaz's off-beat philosophies and perspectives. Mind you, you have to like the distinctive vocals, guitar and rhythms of this niche indy band though. I did play a few songs from this album to my friend yesternight and she thought it was them, and I’m sure I would’ve needed a few minutes to realise myself if I hadn’t known what I was listening to in advance.

Like almost any ‘80s pop (and KJ) album, the song structures on here are pretty basic, and you certainly shouldn’t come in expecting anything subversive on that front. In retrospective reviews, PopMatters opined that the band "perfected" their "balance between antagonism and accessibility", commenting "the band are simply on fire on this record". Jaz Coleman’s vocals and synth are also another strong melodic front; very pleasing choruses especially. All told, i prefer the goth-slanted Killing Joke, and this has as good a slant as any of their albums. The album was remastered and reissued on CD in 2008 with nine bonus tracks, including 1984 Kid Jensen BBC radio sessions, the non-album single " A New Day" and the previously-unreleased complete version of "Blue Feather" (previously only available as an instrumental remix on the B-side to "Love Like Blood").Killing Joke argueably hit their commercial peak with Night Time, an album that contains a lot of the dissonant sounds of their earlier works but also a much more accessible style of songwriting. We need to start adressing that bands polishing their sound is not necessarily a bad thing, and this album may be the best proof of that. As mentioned from other reviews each one of the albums' songs are great and it really is a matter of personal taste, they all loosely stick to the same sound. It's odd because, well, other than the softer side to Coleman's voice (when he's not using his gravelly growl), none of the music here seems forced. However, the same Killing Joke riff could also have been inspired by The Damned's 1982 song "Life Goes On", whaddyaknow!

The album tracks have all been remastered in 2007, and although the music definitely sounds like it was made in the 80's, as it was, it sounds great.The opening title track is an excellent slab of club music for vampires with great programmed drums and guitar work, catchy and slick yet with a dash of nastiness that shows what the record should have been.

Ned Raggett of AllMusic remarked that "" Eighties" turned out to be the retrospectively most well-known song, due to a surprising and not always remembered example of Killing Joke's influence -- Nirvana, of all groups, thoroughly cloned the watery guitar line at the heart of the track for " Come as You Are"". As always with these guys, the main interest here lies within the soundscapes - OMG they are insane on here. Songs like “Eighties” and “Love Like Blood” put these guys into the mainstream, if only for a short while. I must also consider on their level “Tabazan”, but even the coldwave-leaning “Europe” might be my favourite track by pre-metal KJ. It might be Killing Joke’s, but it’s not at all far removed from what you might expect by that description.

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