KILLING JOKE

KILLING JOKE
BRIGHTER THAN A THOUSAND SUNS (1986)
REMASTER

Alright, I understand that this one creates a little controversy with the fans. And that's understandable; it was certainly a different approach, and seems on the surface to be a mellower Killing Joke. However, for me, it stands up as one of the great albums they did; the message is still very much on target, and despite the curtain of shimmering keyboard work layered over most of the tracks, the composition of the songs and the urgency of the playing still comes through loud and clear. And the remix helps an awful lot.
Not to say that I didn't appreciate what was done with the original release; someone must have heard it and decided that the commercial aspect of it could be ramped up a notch or two. Which made it possibly more palatable to the general public (note, however, that it didn't give Phil Collins a run for his money at the time), but did dilute the energy that the band wanted. Now we have the opportunity to hear this work the way the band and producer originally wanted.
And there aren't a whole lot of major differences in terms of editing; the beginning of "Adorations" is the most striking change you'll notice. "Sanity" is a tad shorter than the original release, owing to minor cuts in the song's structure (nothing important gone, I believe that it was probably padded out a little for the original release), and Rubicon fades out at the end (no surprise for hardcore fans, we've heard it before). The major change comes with the mix; most of the reverb is gone (good riddance), and the drums and guitar get just a little more kick, as the keyboards are pushed a bit more to the back, giving much more balance to the energy of the songs.
And what songs they are. Although this may not be "definitive" or even "representative" Killing Joke, this material stands second to none. It is still one of the most consistent albums they released, and one of the most powerful. If you've slagged it off all these years because of the way it was marketed at the time, give it another listen, especially in this format. The changes overall are mostly subtle, but make a huge difference in the impact. For those of you who stuck by the original release, it does take a little bit to get used to the mixes, but it's worth it. However, if you do own the original release, you might want to keep it around for a while; the magnificent seven minute mix of "Victory" isn't represented here (although two of Zeus B. Held's mixes for the singles are), and I still love the job they did with the track. One of the best remixes I've heard.
And for those tempted to check out Killing Joke for the first time, this may be the easiest one to assimilate. Again, though, not necessarily representative. But it is 100% absolultely solid. For the sound quality alone, fans should snag this one up. It is superb.

1. Adorations
2. Sanity
3. Chessboards
4. Twilight of the Mortal
5. Love of the Masses
6. The Southern Sky
7. Victory
8. Wintergardens
9. Rubicon
10. Goodbye to the Village
11. Exile
Bonus tracks
12. Ecstasy
13. Adorations (The Supernatural Mix)
14. Sanity (The Insane Mix)