Following up their 2010 affair Absolute Dissent, the original lineup of English post-punks Killing Joke will deliver another reunion album this year in the form of the timely titled 2012. The arty rockers have decided to capitalize on people's fears that this very well could be the last year on earth, and whipped up a collection about the state of the world. It arrives April 2 in the UK through Spinefarm Records/Universal.
"It's in many different calendars -- the great unveiling, the sky and the earth coming together. It's a significant date," singer Jaz Coleman said in a statement of the iconic year in question. "In the autumn, there is a major planetary alignment, and on that day I'm doing this rock festival, 'A Party at the End of the Earth,' which is going to be in New Zealand. Everything is speeding up. It's not just our minds shrinking. We are heading towards the Eschaton and no one really knows what's going to happen."
Described as "a death disco with huge slabs of guitar that soundtracks these dangerous times," 2012 will be delivered as a standard ten-song edition on CD and double coloured gatefold LP and digitally with bonus number "New Uprising." Lyrically, the effort has Coleman sounding off on a number of societal topics, from greed in the business world ("Corporate Elect"), to environmental concerns ("Poleshift"), to the feeling one gets at a Killing Joke concert ("Rapture").
"'Rapture' is the way I perceive a Killing Joke concert -- it's a spiritual experience for myself to get into that state of grace... music is the theme of mantra," Coleman said of the song, which you can stream below. "I'm not into organized religion at all, but I've always liked what Fela Kuti did in Nigeria, playing music like it was a temple. Maybe we will evolve into a time where we will be performing for ritualistic and spiritual reasons alone and not for monetary reasons?"
Killing Joke will be cutting across Europe this spring, but it's unclear at this point if they'll be making up for the North American gigs they cancelled last year.
2012:
1. "Pole Shift"
2. "Fema Camp"
3. "Rapture"
4. "Colony Collapse"
5. "Corporate Elect"
6. "In Cythera"
7. "Primobile"
8. "Glitch"
9. "Trance"
10. "On All Hallow's Eve"
11. "New Uprising" (iTunes Exclusive)
"It's in many different calendars -- the great unveiling, the sky and the earth coming together. It's a significant date," singer Jaz Coleman said in a statement of the iconic year in question. "In the autumn, there is a major planetary alignment, and on that day I'm doing this rock festival, 'A Party at the End of the Earth,' which is going to be in New Zealand. Everything is speeding up. It's not just our minds shrinking. We are heading towards the Eschaton and no one really knows what's going to happen."
Described as "a death disco with huge slabs of guitar that soundtracks these dangerous times," 2012 will be delivered as a standard ten-song edition on CD and double coloured gatefold LP and digitally with bonus number "New Uprising." Lyrically, the effort has Coleman sounding off on a number of societal topics, from greed in the business world ("Corporate Elect"), to environmental concerns ("Poleshift"), to the feeling one gets at a Killing Joke concert ("Rapture").
"'Rapture' is the way I perceive a Killing Joke concert -- it's a spiritual experience for myself to get into that state of grace... music is the theme of mantra," Coleman said of the song, which you can stream below. "I'm not into organized religion at all, but I've always liked what Fela Kuti did in Nigeria, playing music like it was a temple. Maybe we will evolve into a time where we will be performing for ritualistic and spiritual reasons alone and not for monetary reasons?"
Killing Joke will be cutting across Europe this spring, but it's unclear at this point if they'll be making up for the North American gigs they cancelled last year.
2012:
1. "Pole Shift"
2. "Fema Camp"
3. "Rapture"
4. "Colony Collapse"
5. "Corporate Elect"
6. "In Cythera"
7. "Primobile"
8. "Glitch"
9. "Trance"
10. "On All Hallow's Eve"
11. "New Uprising" (iTunes Exclusive)