Killing Joke FIRE DANCES

Killing Joke: Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards); Geordie (guitar); Paul Raven (bass); Martin Atkins (drums).
Killing Joke: Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Geordie (guitars), Paul Raven (bass), Martin Atkins (drums).
THE FIRE DANCES producers: Killing Joke and John Porter.
HA! KILLING JOKE LIVE producers: Killing Joke and Konrad Plank.
All songs written by Killing Joke.
2 LPS on 1 cassette.
Carving out a distinct niche for itself in the blasted post-punk new wave landscape that was British rock in the early '80s, Killing Joke remains one of the unsung powerhouses of that convoluted decade. With its searing mixture of punk aggressiveness, freaky synthesizer sound effects, and breadth of vision, the band pounded out some truly idiosyncratic music.
FIRE DANCES marries tribal drums to its trademark post-punk stance, resulting in a sound that was as peculiar as it was original for 1983. Here, the band plays "Fun and Games" over a jaunty rhythm (!) through which Geordie's spiky guitars spit playful shards of noise amidst Jaz Coleman's spoiled cries. "Harlequin" lightens the tone somewhat, but only slightly--Geordie's guitars never lose their smoldering incense, and Martin Atkins' drumming teeters on the brink of total anarchy as the group pounds away at its nocturnal ritual.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop