UMUR
"Absolute Dissent" is the 14th full-length studio album by UK alternative/ industrial rock/ metal act. The album was released in October 2010 by Spinefarm Records. "Absolute Dissent" marks the first recording in 28 years by the original lineup of Jaz Coleman (vocals and keyboards), Geordie Walker (guitar), Paul Ferguson (drums) and Martin ‘Youth’ Glover (bass). The members of the band met up in October 2007 at the funeral for former bassist Paul Raven and decided to work together as a band again.
The music on the album is the trademark post punk/ industrial metal/ new wave combination that just sounds unmistakably like Killing Joke. Killing Joke have such a distinct sound, that you´re always able to tell that it´s them you are listening to. It never cease to amaze me how effortlessly they can go from playing new wave pop/ rock in a track like "European Super State" to playing industrial metal in a track like "This World Hell". They even place those two tracks right after each other and make it work like a charm. If anyone thought the aging band had run dry of ideas or vitality, think again. The playing and the attitude on this album is vital, the lyrics are clever ( as ever) and with a suiting powerful production, this is probably one of the better albums that the band have released in years.
Jaz Coleman is one hell of a frontman and proves it here again. He varies his vocals between clean and raw vocals naturally and it works wonders. The rest of the band are also very well playing. One of the things I noticed was the rather raw guitar tone on the album. Something that really boosts the heavy/ punked nature of some of the tracks.
To my ears "Absolute Dissent" is a succesful release that proves that Killing Joke is still a force to be reckoned with. This band refuse to die and thank you for that. 3.5 - 4 stars are warranted.