Song of the Day 4/2: Killing Joke, “Pandemonium”

I’ll be traveling today, so I’ll be spared whatever freakout ensues from whatever bilious bullshit Trump spews. I am, however, assuming pandemonium as the baseline outcome.

Killing Joke’s 40-year career has been better appreciated in Great Britain, where all but one of their 14 LPs reached the charts, than in America, where only one eked into the Billboard 200. Led by classically trained keyboard player and vocalist Jaz Coleman, the band has changed styles several times over the decades, but whether its classified as post-punk, goth or industrial, the sound has always trended toward darkness.

“Pandemonium” was the title track of the band’s 1994 album, which was heavily influenced by Arabic music. Coleman even recorded his lead vocals for several songs, including “Pandemonium,” in the King’s Chamber of the Great Pyramid of Giza. It made the UK singles chart, peaking at No. 28.