Killing Joke - What's This For...! Mp3

Hypnotic, abrasive and totally direct, there is no other record like this.

Long time KJ fan since my simultaneous discovery in 1984 of S/T (Malicious Damage) 1980 and “Night Time” 1984.
As far as follow-ups to debuts are involved, “What’s This For?” is both a natural continuation as well as a showcase of how unpredictable the band was in terms of defying expectations. Aside from the album’s “hit” single “Follow The Leaders” which isn’t as representative of the rest of the album as any fan would (or wouldn’t) wish, the remainder of the LP is a mixture of simple brutalism, stripped down songs without much artifice, but by no means lacking in their intensity, both as individual pieces and as a whole.
“What’s THIS For?” is apparently KJ’s first real studio child, sine their debut was rumoured to be birthed out of touring and live performances. “The Fall Of Because” remains a definite killer opener to the album and is often cited as such, while “Tension” has an almost underground pop-ish groove to it, albeit strictly in that unique KJ feel. “Unspeakable” and “Butcher” fall under slightly darker tones but are by no means less hypotic in their tribal effectiveness. “Madness” is in my opinion the low point of the album, featuring additional vocals by Big Paul, although his drumming does appear at times to be a hint on the sloppy side. “Who Told You How” has its own unique feel to it, a bit on the morbid side while “Exit” briefly hints at the energy to be found a few years later on “Fire Dances”.
This album remains a strong entry in a legendary band’s legacy, still often quoted by gatherers as an important stepping stone into the band’s ongoing evolution. It doesn’t seem to scorch the skies as their debut did but still manages to burn the house down if allowed so.

reviews that described this album as hailing 'a new brutalism' in music were perhaps a reaction to the dominance of the tribal drumming and hypnotic rhythm patterns that had never had such full expression in the post-punk scene of the time. again killing joke delivered a unique music and sound that would influence musicians for years afterwards.