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THE REVIEW
"Closer" is a journey.
A journey made of nightmares, sadness, physical and mental stimulations; the musical transposition of the agony of the most charismatic leader rock has ever had: Ian Curtis.
The album retraces Curtis's distress, now frustrated by drugs and ever more destructive epilepsy in his soul and body, convinced that the only salvation from all this is only death. Not even the love of the dearest ones manages to stop this tragic epilogue; a life that, on a musical level, has left traces of genius, founding father of dark-rock, undisputed leader of Joy Division.
The opening of the album, released posthumously after Curtis's death, is as dark as one might expect: it begins with "Atrocity Exhibition", a tribal rhythm with guitar slashes that pierce you deep into your guts; it continues with "Isolation", a rhythmic style that would be typical of New Order; but it is in "Passover" that Curtis manages to best express his state of mind "This Is A Crisis I Knew To Came", "this is a crisis I knew had to come", everything is surrounded by extreme sadness, a redundant drum, a firm and determined bass, and a wailing guitar accompany a resigned and monotonous voice. The record continues to spin with the notes of the beautiful "Heart And Soul", a mix of rock and electronics that will serve as a bridge to the explosion of synth-pop in the following years. "Decades" with its wonderful organ passages is the worthy closure of this album.
It's a pity that such a musical mind faded away after only two albums and a few live concerts for a select few. All we have left is to listen to this musical masterpiece and appreciate its excellent craftsmanship, both in terms of lyrics and harmonies.
An unmissable album.
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Summary by Bot
Closer by Joy Division is a deeply emotional and dark album that reflects Ian Curtis's agony and creative genius. The review highlights the album's intense mood and explores key tracks that showcase its unique blend of rock and emerging synth elements. It mourns the loss of Curtis's potential while praising the album's craftsmanship and lasting influence.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English post-punk band formed in the late 1970s (Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris). They released two studio albums, Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Closer (1980). After the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis in May 1980 the remaining members later formed New Order.43 Reviews
Other reviews
By TenshiSell
Ian Curtis was about to become a living legend. He lucidly chose to limit himself to being a legend.
You collapse to the ground, a scream frees you from a burden.
By Mr.Moustache
It is 1980. Punk is dying and with it the little good music ... when suddenly, in less than a year, an album is about to change the course of contemporary music forever.
The glacial beauty of the album is indisputable due to the ruthless sincerity it suggests.
By COX
Closer is the testament in which Curtis invites us to explore the roots of his illness and his apathy towards life.
Joy Division has the power to tear you apart, to gradually consume you with their melody that backs you against the wall and forces you to face reality for what it is.
By darkfall
‘Closer’ is a truly difficult album to classify, but probably not to understand... I personally prefer to classify it as dark, just dark and nothing more.
‘The Eternal’ is a funeral march, accompanying Ian Curtis on his last journey... the heart is now definitively burned but the soul is still here.
By popoloitaliano
"A metronome-like drum, a guitar that wearily accompanies the rhythm: simply a masterpiece."
"I only wish that those who approach this album are at least 20% satisfied with what was (I) felt at the time of its release."
