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THE REVIEW
[Introduction to readers: I am aware that Closer has already been reviewed, but I feel the need to do it myself.]
When faced with a band that has written important pages in the history of rock with only two albums and a handful of EPs, one has stumbled upon Joy Division. Joy Division only needed two years to give the post-punk scene an extraordinary beginning before Ian Curtis, the band's charismatic leader, ended the story on the eve of a promising American tour by hanging himself. Closer is the second of the two studio albums by Joy Division, but in fact, it is much more: it is the testament in which Curtis invites us to explore the roots of his illness and his apathy towards life and is therefore a devastating album for those who have never sought such themes in music.
The details that make Closer a terrifying album are twofold: the clarity and detachment with which Curtis recounts with chilling tones and terms what is happening, and the particular tracklist of the album which one doesn’t usually notice but that actually denotes a profound theatrical sense of the group. The nine tracks of Closer are arranged to form a Calvary, so one swiftly moves from a chilling Atrocity Exhibition where Ian shows us the way to go, "this is the way, step inside", to an even deeper gloom in Isolation, Passover, and Colony. An even more pronounced leap towards lucid and relentless oblivion occurs with A Means To An End where the lyrics speak for themselves, "still involved, I prepare to leave."
The album ends with four tracks, each increasing the level of "dark" present in the album, so it's not uncommon to be unable to continue listening because one is too affected, and in this sense, the culmination is represented by Decades, which with its enveloping and disturbing keyboard destroys any emotional defense in the listener.
Because 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, without false illusions.
It is the journey into darkness.
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Summary by Bot
Joy Division's second and final album, Closer, is a dark and emotionally devastating journey into the mind and illness of frontman Ian Curtis. The album's nine tracks form a deliberate narrative of despair and detachment, culminating in the haunting 'Decades.' Praised for its theatrical tracklist and chilling lyrical clarity, Closer remains a seminal post-punk work that challenges listeners to confront harsh realities.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 andrea biacca
"Closer" is 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.
All we have left is to listen to this musical masterpiece and appreciate its excellent craftsmanship, both in terms of lyrics and harmonies.
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."
