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Rating:
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you one of the absolute best albums by Killing Joke.
You might ask me, but is it better than the self-titled debut? I answer: completely different records, both beautiful, but personally, I listen to this and 'Night Time' much more often. And you might retort: but how, Scaruffi gives it a mere 5 and you call it one of the most successful episodes of their discography? I reply: Scaruffi and all those like him who pretend to objectify music, making it a coldly technical matter, can say what they want.
The greatest merit of this “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns” is especially that it contains the most beautiful song of the “Killing Joke”, namely the wonderful “Adorations,” the opening song of the opus. Oneiric might be the right term to define it. I have never heard a more ethereal and dreamlike song than this one up until now. An absolutely fascinating blend of ever-present bass, delicate and dreamy guitar arpeggios, penetrating synths, and Coleman’s magnificent voice when he was singing and not grunting as he does now, making Lemmy Kilmister’s voice seem like that of a soprano. Just listening to this song alone would be worth buying the album blindly. But the whole work certainly deserves a place of honor and respect within their production, regardless of the historical importance of the debut album.
We’re in the mid-80s, and you can tell, as “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns” is definitely the band’s most new wave album and the one classified as the most commercial. Always melodic and engaging wave sounds, never trivial. Listen, for instance, to the sweet and refined “Sanity,” to believe it. Or the magnificent “Chessboards,” a classic example of a song that is difficult to describe for the emotions it evokes. Along with “Adorations,” this song gives the album the highest rating. “Brighter Than A Thousand Suns” is studded with moments like these, even though from the final listen it might seem that you’ve witnessed a beautiful show but, in itself, somewhat repetitive. But this is precisely its strength, namely the oneirism, imperceptibility, and cosmic energy that characterize almost all of its pieces. Features that are also found in “Love of The Masses,” in the danceable “Victory,” in the anthem of “Rubicon,” in the dark and decadent “Goodbye To The Village.”
In conclusion, who would you listen to, the good Scaruffi or your own feelings and emotions?
P.S.
This review is more of a pretext to thank De Baser and its users for being a constant presence in these months of hard study and work for me. A presence that made me grow fond of the site which I consider to have been my travel companion. It’s also a review that I dedicate to myself because sometimes dreams come true. Greetings to all.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Adorations (04:42)
Adorations
Courage and Cowards move, heroes to ecstasy
Welcomes of war and wounds, vigil and victory
Structures of atoms dance, sugar towards the taster,
Prey to the predator, love as we're falling down
Through light and laughter flow, to dirge and death we go,
Mindless processions move, lanterns of burning towns,
Welcome to fray and feast, bliss in all sorrows found,
Rhythms and random moves and waves of adorations.
Patterns I'm finding
As pain and joy and sorrow mingle.
Patterns we're finding
Our faces raised in adorations.
Deserts are paradise, awake to genocides.
Delight and suffering, these roles that we have found
Nourished by food we eat, hungered by waste excrete
From apes or sons of god, let every act be sacred.
Patterns I'm finding
As pain and joy and sorrow mingle.
Patterns we're finding
Our faces raised in adorations.
02 Sanity (04:45)
All across the scenes the statues crumble
We cherished the seconds, counted the days
And people move with lines across their faces
Embracing each other with a smile
For sanity's sake, sanity's sake, sanity's sake
For sanity's sake, sanity's sake, sanity's sake
We'll remember distant times and places
We'll remember summer sun that yields
Shed our bodies heart and soul for love's sake
Civilizations wax and wane.
Inocence will fade away like Autumn
Likewise the dream of youth, the task
And we shall be at peace upon our parting
With the thoughts of loved ones in our hearts
For sanity's sake, sanity's sake, sanity's sake
For sanity's sake, sanity's sake, sanity's sake
So let the sunrise light up the distnat shores
And we'll remember last days of Rome again.
03 Chessboards (05:51)
We in our infancy, led down shining paths Shine, shine, shining paths, divine our disillusion Face our imperfection, I begin to wonder Onion peelings scattered, we've been crying crying. Open our eyes and tears run down I open my eyes and tears run down I look through your mind and tears run down And under the skies and tears run down. Look at our condition, stand on concrete dias Lovers frail and naked move like pawns on chessboards I had no idea, I had no conception Where have we all come from? Where are we all going? Open our eyes and tears run down I open my eyes and tears run down I look through your mind and tears run down And under the skies and tears run down. All these changes we shall witness I will try to understand Share your grief and your confusion, compassion in us cries No divine intervention, only moves on black and white Great schemes, great schemes are also made of these. Open our eyes and tears run down I open my eyes and tears run down I look through your mind and tears run down And under the skies and tears run down.
07 Victory (07:11)
Across the sand under a crescent moon
In celebration of our feards
And rumours circulating in the street
The candle burns the world awaits
We ask is this some kind of victory?
Where is the dream, where is the sanity?
As crying echoes down the corridors
The child comes running to his mother's arms
And all the things I hold so dear to me
I love my wife, I love my family
Raise up your heads and voices
The promise of beyond
With courage face the moment
Remember who you are!
A frightened people losing dignity
The shadow of an island in their minds
While fools are bent on making history
With nothing gained, is this our destiny?
09 Rubicon (07:03)
The age of miracles, assent of man in strident tones
Realms of fantastic have been forged by folly speed and steel
Out of the cones stream forth, creation is not yet complete
New species come, old species fall to nature once again.
Now that I've found god on every side - and in every legion
Revolution
Points of no return
Evolution
We cross the rubicon
The shipyards blaze, vibrant arsenals wait their turn
Idols of rational worlds to worship power, to worship strength
Great crowds excited by riot, pleasure, work
Insane crusades, destructive gesture of the freedom bringers
And all the bells shall toll, as holy banners fly
And all with talk of freedom
Revolution
Points of no return
Evolution
We cross the rubicon
Let rage and hate of races run from Adam down
The magic of our science shines brighter than a thousand suns
Liberty in new dimensions ruthless and spectacular
Obliteration shall be poetry of 'Golden Dwans'
And as the people thrill, I stand and comprehend upon the threshold.
Revolution
Points of no return
Evolution
We cross the rubicon
11 Exile (06:38)
Outside the boundaries where all the streets are empty
In such a lonely moment we reach the same conclusion
Chants of cathedral choirs, stations of iron cogs grind
Primeaval screams we heard.
Release cannot be found, no
You'll never see that water flow
You'll never see the water flowing
We that have tasted such beauties of corruption
Triumphal arches raised designed to fall again
My kingdom and place of exile
You'll never see the water flowing.
Your shouts of righteousness jaded our contributions
Too scared for anger, the cause without a rebel
No revolutions in four four time
You'll never see that water flowing.
I walk down amongst the ruins and past glories shattered me
Elysian decays, answers that we are finding
Waters of perfection fade
You'll never see the water flow
You'll never see the water flow
You'll never see the water flowing.
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