From the opening riffs of "The Death & Resurrection Show," it's clear Killing Joke has something to say with the second self-titled release 22 years after they blasted onto the scene. The name on the spine says it all: "Killing Joke." And that's a real period following the name - not just the end of my senctence. More than anything, this 2003 release makes it known that this is "Killing Joke - period."

After two lackluster studio releases in the form of 1994's industrial-inspired Pandemonium (ironic, since the band practically invented the style of music that eventually got mislabeled "industrial") and 1996's oddly acoustic Democracy, it was clear Killing Joke had just plain run out of things to say. The fire and the anger that fueled singer/lyricist Jaz Coleman withered after 1990's fan favorite and generally odd Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions. It should come as no surprise, however, that Jaz has found plenty to be angry about today - Killing Joke is raging against various targets, but the overall theme is that of an anti-religious crusade of sorts he sees the Bush administration taking on with their actions in the middle east. "Total Invasion" makes his point clear:

Oil barons running the government
So I'll start a war

All votes invalid
use any old lie
Going to carve up your wealth
like pumpkin pie

It's a global abrasion
Conflagration
United Nations
It's a total invasion

Opening track "The Death & Resurrection Show" is as laid-back as the album is going to get. The first half of the album is a raging stampede from the get go, slowing down only slightly upon reaching track 6, first single "Loose Cannon." Geordie's razor-sharp guitar is firmly in control as Jaz puts all of his vocal tricks to the test. His voice may sound smooth in some of the songs, but the demeanor and attitude he infuses as he barks out his lyrics make certain that underneath he's growling with anger. Jaz unleashes that trademark howl when he needs to make a point - that gritty, gutteral howl he's known for contains a frightening amount of emotion in a genre not known for much in the way of genuine feeling. Jaz is pissed.

As has been widely reported, Dave Grohl takes a spin behind the drums on this release, a fact that worried some fans that the album would be softened by his presence and represented a stab at becoming more commecially viable. Drumming is a big part of the Killing Joke sound - without the proper balance of skill and tribal nuance, Killing Joke's sound simply doesn't work (witness the lackluster success of Night Time, Brighter Than A Thousand Sun, and Outside The Gate (which really isn't a KJ album but a Coleman solo album with the wrong name) to see what I mean.) So it's ironic that the drum chair has been this band's "revolving door" of sorts, having also been occupied by "Big Paul" Ferguson, the original Joke drummer, Geoff Dugmore, industrial drum-god/whore Martin Atkins, and now Dave Grohl. So does Dave "Big Me" Grohl stand up against the past? The answer is a resounding yes. The only drummer in the band's past who matches his thunder is Martin Atkins, a personal favorite - so take that with a grain of salt. Grohl's appearance on last year's Queens Of The Stone Age album Songs For The Deaf proved his worth as a drummer, turning in a tasteful, energetic, and fun performance where it would have been easy for any no-name drummer to fill the blank spot in the studio. Grohl brings the same charisma to Killing Joke, and it's just a shame he has to return to Foo Fighters rather than become a full-time member. How he can settle for fronting (and generally not drumming for) the easy-going radio-rock of the Foos after the onslaught of pounding he exhibits on Killing Joke is mystery.