Formed in the Notting Hill section of London in 1978, Killing Joke has gone on to influence Metallica, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Nine Inch Nails, System of A Down, Godflesh and many others. For Beginners... introduces those that have only heard of this band through the press and those bands name-dropping them. Covering the first 7 albums, from 1981 through 1988 and featuring 5 songs never before released on CD, it's a journey through the history of a band that unfortunately, most music fans aren't very familiar with.

Most will, of course, recognize the opening track, "The Wait," which Metallica covered on their now-classic Garage Days Re-Revisited. Also notable is the live version of the infamous "The Fall Of Because," which influenced one band so much they named themselves after it, later changing their name to Godflesh.

There's so much more than the songs other bands made famous, though. Mixing punk rock, metal and industrial with elements of pop and funk, Killing Joke has forged a dark, moody sound that's often imitated, frequently cited and rarely duplicated. Focusing on the songs and the atmosphere they've created atmospheric music that is amazing without being technically over the top. The bass/guitar funk of "Chapter III" "Primitive" and "We Have Joy" as well as the ferocious attack of "Tabazan" and "Night Time" make it easy to understand why so many metal bands cite them as an influence. They didn't try to be the fastest, but they wrote incredible songs.

While each of the 7 albums represented here is well worth purchasing, it's still more than worth checking out the new versions on this disc. While they're not terribly different from the originals, they are solid in their own right. For a beginner, strolling through the history of metal, the aptly named For Beginners is a required stop.

Rating: 8 of 10