PYLON

[LSDMOFRO]

yeah man. I think everything rips. It's just killer as an "album" . My advice is stop judging it for tracks and then just let it flow.
Then individual tracks strike you...the ones that just keep your occupied...grow on your soul...sometimes it takes a decade...Killing Joke has a tendency
to be ahead of us in musical spirit and taste. They almost prophesize what will be the future sound. I think a perfect example of that is just going back
in their catalog and hearing what's relevant, NOW!!! Peace out Blue!!!!

[LSDMOFRO]

And I think you also need to lay off whatever it is you're smoking, too.

Asumptions and judgments. MAYBE Stop being a knob. Blind Rhetoric.in this instance isn't your Forte displayed by the written ignorance. Come on...Part.2. Electo-egocentric bugaloo. ..

[markorbit]

First time poster... Hi everybody, just thought I'd give my thoughts on PYLON. First of all my history with KJ starts with Night Time, still not a big fan of the earlier stuff though I did buy Empire Song back in the day. Love BTATS and OTG. Yes I think OTG is a flawed masterpiece, especially on a compositional level. Been buying every KJ album since 2003 hoping to hear an album I know they can make. I'm not a huge fan of the heavier sound (but hold on a sec!) so recent albums have been mixed successes for me - tracks like Total Invasion, Blood On Your Hands, European Super State, Singularity, Ladbroke Grove, Cythera.. have all been brilliant. Didn't like MMXII that much as an album so I was expecting more of the same with Pylon.

What I didn't expect was a fucking masterpiece. It would be easier for me to list the ones I'm a bit less keen on - Autonomous Zone, New Jerusalem, maybe War On Freedom but even those are still decent! You have to include the four studio tracks from disc two as part of the album - can't ignore Apotheosis, Plague and Panopticon for starters. Combine those with Dawn Of The Hive, New Cold War, Euphoria, Big Buzz, Delete, Virus, Into the Unknown and that's one hell of an album.

I love Geordies unique guitar style (Sanity is a fav) but this time the newer style heavy riffs are a bit trancier and I can handle that. What I immediately noticed about the album is how much energy it has. Everybody is right on it and the drum fills are usually the perfect choices for the songs. Also, as has been mentioned, the songs are long and that is a general criticism I could agree with here and there in the recent past (eg: Raven King). For the most part on Pylon I don't think any song outstays it's welcome despite most being around the 6 minute mark - just Autononous Zone is guilty for me. I think that is partly down to the production. Alongside the music the album features a lot of additional sound effects which keep the repetition moving along so it doesn't stagnate. Very effective and trance-like. It just goes deeper and deeper!

NIce to hear Jaz singing and saving the 'angry' voice for effect. Just a bit more Geordie magic would have been nice but I have no problem with the riffs here - they work great.

So... best KJ album since the 80s for me (if not THE best). There's not a bad track on it and most are exceptional. It has almost everything. 9/10.

[tomb]

Good write up.

I'm kinda enjoying it too. For me it probably edges 2012 which in turn was an improvement on AD.

Good mix of heaviness of the recent albums, with some of the dark atmosphere of BTATS thrown in. Somebody said before that whenever it gets a bit basic, Jaz pulls it through. I coulda done with a few more ''middle-8s' for Geordie to stretch out on though...

Aside from that, if I were to critisuze anything. I think there's a bit of a lack of dynamics in the songs/production - ie they start full on and stay at same level of intensity, but you could say that about most of their canon tbh

[markorbit]

Autonomous Zone - Weakest track. Seems to stand out as such. Maybe a bridge between MMXII and Pylon?
Dawn Of The Hive - Amazing. Can't fault this one at all. Cool vocal echoes and an uplifting chorus and middle eight that could have come from Outside The Gate.(A good thing in my book!)
New Cold War - Superb. Initially the main guitar riff struck me as being a little average for Geordie but as things progress you realise it's perfect for the track. A great blend of old and new in this. Much prefer Jaz in this mode.
Euphoria - Great. Another straightforward simple chord sequence but they make it work and that unmistakable KJ middle 8 that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Obviously single material.
New Jerusalem - Decent. Reminiscent of recent albums.
War On Freedom - Good. Chorus reminds me of Gary Numan which niggles but otherwise still better than most things on MMXII. Shades of the old Geordie.
Big Buzz - Great. Another track that brings the older sound to the fore. Not a bad thing at all. And nobody does melancholy better than KJ.
Delete - Amazing. Pretty intense and love Jaz's choice of notes in the chorus. Also like the way the chorus is a little different each time. Elements of Pssyche in the guitar part. One of the best tracks.
I Am the Virus - Great. Repetitive though. Another track reminiscent of recent work but no weaker for it. Once you allow yourself to get into the intensity it's a wild ride.
Into the Unknown - Superb. Main guitar riff in same vein as something from BTATS. Chorus includes a great chord change that is 100% KJ. Sterling guitar work as the song progresses.
Apotheosis - AMAZING. Definiately one of the highlights. At first I was like... no, this is too heavy... but it's EPIC. Vocals could be louder but what a track. Sound effects top things off nicely and the chorus is just sublime. Nails what I like about KJ in one song.
Plague - Superb. Keeps you waiting for the chorus but the lead-in is worth it. Haha... can I hear the plague victims screaming here and there.
Star Spangled - Great. Certainly earns it's place and sits somewhere in the middle of the list.
Panopticon - Superb. Threw me at first. I thought I could never like a song with sych a trudgey riff. Patience is rewarded as the track SLOWLY unfolds and gets more sophisticated. Great reflective middle 8. I admire the way KJ tackle the world's issues.

It's a shame lyrics aren't included and as yet I've not found them anywhere. I do like to ponder Jaz's lyrics. Someone mentioned that it's the first album for ages that you find yourself humming. I'd agree with that - plenty of songs here. Looking forward to the next one now.

[~LJ]

Most played track yet by a country mile: New Cold War.

I can't stop listening to the whole album but my god, that track is spot on KJ and that's why I love them.

[Bluce_Ree]

Into The Unknown has completely grown on me. I'm really into it now.

Still loving Big Buzz.

[Bluce_Ree]

Album is really growing on me. I've not bothered burning the worst tracks (Autonomous Zone and Delete) and so there is a really good run of songs that goes

War on Freedom
Big Buzz
I Am The Virus
Into The Unknown

Powerful!

[LSDMOFRO]

I love Delete. I just think the whole album flows together so well. And that's what makes a great record. When each song goes great into the next.
It's an art to be able to do that. A lot of musicians forget about how important that flow is and or record companies try and position "hits" in a proper place
and such can make the flow a downfall. And it can be the difference imo from a LP to be an album of the year to a semi-flop
without that positioning of track to track. Yes, Delete is a bit repetitive...but I like the riff, I like the lyrics...and I like that flanger going up and down.
It's a very simple song with staying in the key structure...but damn it. I LOVE the Bridges in this song. That pounding guitar repetition that get's higher in volume.
The bridges remind me of the some what of the Light Bringer. And That is just one of my favorite KJ songs. I also think Delete goes perfectly into I am the Virus.
great Segway. My opinion.

[LSDMOFRO]

Plague. Talk about a monster of a song. And can you hear the monster in it rise up? This song has a certain empathy and depression in the narration...and then the monster or "plague" is unleashed.
To me, this is the most "alive" song on the record. It truly comes alive. Youth and Jaz did incredible work to make this happen with the keys and the soundscape. Fucking brilliant!!!!
And to me...the lyrics...They are EXACTLY how I feel about what's going on in the world and the people in my own community. It also takes me back to "love the masses" Why do we love
the masses? These songs are a lot deeper than maybe some realize. There is a relationship between Plague and Love of the Masses. That correlation being nihilism and Nietzsche.
Not sure if people know there's some direct allusions?