Band:	Killing Joke
Album:	Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell
Style:	Post-Punk, Industrial metal
Release date:	2006

01. This Tribal Antidote
02. Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell
03. Invocation
04. Implosion
05. Majestic
06. Walking With Gods
07. Lightbringer
08. Judas Goat
09. Gratitude

The latest Killing Joke magnum opus is a fairly problematic thing to write about. The reason is quite simple: this album is very obviously and deliberately made for fans only. Therefore, if you are already a fan, you should do yourself a favor, buy this album and start worshipping it. At the same time, this really isn't an album that I would recommend for anyone to start their Killing Joke adventure with.

There is a narrative arc in this collection of songs and the band first establishes its relationship to its fans with "This Tribal Antidote" and the title track, only to proceed to an exorcism of sorts, where all the horrors of the modern human condition are identified and crushed between the collective power of the band's music and the audience's passion. Listening to Hosannas allows us to get into a trance-like state, comparable perhaps to lucid dreaming, which heals us and makes us strong. It is the religious chant for the post-modern generation, a lost faith found in the music of one particularly talented band. Of course, for those who haven't familiarized themselves with Killing Joke, this will instead seem to be simply a collection of very repetitive and overlong tracks that seem to go nowhere. Some knowledge of the past and love for Killing Joke's music is required to appreciate the phenomenal "Majestic", "Implosion", "Judas Goat" or "Walking With Gods". Hosannas can be seen as the ultimate antithesis of selling out.

If you consider yourself a "Gatherer" you probably already own this album at the time I am writing this review. If not, I would recommend checking out previous great albums from Killing Joke's discography first, such as the two self-titled releases, Fire Dances and Night Time. Hopefully, you can then join the congregation and choose the tribal antidote.