At release, Hosannas From the Basements of Hell is the heaviest album Killing Joke (KJ) have ever released, which is quite an accomplishment considering what came before it. Both albums vie to be my favorite by the band.

Still, Hosannas From the Basements of Hell definitely sounds different from any other KJ album. Apparently, the band expressed discontent with the previous album’s mastering job saying it was too commercialized. I personally thought that really worked, because the album was very hook-driven—though it probably was leveled too equally and loudly). Hosannas From the Basements of Hell is an attempt to get a more organic recording, so it’s remarkable how this surpasses the previous album’s intensity.

This is also the most uptempo Killing Joke album. Some parts of it border on thrash metal. It’s also the most industrial, with guitars frequently clanging and synthesizers being used on almost every track. In “Invocation” and “Majestic,” they are used to simulate orchestration, which helps make the album feel as big and powerful as it is. The track lengths are also much longer than usual, but the band are so on the ball with their fast and powerful playing that the album seems to fly by. The lyrics are pretty abstract and don’t seem to be taken too seriously, and that abstractness is something that would carry into the next two albums.

“This Tribal Antidote” is my favorite song off the album, definitely the most accessible and clearly should have been a single. Try that one out, if you’re interested. Hosannas is a blazing desert.