先是洛杉磯Metal班霸Metallica在其1987年出品Garage Days Re-Visited EP內重玩過Killing Joke來自其80年首張同名專輯Killing Joke內的一曲The Wait,繼而西雅圖Grunge巨星Nirvana取自91年專輯Nevermind之經典單曲Come As You Are,曲中的結他引子又被指為抄襲他們85年專輯Night Time內的作品Eighties。還有Nine Inch Nails、Tool等等樂團亦曾表示過Killing Joke對他們的薰陶。一下子,這支英倫Post-Punk樂隊便跟美國的重型樂派扯上密切的關係。
重組後在90年發表的Extremities, Dirt And Various,一下子Killing Joke的音樂竟可以跟美國Industrial-Metal樂團Ministry作相提並論。再沉寂四年後,樂隊重整旗鼓(包括有Youth歸隊)後帶來的Pandemonium專輯,他們已洗心革面蛻變成一支Industrial-Metal隊伍,彷彿要告訴全世界他們亦是Nine Inch Nails的師傅。
地獄讚美聲
06年全新專輯Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell是在捷克布拉格一所地窖錄音室收錄,為樂隊混音的,是早年曾替他們操刀的Mark Lusardi。Killing Joke這次所採用,是一台七十年代古老錄音機的迴音處理,在最後混音過程上所用上又是一對收音機揚聲器,故在巨大的音響下,也彰顯出難以估計的粗獷。
Jaz活像地獄使者上身的「嘔泥」唱腔、Geordie的Metal結他Riff、妖氣沖天的魔域式陰溼冷酷氛圍,在Hosannas From The Basements Of Hell內可謂比比皆是,打造出他們的地獄式闇黑Alternative Metal音樂。
I am a passenger
And I ride and I ride
I ride through the city's backside
I see the stars come out of the sky
Yeah, they're bright in a hollow sky
You know it looks so good tonight
I am a passenger
I stay under glass
I look through my window so bright
I see the stars come out tonight
I see the bright and hollow sky
Over the city's a rip in the sky
And everything looks good tonight
Singin' la la la la la-la-la la
La la la la la-la-la la
La la la la la-la-la la la-la
Get into the car
We'll be the passenger
We'll ride through the city tonight
See the city's ripped insides
We'll see the bright and hollow sky
We'll see the stars that shine so bright
The sky was made for us tonight
Oh the passenger
How how he rides
Oh the passenger
He rides and he rides
He looks through his window
What does he see?
He sees the sided hollow sky
He see the stars come out tonight
He sees the city's ripped backsides
He sees the winding ocean drive
And everything was made for you and me
All of it was made for you and me
'cause it just belongs to you and me
So let's take a ride and see what's mine
Singing...
Oh, the passenger
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window's eye
He sees the things he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city asleep at night
He sees the stars are out tonight
And all of it is yours and mine
And all of it is yours and mine
Oh, let's ride and ride and ride and ride...
Singing...
Savages:低調美學
對於Savages這隊備獲BBC Sound of 2013提名的英國倫敦全女班樂隊,大家對她們的印象是:1. 她們的確非常之Post-punk;2. 她們的聲音酷似昔日英倫Post-Punk師祖Siouxsie and the Banshees。當然,Savages之與眾不同,是她們有一位來自法國的女主唱Jehnny Beth——即法國Lo-fi獨立搖滾樂隊John & Jehn成員。
樂隊名字「野人」,是取自她從少閱讀的英國作家威廉•高丁之1954年寓言小說《蒼蠅王》。而Savages的Post-Punk音樂,有著一股初生之犢與狂放不羈,從而被拿來跟嶄露頭角時的Public Image Ltd、Joy Division、Magazine、Siouxsie and the Banshees等經典英國後朋克名團作相提並論——也因為Savages是女聲主唱的Post-Punk樂隊,以及Jehnny Beth那把介乎Grace Slick(Jefferson Airplance)與Siouxsie Sioux的妖靡嗓音,所以外界都不約而同地視她們為Siouxsie and the Banshees的後裔。
事實上,Savages不但叫我聯想到Siouxsie and the Banshees,也聯想起在80年代那群深受The Banshees影響的樂隊,比如昔日英國獨立名廠4AD旗下的德國漢堡樂隊Xmal Deutschland。到底在Savages裡Jehnny的主唱總有點法國口音,而Xmal Deutschland則是以唱德語為主(後來開始唱英語),彼此的異曲同工,是Post-Punk歌曲的歐陸底蘊。
《Silent Yourself》專輯由美國獨立電影先鋒John Cassavetes的1977年電影《Opening Night》的對白揭開序幕,隨即帶出主打單曲〈Shut Up〉,是張力十足而扣人心弦的Post-Punk歌曲。 別看Savages是女流之輩,Gemma Thompson不時奏出勾魂奪魄的迷幻結他咆哮,而Ayse Hassan及Fay Milton的Rhythm Section亦能緊凑萬分。〈No Face〉和大唱“I woke up and saw the face of a guy/ I don’t know who he is”的〈Husbands〉皆彰顯出她們的急激風範,〈I Am Here〉和〈City’s Full〉都是其迷幻而Goth的時候,而〈She Will〉正是那種撲朔迷離的Post-Punk之音。
讓節奏緩慢下來,〈Waiting for a Sign〉奏出她們的低調情感,但迷幻的張力卻漸漸暗湧而來;而〈Marshall Dear〉是用上鋼琴伴奏的Goth-Ballad曲目,感覺真的像極了Siouxsie的迷人慢歌,還有Duke Garwood的單簧管獨奏。