Exorcism (song)

"Exorcism"
Single by Killing Joke
from the album Pandemonium
A-side	"Exorcism (Live in King's Chamber, Cairo August 1993 Mix) Edit" "Exorcism (A Germanic Interpretation)(Unification Catastrophe-Full Length Mandra Gora Remix)"
B-side	"Whiteout (The Intellect is Ugly Remix)(Mandra Gora Edit)" "Another Cult Goes Down (Protobello Mix)" "Exorcism (The Bretonic Revenge)(Total Eclipse Remix Edit)"
Released	11 March 1994 (11 March 1994)
Format	10" single 12" single CD single
Genre	Industrial metal Post-punk
Length	28:36
Label	Butterfly Records
Writer(s)	Jaz Coleman Kevin "Geordie" Walker Martin "Youth" Glover
Producer(s)	Youth, Greg Hunter (additional production/engineering)
Killing Joke singles chronology
"Change: The Spiral Tribe Mix/The Youth Mixes" (1992) "Exorcism" (1994) "Pandemonium" (1994)
Pandemonium track listing "Pandemonium" (1) "Exorcism" (2) "Millennium" (3) CD Single release Exorcism CD Frontcover 12" Single release Exorcism 45 RPM Side A

"Exorcism" is Killing Joke's first single from their ninth studio album, Pandemonium. It was released on 11 March 1994.^[1][2]

"Exorcism", like "Money is Not Our God", also failed to chart on the UK Singles Charts.^[3]

Background

In 1990, Killing Joke agreed to take a hiatus from writing studio material. Although the song "Change" was remixed by Martin Glover in 1992, the band decided to take another year off until Youth was ready to return to the band. In an interview with Alternative Nation MTV and Paul King in April 1994, after the release of Pandemonium, Coleman described that he was "not together "walking the shores", if you like," in response to the 10 year period of Youth's absence and the flee to Iceland (see: "Empire Song"). "I feel that the difference between now and the early days is we feel more focused, we feel more in control of our own destinies, if we want to put out a record, we put out a record. We don't ask for permission from anyone and we decide things within our own group as individuals."^[4] In mid-1993, Killing Joke began writing new material of aggression, anger, energy, hatred, and salvation; all apparent in the album. In August of that same year, they performed "Exorcism" for the first time live in Cairo, Egypt. The band went on to release four singles across several formats and a live EP.

Releases

"Exorcism" was released in several version including remixes and live performances. The original album version was not featured on any of the releases. The first release of "Exorcism" was a 10" and CD single, both under Butterfly Records, a label created by Martin "Youth" Glover who has been the producer and returning bassist of Killing Joke ever since Pandemonium. The A-side featured "Exorcism (Live in King's Chamber, Cairo August 1993 Mix) Edit" and "Exorcism (A Germanic Interpretation)(Unification Catastrophe-Full Length Mandra Gora Remix)". The B-side featured "Whiteout (The Intellect is Ugly Remix)(Mandra Gora Edit)" (original version found on Pandemonium), "Another Cult Goes Down (Protobello Mix)" (later released on the 2005 re-release of Pandemonium), and "Exorcism (The Bretonic Revenge)(Total Eclipse Remix Edit)".

The second release of "Exorcism" was on a 12" single, also under Butterfly Records. According to Discogs,^[1] the 12" release of "Exorcism" had only 750 copies printed. Each release had a label that was either numbered handwritten or stamped on the inner sleeve of the B-side. However, some unnumbered copies are still in existence. This was also an unofficial format of the single and did not feature "Another Cult Goes Down (Probello Mix)" on the B-side.^[5]

As named in the remixes, Mandra Gora (real name: Johann Bley) remixed "Exorcism" along with Total Eclipse (real name: Stephane Holweck) respectively. Greg Hunter co-produced and engineered "Exorcism" and Pandemonium.

Reception

Ned Raggert of Allmusic described "Exorcism" as a "straight-ahead rampage" and "shows that Killing Joke hasn't forgotten the power of sheer intensity, and if Ferguson's sheer power and inventiveness is missed the most here, the results are still a thrilling, fierce listen."^[6] Adrien Begrand of PopMatters praised "Exorcism": "[It] is every bit as vicious as Pandemonium is stately, a seven and a half minute explosion of industrial-fused rage, Coleman commanding in his Lemmy-esque voice, 'Watch the ugliness rise… Let it out, let it rise,' punctuating the verses with vulgar hacks and coughs."^[7]

Track listings

10" single

Side A

1. "Exorcism (Live In King's Chamber Cairo August 1993 Mix) Edit" – 05:24
2. "Exorcism (A Germanic Interpretation) (Unification Catastrophe - Full Length Mandra Gora Remix)" – 07:30^{[tln 1]}

Side B

1. "Whiteout (The Intellect Is Ugly Remix) (Mandra Gora Edit)" – 04:13^{[tln 1]}
2. "Another Cult Goes Down (Portobello Mix)" – 06:17^{[tln 1]}
3. "Exorcism (The Bretonic Revenge) (Total Eclipse Remix Edit)" – 06:12^{[tln 2]}

12" single

Side A

1. "Exorcism (Live In King's Chamber Cairo August 1993 Mix) Edit" – 05:24
2. "Exorcism (A Germanic Interpretation) (Unification Catastrophe - Full Length Mandra Gora Remix)" – 07:30^{[tln 1]}

Side B

1. "Whiteout (The Intellect Is Ugly Remix) (Mandra Gora Edit)" – 04:13^{[tln 1]}
2. "Another Cult Goes Down (Portobello Mix)" – 06:17^{[tln 1]}
3. "Exorcism (The Bretonic Revenge) (Total Eclipse Remix Edit)" – 06:12^{[tln 2]}

CD single

1. "Exorcism (Live In King's Chamber Cairo August 1993 Mix (Edit))" – 05:24
2. "Exorcism (A Germanic Interpretation) (Unification Catastrophe - Full Length Mandra Gora Remix)" – 07:30^{[tln 1]}
3. "Whiteout (The Intellect Is Ugly Remix) (Mandra Gora Edit)" – 04:13^{[tln 1]}
4. "Another Cult Goes Down (Portobello Mix)" – 06:17^{[tln 1]}
5. "Exorcism (The Bretonic Revenge) (Total Eclipse Remix Edit)" – 06:12^{[tln 2]}

Track listings notes

References

External links