By the time this album came out, Killing Joke had already been around for 7 or 8 years. Their first four albums are full of tribal rhythms, abrasive guitars, and lyrics that tell of an impending breakdown in the social order. With the release of "Night Time", the predecessor to "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns", Killing Joke didn't really "go pop" as much as they just decided to convey their messages in a new musical format. "Night Time" and "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" are less tribal, with more of a dance groove to them and tighter song arrangements. Jaz Coleman's voice sounds the most somber on "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns", which comes as no surprise, since most of the lyrics reflect on the erroneous nature of the human race and the coming apocalypse, which Coleman has devoted years of his life to studying. The first several tracks are the strongest- "Twilight Of The Mortal", "Adorations", and "A Southern Sky" are particularly catchy. While not as incendiary or groundbreaking as their first few albums, "Brighter Than A Thousand Suns" is an important step in the evolution of Killing Joke. Definitely pick it up if you like atmospheric rock music with solid grooves.

I first heard this album when it was released, since then I've listened to it countless times and never tired of it's beauty. I know that many disagree, but for me it is the best KJ album, critics tend to complain that it sounds dated, or that the increase in synth and reduced guitars make it a weaker album. While I also love KJ's grittier sound, I feel that the purity of the music on BTATS never fails to leave me speechless - and tracks such as Chessboards & Rubicon have just as much energy and edge as anything else KJ have done, just in a more refined form. If this wasn't enough, the lyrics on BTATS are way and above anything else I've had the pleasure to witness ... and could stand alone as poetry in their own right. As a whole the album has a spiritual Icy ethereal feel - like a truth that cuts through anything in it's path. I'd love to be able to get this across better, but this CD touches me in a way that I just can't capture in words.

I personally own about half of Killing Joke's material, and *Brighter than a Thousand Suns* is my favorite of them. Jaz Coleman's keyboards crossed with Geordie Walker's non-intrusive guitar are truly an eighth wonder of the world. Though many might not enjoy the sound of 80s synth-pop, the cynical edge & social awareness of this album may make up for it. Seeing as how Killing Joke is one of the world's rare intellectual bands, it is nearly impossible for their material to be substandard. So, even if you don't like the sound, you may still respect the album. If you're expecting a lot of the guitar-heavy, throaty vocals from most of KJ's material, this album may surprise you. But give it a chance.

Now, I know killing joke has punk rock roots and 90% of their albums are hard rock or punk, But if I was them I would never have ventured away from the sound they had on this album and the nighttime album. Every song on this album (sanity, chessboards, and southern sky especially) has fluidity and sound quality far superior to any of their harder albums. I wish they had more albums like this. The vocals are in their element and the synth is more prominent than in other albums. I am a huge fan of all types of music from 80's to death metal, and this this is the album that is my favorite by far.

This is Killing Joke's poppy side. Poppier than Night Time! There are great songs to listen to here: Adorations, Chessboards, Sanity, Love Of The Masses, Wintergardens, Victory, Twilight Of The Mortal,... The only song I did not like is A Southern Sky, it has the cheesiest chorus I've ever heard! Ha ha, but don't let that discourage you from buying this album, it is a very solid follow-up to Night Time and way better than the awful Outside The Gate. Great for any music lover's collection and money well spent!