Killing Joke frontman Jaz Coleman has announced that he is working upon a new choral work based upon the teachings of the so-called 'Wickedest Man In The World', legendary British occultist Aleister Crowley.
Crowley, arguably best known to rock fans as a) an endless source of fascination to Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and b) as the inspiration behind Ozzy Osbourne's 1981 single Mr. Crowley, challenged conventional spiritual doctrines with his teachings in the Thelema philosophy, and famously declared "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", in his most famous work, Liber AL vel Legis (The Book of the Law), upon which Coleman's forthcoming work will be based.
"Few have influenced the post-war bubble of counterculture quite like Crowley," Coleman states. "Regardless of one’s opinion of this controversial character, he is ranked among the top 100 most influential individuals of the United Kingdom. And as everyone knows, his face graces the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles’ most iconic masterpiece. It is therefore a great honour to compose Liber AL as a ritualistic choral work, to commemorate his great magnum opus. It is the commission of my life!”
Coleman’s choral work will merge classical and modern elements to reflect "the complexity of Liber AL vel Legis and Crowley’s enigmatic philosophy" a press release informs us. Details of performances and shows will be announced soon, offering audiences "a chance to experience this unique fusion of music and mysticism live."
Killing Joke's status remains undefined in the wake of the 2023 death of the band's co-founding guitarist Kevin ‘Geordie’ Walker, one of the most influential and respected guitarists of the post-punk era.
When Coleman embarked upon a spoken word tour last year, he requested that fans in attendance refrain from asking about the future of the band, as he was "still in mourning".
Meanwhile, Killing Joke drummer Big Paul Ferguson is busy with two side projects, Light Of Eternity, who are playing shows with Ministry this summer, and Sevendials, a new alt.rock supergroup featuring vocalist Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Murder, Inc) and guitarist/keyboardist Mark Gemini Thwaite (The Mission, Tricky, Peter Murphy), who will release their debut album, A Crash Course In Catastrophe on April 11.
