Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

Killing Joke can seem a little insurmountable due to their prolific nature so I suggest breaking it down into time periods. Their early stuff (about 1980-1984) is your typical post-punk of the era except maybe steeped a little more with a metal/goth rock tinge and influence. From about 1984-1989 they were a little more new wave-y, with their most famous song being "Eighties", which is now more known for being the song Nirvana ripped off for "Come As You Are". The song I included is from their 1990 album Extremities, Dirt, and Other Repressed Emotions which signaled their shift more towards metal which lasted until about 1996 with their album Democracy which was more alternative rock. The band went on a bit of a hiatus but came roaring back with their 2003 self-titled album that was just straight up hard rock. Their 2006 album Hosannas From The Basement of Hell is a very grungey album with very murky production and possibly some of their darkest material to date. 2010 saw a more production heavy album Absolute Dissent which was very political and was more a call back to their post-punk roots which continued with last year's album MMXII, but minus the politically charged lyrics.

For beginners I think you can either start with their 2003 self-titled album and work your way forward, then go back to their 1980 self-titled debut and work your way up. You could also work your way backwards, going from their newest material to their oldest, which I found to be a lot of fun. If you really liked the song I included in this mix you could work your way up from Extremities, Dirt, and Other Repressed Emotions to their newest material, then go back. I have a bit of a bias because KJ are my favorite band of all time so I love all their material, but I find their 2003 self-titled album to be a good starting point for new people.