10 Great Rock Albums Recorded In Really Weird Ways
1. Killing Joke - Pandemonium
Post-punk titans Killing Joke have a long history when it comes to strange rock and roll stories but far and away their wildest is the conditions under which their album Pandemonium came to be. With founding member Martin ‘Youth’ Glover returning to the fold he brought with him the bizarre concept of recording their next record not in a dingy London studio but instead in one of the greatest monuments on planet Earth: the Pyramids of Giza.
Killing Joke got approval from a self-professed Egyptian white witch in order to enter and work within the King’s chamber of the legendary landmark. Unfortunately, upon setting up, they found their 10 hour battery packs were emptying in mere minutes. Ever a group of spiritualists, the group elected to perform shamanistic rituals to prove to these otherworldly forces that they came in peace.
Not only did this solve their issues, it seemed to open them up to a whole new world. Audio engineer Sameh Almazny had a vivid nightmare whilst napping in the Pyramid of the Eye of Horus chasing him, so much so that he tried to flee the location. During one particular take of recording, vocalist Jaz Coleman swore to Youth that he witnessed him levitating off the ground.
Pandemonium turned out to be an appropriate title for this album and it's quite unbelievable story.