There’s a whole lot of bands out there with the name KILLJOY. Just saying. Of interest here is the Brussels duo. On September 29, 2024 they released their full-length debut, Dream and Violence via Mottow Soundz. The album is a mix of Industrial, Prog, and just plain ol’ Indie rock. Clocking in with seven tracks at about 36 minutes for full run, the album is at times compelling and at times, well, not.

The best track on the album is the intro, aptly titled “Intro.” This is guitarist Kilian and drummer Joachim doing what they do best, just jamming without trying to layer in vocals or special effects and synths. From there on out it’s pretty much downhill although several tracks have their moments. The first 45 seconds of “Dream,” for instance, is astounding, and then it just falls of the cliff. It tries to revive in the last 90 seconds, but that whole bit between those first 45 seconds and the last 90 is hard to forgive. Similarly, the last minute of “Violence Cookie” is exceptional—again just Kilian and Joachin jamming—but that first four minutes is difficult to deal with. “Poker with God” is an eclectic piece that has some interesting features but, on the balance, fails to deliver. 

I can appreciate that KILLJOY was trying to reach for something off-center, something that through its internal contradictions made a kind of statement. I mean the powder blue cover with a chocolate chip cookie juxtaposed with the title Dream and Violence isn’t lost on me. In fact, it’s too obvious. Simply put, it feels like they were trying too hard.

Maybe I was too enamored with how this album started and when it quickly unraveled, it pretty much shattered the expectations that I’m at fault for having set in the first place. Not a great start for KILLJOY, although I am sure they’ll find their fanbase. Personally, I’d count this as a demo.