Shihad's 'Killjoy' Turns 20 And Sounds Better Than Ever!

Listening to 'Killjoy' is like getting a big, beautiful punch in the face. It'll give you two black eyes but leave you smiling. It's that good. And now that Shihad's classic second album is turning 20, it's fitting it gets the re-mastered and reissue treatment to make it sound bigger and more imposing than ever. 'Killjoy' is volatile, catchy, and intense all in one.

This storm of sonic power isn't just one of New Zealand's finest rock albums - it's one of the country's best albums full stop. If 1993 debut, 'Churn,' was the sound of Shihad's roots, then 'Killjoy' was the blueprint for the band's trademark mix of melodic heaviness, pounding rhythms, and catchy songs that get people singing and chanting along.

Originally released in May 1995, 'Killjoy' peaked at No.4 on the album charts and went on to gain platinum status and win album of the year at the New Zealand Music Awards in 1996. The album's four singles – "You Again," "Bitter," "Gimme Gimme" and "Deb's Night Out" - are among the band's most enduring tracks. Few songs have the chest beating intensity and unbridled power of album opener, "You Again," with its punishing massacre of first up riffs through to its unhinged and fractured ending. And the simmering, dark beauty of "Deb's Night Out" - the band's ode to bizarre and brutal Palmerston North band Skeptics - remains one of Shihad's finest moments.

While 'Churn' received some overseas recognition, it was 'Killjoy' that truly launched Shihad onto the international stage when they hit the road with Faith No More on a 38-date tour through Europe. It also led to the band's first tour of the US where they played everything from club dates in Los Angeles and New York through to influential heavy metal convention Foundations Forum alongside Motorhead and Monster Magnet.

The 20th birthday reissue of 'Killjoy' - which includes bonus track "N.I.L" - is testament to what a complete album it is from start to finish. Take your pick from the fiery spite of "Bitter," the brooding and thunderous "For What You Burn," or the raw slugging ferocity of "Silvercup."

The thing about 'Killjoy' is that it sounded exotic, heavy and ahead of it's time back in 1995, and now two decades on it sounds even better.