The Unperverted Pantomime cover

The Unperverted Pantomime

Killing Joke · 1982

62 min · 16 tracks · new wave

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

52 /100
Lowland
Higher than 1% of albums we've rated

The songs have forceful, memorable structures, but the sessions, demo and long live block make this feel like an archive assembled around them rather than a shaped album.

What we noticed

  • The opening pairs the Malicious single versions of “Nervous System” and “Pssyche” before moving into “Follow the Leaders.”
  • Tracks four through six are Capital Radio sessions; after a single version and a demo, the final eight tracks are all live recordings.
  • The live sequence revisits songs heard earlier, including “Nervous System,” “Change,” “Wardance” and “Are You Receiving?”
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
6/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
3/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
3/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 2/10

Little footprint beyond its audience. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Nervous System (Malicious single) 4:17
  • 2 Pssyche (Malicious single) 5:15
  • 3 Follow the Leaders (original mix) 4:03
  • 4 Change (Capital radio Session) 3:54
  • 5 Are You Receiving? (Capital radio Session) 4:45
  • 6 Complications (Capital radio Session) 3:29
  • 7 Wardance (Malicious single) 3:44
  • 8 The Wait (Basing Street demo) 3:49
  • 9 Nervous System (live 1980) 4:16
  • 10 Animal (live 1980) 3:02
  • 11 Change (live 1980) 3:59
  • 12 Nuclear Boy (live 1980) 3:03
  • 13 Malicious Boogie (live 1980) 2:48
  • 14 Wardance (live 1980) 3:44
  • 15 Are You Recieving? (live 1980) 5:00
  • 16 You're Being Followed (live 1980) 3:01

What to play next

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Reference: MusicBrainz · Wikidata