Fire Dances

Fire Dances is the fourth studio album by English post-punk band Killing Joke, released on 15 July 1983 by E.G. via Polydor Records. It was the band's first album to feature new bass player Paul Raven, recorded at Basing Street Studios in London between February and March 1983. According to Paul Ferguson the band's drug use contributed to the original mix of the album being "tinny".

Release
Fire Dances was released in July 1983 by E.G. Records. It entered number 29 in the UK Albums Chart, on 23 July 1983.

The album was remastered and reissued in 2008, with eight bonus tracks: the non-album single "Me or You?", an alternate version of "Dominator" (B-side to "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)"), an unreleased early version of "The Gathering" and four tracks from a John Peel session from 1983.

Reception
Fire Dances was generally well received by music critics. NME called it "their best [album] yet, and also likely to be their biggest." PopMatters and Trouser Press both qualified the album as "superb", with the latter describing the album's mood as "brighter" and "more joyous" than previous records.

Personnel

 * Killing Joke
 * Jaz Coleman – vocals, synthesizer, production
 * Kevin "Geordie" Walker – guitar, production
 * Paul Raven – bass guitar, production
 * Paul Ferguson – drums, vocals, production


 * Technical
 * John Porter – co-producer on "Let's All Go (to the Fire Dances)", "Me or You" and "Wilful Days"
 * Nigel Mills - recording engineer, mixing