Chinese Democracy a "toe-tapper". Early Guns N' Roses guitarist Tracii Guns said he thought it was "over-indulgent, sterile and not that exciting". "Chinese Democracy"'s protracted recording process attracted extensive media coverage. According to "Spin", a cottage industry grew around covering its development; "the only way the record could have lived up to its legend would have been to never come out at all". Five years after its release, "Grantland" journalist Steven Hyden wrote: "For years, it was widely assumed "Chinese Democracy" would never come out; in retrospect, the delay is all anybody cares about ... As music, "Chinese Democracy" is merely the
Democracy (album) joke – either Midnight Oil with a raspy singer or James Hetfield attempting to hijack U2 – complete with inane lyrics about 'Prozac People', 'Intellect' and 'Another Bloody Election'. Vote with your feet." Jack Rabid of AllMusic, on the other hand, called it "Killing Joke's best album in [eleven] years". In Germany, the album garnered “record of the month” status in at least two magazines (Metal Hammer and Rock Hard). Democracy (album) Democracy is the tenth studio album by English rock band Killing Joke. It was released on 1 April 1996 by record label Big Life. Hot on the heels