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[Kid Modernist]

I tried a search, but it's convoluted.

Basically:

You hear about Interpol ripping off Joy Division completely, and while I agree that it is definitely an influence (I find it hard to believe that Paul Banks had never heard about Joy Division before he was told about the comparison).

What parts of Interpol are directly ripped off from JD?

I would say they are less minimal and definitely more reliant on guitar riffs.

This is definitely not a shut and close case, and I'm not implying I'm a huge fan of Interpol and am like "THEY ARE ORIGINAL" just asking for clarification and to learn more about how influence translate into how someone would create music.

[Johnny C]

Honestly a lot of the JD to Interpol bit comes from two things.

Firstly, Interpol relies heavily on a lot of Joy Division atmospherics and drama on TOTBL for sure and Antics too a bit. Moodiness is pretty big in both bands' style.

Second, Paul Banks' voice.

I don't really care enough about the whole thing to go into it further than that, and I don't think there is really much more to it anyhow. It would be fun to sit around and play "Name That Influence" with bands but it's sloppy reviewing and really not a great way to decide whether or not the music is good, or whether you like it.

[jcknbl]

I second the vocal and aesthetic comparisons. Its possible that the "less minimal" descriptor (which I agree with) and the cleaned up, less punk sound, is mostly a result of different production techniques. I've never seen Interpol live but I can definitely imagine them sounding more like Joy Division outside the studio. Can someone confirm?

Also, I hear at least as much Echo and the Bunnymen as I do Joy Division. Especially in the guitar work.

Are people still listening to Interpol? I don't mean that as a "that band is totally last week" posture; I just realized that I never listen to either Interpol record and I'm wondering if they're actually holding up for other people.

[pat101]

I RARELY listen to my Interpol records though when I do I usually enjoy it.

[Praeserpium Machinarum]

I grew tired of this discussion a while ago. Yes, there are superficial similarities but to my ears Interpol is more melodic, warm and, as said, much less minimal. Also more often than not Banks' lyrics are more lovesick than actually desperate, much less heavy than Curtis' was by any rate.
Anyway Interpol has a certain charm and though I don't listen to Turn on the Bright Lights very often, I still hold it in a high regard.
A shame that Antics was so patchy...

[Coonstar]

Yeah, the Echo and the Bunnymen thing in Interpol pretty much just stops at the guitar work. Man imagine Interpol with McCulloch's singing style.

[Praeserpium Machinarum]

i think they sound like a shit band trying to be another shit band.

and so on all the way back to those awful guys who banged rocks together.

Man! what a bunch of ripoffs!

[Thrillho]

Interpol are more melodic by sheer comparison, because melody in Joy Division was all but nonexistent.

I think there are other minor similarities; the chiming, interweaving quality of the bass and guitars, and the spacious, breathy production style.

[GuitarJunkie]

I can see some similarities but shit, if you want to hear a band that really try hard to sound like Joy Division, try listening to The Editors.

[Merkava]

Interpol maybe has the aesthetic, but they are very, very different than JD. On TOTBL, they were explosive, lush, and emotional. JD conveyed emotion, but they were more minimalist; they focused on creating a rough, harsh sound. When I listen to both bands, they seem like they're trying to evoke a similar reaction from the listener, but are going about it in different ways.

JD and Interpol, to me, are like two sides of a coin.

[octozombie]

Interpol maybe has the aesthetic, but they are very, very different than JD. On TOTBL, they were explosive, lush, and emotional. JD conveyed emotion, but they were more minimalist; they focused on creating a rough, harsh sound. When I listen to both bands, they seem like they're trying to evoke a similar reaction from the listener, but are going about it in different ways.

JD and Interpol, to me, are like two sides of a coin.

That's exactly what I believe.

[E. Spaceman]

I enjoy both Interpol and Joy Division, I prefer New Order to both  bands though.

[oscard]

What really makes Interpol for me is the drumming. Im a percussionist myself, so I lean more towards the drum work excluding certain bands. Ive been fortunate enough to see Interpol live, and I can say their drummer is amazing. I prefer TOTBL, for mainly this reason. I can definetly see the influence from Joy Division, but the difference is like comparing most Post-Rock bands.

[Merkava]

Oh man, the drum work on TOTBL is fantastic. Actually, now that you bring up Post-Rock, I see a lot more of that influence in Interpol than Post-Punk, at least on TOTBL. Antics was pretty dissapointing with all the focus on simple grooves, but when they let their music breath...wow. 

[Kid Modernist]

I second the vocal and aesthetic comparisons. Its possible that the "less minimal" descriptor (which I agree with) and the cleaned up, less punk sound, is mostly a result of different production techniques. I've never seen Interpol live but I can definitely imagine them sounding more like Joy Division outside the studio. Can someone confirm?

I saw Interpol at the Curiousa Festival in 2004 and they sound remarkably similar to the way they sound on the album. I was kind of disappointed by that...

I am an okay fan of Interpol (I like TOTBL a lot and I recently discovered that Antics isn't bad at all) but a large fan of Joy Division.

I definitely think they are inspired by, but I don't cotton to people saying they are ripping them off. Maybe the whole scene at the time and a few years after..