Formed in Birmingham UK 1988 by Justin Broadrick and C.G. Green and innovators of industrial metal, Godflesh spawned some seminal records including six excellent albums before combusting in 2002 leaving a vacuum in their wake. Broadrick went on to carry on musically with Jesu which was a bit of a relief and although highly regarded they have never quite had the impetus of his past project and there has been a huge amount of interest in getting Godflesh to reform. This they did eventually as a live outfit in 2010 with the main two members behind them (and let’s not forget those such as Ted Parsons and Paul Raven, who helped forge their sound in the past) and the one proposed show grew to more. The question of new material did not seem too likely and live although great, saw a band living on past glories. Now finally we have four new songs from Godflesh, and a proposed album ‘A World Lit Only By Fire’ and everyone seems to be going mental about Godflesh again.
I could be churlish and mention about all the bandwagon jumping as many getting somewhat hysterical were never there in the first place. They never picked up Streetcleaner on vinyl in Our Price (yes remember them) when it first came out and I remember eagerly grabbing everything the band did on Earache (when it was a good label) and seeing the band on tour at every opportunity. The last show I remember at the LA2 (complete with an invading Jaz Coleman) did seem to be it and the band have so much to live up to as far as presenting us with new material, so the question obviously on everyone’s lips is, are the new tracks any cop? Thankfully they are!
‘Ringer’ almost sizzles in with static sounds then the crunch and crash of mechanical drums instantly has you recognising the style that forged a hundred bands. Beat wise it reminds a bit of Killing Joke’s Loose Cannon but once those sweeping vocals come in and flow around the robotic slamming music that thought changes it can only be Broadrick providing them. This is not fast but it weighs like lead and is forged like steel, it’s music for factories as it drives away and grinds with tribal intensity. Vocals seem as ever repetitive, working with constraint and using words as accompaniment to the music rather than having any real narrative about them lyrically. ‘Dogbite,’ what a perfect title for a song by this band! It has that sliding discordant guitar sound, thick trembling bass and barked out angry vocals about it that again remind that however much Jesu were enjoyable this is the real sound we were hungering for. Juddering and grooving like a titanium out of control wrecking machine there is no stopping this monster short of an explosive crash and pile up of mangled machinery.
The B) side (only vinyl is real surely) is as organic sounding as any digitally delivered MP3 has the right to sound. Vocals rise harmoniously on ‘Playing With Fire’, riffs lurch and sudden disgruntled vocal barks remind a bit like Tom G Warrior as they are delivered and there is a Frostian stomp mixed with Prong like riffing going on here. “Born of fire, born of water” come the words from a band who not only sound like they have never been away but one who sound like they are completely in their element. The title track clanks in and deathly laden vocals snap out taut and furious as the music slabs up and crunches in a coruscating fashion. It’s noisy and beastly with a driving fury and snappy discordant feel about it. It’s definitely a case of uneasy listening with this one and sees the band at their most obtuse, still listen out for a great underlying melody hidden away behind the thump and deluge, perhaps that could be utilised in a later number?
It’s fantastic to see Godflesh not only back but as venomous and relevant sounding as they were when they went away. So many groups reform that it seems inevitable when they split up that it’s only a matter of time before…. Godflesh have kept us waiting for much longer than most and to come back and with tracks of this magnitude it is a near revelation. Bring on the album!
(8.5 Pete Woods)
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