 |
| Background information |
| Origin |
Birmingham, England, UK
  |
| Genre(s) |
Industrial
metal
Industrial
Grind
Experimental
Avant
Industrial music
Alternative metal
Industrial Doom
Industrial Gothic |
| Years active |
1988 – 2002 |
| Label(s) |
Earache
Records
Music for Nations
Koch
Records
Relapse Records
Columbia Records
Swordfish Records |
| Website |
Official fan website |
| Members |
Justin
K. Broadrick
G.
C. Green
Ted
Parsons |
| Former members |
Paul Neville
Robert Hampson
Bryan
Mantia
|
Godflesh was an industrial
metal band from Birmingham, England, formed
in 1988
by Justin K. Broadrick (guitar, vocals, and programming)
and G.
C. Green (bass). The band is highly
regarded as one of the pioneers of industrial metal. The group
disbanded in 2002.
|
Contents
- 1 Sound
and influences
- 2 Career
trajectory
- 3 Collaborators
and side projects
- 4 Quotes
- 5 Discography
- 5.1 Albums,
Singles and EPs
- 5.2 Compilations
- 6 Trivia
- 7 References
- 8 External
links
|
Sound and influences
Inspired by Big Black, Killing
Joke, Swans, Throbbing
Gristle, The Sisters of Mercy and Christian
Death as well as fellow Brummies Black
Sabbath, Godflesh were among the pioneers of industrial metal,
influencing well-known bands such as Danzig,
Faith
No More, Fear Factory, Helmet,
Ministry,
Nine
Inch Nails, and even the Beastie Boys. [1] [2]
(It is rumoured that Broadrick declined offers to join Danzig and Faith
No More. [3]) Their influence can be heard
even more distinctly in bands such as Pitchshifter and Isis.
Godflesh is known for their unique mixture of industrial
drum
machine beats with droning, discordant guitar and powerful,
intermittent bass. (On their earlier albums, the rhythms, synths, and samples
are credited to "Machine" or "Machines". Later, Godflesh would make use
of human drummers Bryan Mantia and Ted
Parsons.) Their eerie, slow, and repetitive style is commonly described
as "apocalyptic". [4]
Broadrick's vocals are often guttural, making use of something
akin to the death grunt technique, yet they also at
times show a softer, more melodic side, as in "I Wasn't Born to Follow"
from 1992's Pure. Godflesh lyrics are terse,
cryptic, and bleak, often emphasizing duality or opposition, as illustrated by the
opening lines of "Defeated" (from 2001's Hymns):
- Everything I build I destroy
- Everything I love always hurts
- Everything I hate I'd rather love
- Everything I am is everything I'm not
Paranoia
and martyrdom
are also common themes in Godflesh's music and cover art.
Originally, Godflesh was honourary Industrial grindcore band.
It was inspired by that following his stint with legendary grindcore
band Napalm Death and Justin K.
Broadrick would create another grindcore band. However, Justin did not
like the direction in which typical grindcore bands such as Napalm
Death were heading with hyper-fast music and wanted to incorporate
influences spanning more than just hardcore punk, creating more heavy
riffage, crushing, slow, but still bounding, double-bassed, doomy,
mid-paced grindcore, in the vein of band's that playing the slowed side
of grind (eg. FETO-era Napalm
Death, Swans and Pitch Shifter). As an honourary
grindcore band, they have been cited as an influence by some grindcore
and death metal bands. Even Justin's former band, Napalm Death, has
taken influence of Godflesh, inspiring them to do the song
"Contemptuous" on their Utopia Banished album.
Career trajectory
In 1982, Green founded Fall of Because (named after a Killing
Joke song) with Paul Neville. Broadrick, who
had been playing guitar as a member of Napalm
Death, soon joined the group as drummer and vocalist. The
band fell apart in 1986. Broadrick then spent a couple of years
(1986-1988) as a member of Head of David. In 1988, he
contacted Green about reforming Fall of Because. Justin decided to take
over on guitars and they chose to use a drum machine to help out. They
also decided to change their name to Godflesh.[5]
Godflesh established a presence in underground
music with albums such as Streetcleaner
and Pure,
which demonstrated the effectiveness of lo-fi production values in heavy music. A
brief flirtation with major label Columbia
Records in 1994
for Selfless and the Merciless EP
saw the duo take on a more high-end production approach. In 1996
Godflesh released Songs of Love and Hate, which
featured the drumming of Bryan Mantia (Guns
N' Roses, Primus, Praxis).
The next album, 1999's Us and Them, saw the group
experimenting with a more electronic, drum
and bass-oriented sound in which the guitar played a less central role.
In 2001 Godflesh released the double album retrospective In
All Languages. That same year they released an album of new
material, Hymns, which featured the precise
drumming of new band member Ted Parsons (formerly of Swans
and Prong)
and brought the band back to its slow and heavy roots while retaining
elements of its experiments with electronica.
Green left the band in late 2001. It was announced that he
would be replaced by former Killing Joke and Prong bassist Paul
Raven; however, Godflesh disbanded in 2002 when Broadrick
suffered a nervous breakdown just before
departing for a tour of the U.S. [6] As a kind of parting gift, the
group released a remastered version of their extremely rare 1994 EP Messiah,
which was doubled in length with all new remixes. Broadrick and Parsons
went on to form Jesu in 2003.
During its fourteen year lifespan Godflesh toured with
numerous bands, including Danzig, Front
Line Assembly, L7, Loop, Ministry,
Napalm
Death, Nirvana, Prong, Revolting Cocks, Skinny
Puppy, Type O Negative and Strapping
Young Lad. [7]
Collaborators and side projects
Several other musicians have recorded and played live with
Godflesh. Paul Neville rejoined
Broadrick and Green for the Streetcleaner
and Slavestate
albums. Robert Hampson, former
guitarist for Loop, appeared on Pure
and Cold World.
(In 1991 Loop released the split 7" single Loopflesh
covering the Godflesh song "Like Rats" while Godflesh performed Loop's
"Straight to Your Heart".)
Members of Godflesh have been involved in numerous side
projects, allowing them to explore interests in other musical genres,
including electronica,
ambient,
dub,
and 2step.
Broadrick has collaborated with Kevin Martin and Alec
Empire, among others. [8]
Broadrick's current projects include Jesu and Final.
Quotes
I've obviously got quite a fear of dying—especially at
the hands of other people. Then again, I've got a fear of just about
everything. Gang violence scares me. Planes
scare me. I can't stand flying. Every second I'm in the air, I just
think that something isn't right, that the plane is about to crash. Fear is a really
important factor in what we do. Godflesh is scared music, which is why
it's so strong—we're always trying to bring those feelings up to the
surface.
– Justin Broadrick, Rip, June 1992
Our music is about hitting an emotional core in people with
brutal power. At first all we wanted to do was crush our listeners, but
then we wanted to hypnotize them. It's hard to put that into words, and
I really can't put it into words. The two of us [Broadrick and bass
player G.C. Green] are rather introverted and reserved as people;
maybe even sensitive. I find that I can convey our emotions only
through the guitar.
– Justin Broadrick, Guitar, Summer
1994
There's a real beauty to brutality. Even the most graphic
violence can be beautiful if it's presented in an artistic way.
– Justin Broadrick, Guitar
World, February 1995
I often ask myself how I can make things more sick sounding.
Sickness
is really a big part of our sound.
– Justin Broadrick, Guitar,
June 1999
Discography
Albums, Singles and EPs
| Year of Release |
Title |
Label |
Catalogue Number |
1988
1990 |
Godflesh [EP]
(reissue) [Album] |
Swordfish Records
Earache Records |
MOSH 20 |
| 1989 |
Streetcleaner |
Earache Records |
MOSH 15 |
| 1991 |
Loopflesh [EP] |
Clawfist |
|
| 1991 |
Slavestate [EP] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 30 |
| 1991 |
Slavestate Remixes [EP] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 30 |
| 1991 |
Slateman [Single] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 47 |
| 1991 |
Cold World [EP] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 56 |
| 1992 |
Pure |
Earache Records |
MOSH 32 |
| 1994 |
Merciless [EP] |
Earache/Columbia |
MOSH 116 |
| 1994 |
Selfless |
Earache/Columbia |
MOSH 85 |
| 1995 |
Crush My Soul [Single] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 127 |
| 1996 |
Songs of Love and
Hate |
Earache Records |
MOSH 157 |
| 1997 |
Love and Hate in Dub |
Earache Records |
MOSH 178 |
| 1999 |
Us and Them |
Earache Records |
MOSH 179 |
2000
2003 |
Messiah [EP]
(reissue) |
AvalancheInc
Relapse Records |
|
| 2001 |
Hymns |
Music for Nations |
|
Compilations
| Year of Release |
Title |
Label |
Catalogue Number |
| 1996 |
Slateman/Cold World [EP] |
Earache Records |
MOSH 47 CD |
| 1996 |
Selfless/Merciless |
Earache Records |
MOSH 116 |
| 2001 |
In all Languages [2xCD]/DVD |
Earache Records |
MOSH 246 |
Trivia
- The Aztec term for Psilocybe
mushrooms is Teonanácatl, or God's flesh.
[9] (Broadrick claims that this is
just a pleasant coincidence. [10])
- The image on the cover of Streetcleaner
is from a scene in the movie Altered
States in which William
Hurt's character is having his first hallucinogenic
experience. Photos from the insert sleeve for the album are taken from
David Lynch's Eraserhead
(another major influence cited by Broadrick). [11]
Most of Godflesh's artwork has been borrowed from various movies Justin
and Ben always liked.
- It is no accident that both Leonard
Cohen and Godflesh have albums called Songs of Love and Hate.
In "Mothra" (from Pure), Godflesh "borrows" the
lyrics "Your pain is no credential here / It's just the shadow
of my wound" from the song "Avalanche" on the aforementioned
Cohen album. [12] [13]
- Broadrick's independent record label is named "Avalanche
Inc." [14]
- Contrary to popular belief, the album cover artwork for
"Songs of Love and Hate" and "Love and Hate in Dub" are photographs in
two complete different locations. Both may have a cross and a factory
backdrop setting but they were taken in two unrelated locations. [15]
- Kirk Hammett (of Metallica)
has been a big fan of the band for quite some time. In 1994, he even
recorded some material with Justin. One day, Godflesh showed the video
for Crush My Soul (by Andres Serrano) to Kirk and he loved
it. Metallica later used a piece of footage by Andres for their cover
on the album Load. In a later interview with Kirk, he is asked where
the band got the idea of the cover. Kirk tells the interviewer that he
saw something on television about Andres Serrano and that is how it
came about, not giving any credit to (or even aknowledging the
existence of) Godflesh. Justin says, "There's no copyright on Serrano.
We'll be the first to admit that. But we planted the seed, and
unfortunately we're not getting the credit, obviously." Fortunately, in
at least one situation, Kirk has commended the band and also has stated
that they are the "heaviest band in existence". [16]
- Justin Broadrick has been asked to join Danzig
and Faith
No More as a band member full time but Justin wanted to be focused on
Godflesh during the time. [17]
- Once Earache merged with Sony (Columbia) Godflesh got the chance to do
soundtracks. In 1995, they appeared on the soundtrack to the movie Hideaway.
They also appear in the movie itself. During one of the club scenes,
they are playing onstage in the background, performing the song Nihil. [18]
References
External links
| v • d • e GODFLESH |
| Justin
Broadrick | G. C.
Green |
| Ted
Parsons | Paul Neville | Robert
Hampson | Bryan Mantia | Paul
Raven |
| Discography |
| Albums:
Streetcleaner
| Pure |
Selfless | Songs of
Love and Hate | Us and Them
| Hymns |
| Extended
Plays: Godflesh | Loopflesh | Slavestate
| Cold World |
Merciless | Messiah |
| Singles:
Slateman
| Crush My Soul |
| Remix
Albums: Slavestate Remixes
| Love and Hate in Dub |
| Compilation
Albums: Slateman/Cold World | Selfless/Merciless
| In all Languages |
| Related
Articles |
| Jesu | Final
| Vitriol | Techno
Animal | GOD | Ice | Scorn
| Painkiller | Head
of David | Napalm Death | Fall of Because |
| Official fan website | Avalanche Inc. |
