February 2021 Feature Release – The Sphere Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month’s feature release for The Sphere is 1988's classic self-titled debut E.P. from Birmingham industrial metal legends Godflesh which very much represents the earliest roots of the subgenre. It's often overlooked in favour of the band's monolithic debut full-length "Streetcleaner" however the importance of this release cannot be overlooked. I've had a very long association with this beast of an E.P. so it'll be interesting to see what you all make of it.

https://metal.academy/releases/246

I did my review, here's its summary:

It's a little cliché for the very first release of a project to be self-titled, but that doesn't matter. The Godflesh EP was groundbreaking at that time for setting up a new genre that's slower and gloomier than even doom metal. Godflesh focuses on the heavy groove dissonance of industrial/noise masters at its bleakest. No electronic-dance sh*t, just the heaviness of dissonant bass and downtuned guitar. Besides industrial metal, some songs have this f***ing heavy groove that has practically invented groove metal, inspiring Pantera to drop their glam act, Sepultura to add more groove to their thrash, and the alt-noise-metal band Helmet to be formed. In fact, many of these songs focus on heaviness and groove, instead of speed and melody that's completely absent here. I have a feeling two of their best songs in the EP "Godhead" and "Weak Flesh" is how they got their name, to mix sludgy doom and hardcore in an industrial sound. Glad they aren't named "Weakhead", lol. The 1990 reissue extends the EP into kind of a full album with two long remixes from the Streetcleaner album, "Wounds" and "Streetcleaner 2", showing some of Justin Broadrick's hip-hop roots that caused scorn from metalheads at that time, along with his influences from Swans in a different perspective of devastated reality. Godflesh, both the band and their self-titled EP, was a new beginning for metal. Initially, it wasn't strongly received and still in the underground, but it marked a revolutionary path setting to Streetcleaner that would change metal history forever. This masterpiece of an EP and his former side-project Head of David back then were a taste of the industrial metal future!

5/5

I first became aware of Godflesh around 1989/90 through "Streetcleaner" which thoroughly blew me away. When I went back to check out this E.P. shortly afterwards it took me some time to warm up to it because it takes a very similar direction but is slightly inferior to its younger sibling in all areas. However given a bit of time & perspective I was able to judge the release on its own merits & within a year or so I found it to be a very solid introduction to the Godflesh sound which already possessed all of the elements that made them so great on subsequent releases. The very cold production makes this a noticeably inaccessible release as there's simply no brightness or colour on offer. Instead the listener has to contend with very dreary & lifeless existence which will appeal to some & discourage others. This does hold "Godflesh" back a little bit in my opinion & is one of the reasons that I rate it behind most of the band's later material. Justin definitely made the guitars more up-front following this release where their heavily down-tuned tone almost disappears into the distorted bass at times & that was a good move as the result definitely gives them more urgency & excitement as well as making them a a little more accessible. His early approach does make the influence of some of the more seminal industrial acts a little more obvious than it would be on their more unique sounding records though. Justin's vocal performance is probably a little more inconsistent here than it would become but let's be honest.... his vocal musings were never intended to be the focal point or the epitome of vocal talent. "Ice Nerveshatter" is the track that I find to be most complete & it represents Godflesh's first genuine classic in my opinion. In fact, it's still one of my favourites amongst their entire back catalogue. The bonus tracks give an even clearer view of the band's industrial roots as you won't find any metal there whatsoever. Both are of a very high quality though (particularly the stunning twelve minute epic "Wounds" which challenges "Ice Nerveshatter" for top honours for mine) & I'd encourage everyone to seek out the extended version of the E.P. over the traditional one. In fact, I'd suggest that this E.P. should be essential listening for Godflesh fans but, despite its chronological significance, I don't regard "Godlfesh" as a classic release for the industrial genre overall (at least not the original six-track version of it). We'd have to wait for their next release to see them change the world.

For fans of Pitchshifter, Fall Of Because & Skin Chamber.

4/5 

So the first Godflesh record... definitely a good one, but considering the heights the would reach a few years later,  not one of their best. At this point Broadrick and Green were clearly onto something innovative, but they were still finding their sound. I don’t think they had quite figured out how to work within the confines and limitations of using a drum machine. Also , the production isn’t quite as heavy as on subsequent records (which I’m sure had to do with time/financial constraints and inexperience). The result is interesting though: it may not be super heavy (relatively speaking), but it’s still pretty brutal and abrasive, along the lines of Big Black, or maybe even Unsane (especially on “Veins”). I would love to hear how “Godhead” would have sounded if it was recorded during the Streetcleaner sessions. The classic Godflesh bass and guitar tones are already present, but the vocals aren’t there yet. While I agree with Daniel that the vocals were never the focal point, one thing I love about the later releases is how well Broadrick works within his vocal  limitations  (same as with the drum programming). On the other hand, I don’t think he ever sang a song the way he does on “Ice Nerveshatter” again. I can’t put my finger on it, but his vocal approach on this song is more loose and human than I’m used to hearing from him. I personally think Godflesh really hit their stride with Slavestate and the rest of their 90’s output (Us and Them maybe being a slight step down). Regardless, this is still essential for any GF fan, and the songs are all at least cool, if not great (not sure if I care as much for the bonus tracks, but I’m kind of a purist/snob so I’m mainly talking about the core six). To end on a high note, the main riff to “Spinebender” is fucking sick. Weird, emotive and with tons of personality. I can definitely get lost in that one. 3.5/5