Godflesh - Pure (1992)Release ID: 255
While I wouldn't ever suggest that industrial metal is one of my favourite genres, there are plenty of artists from within that realm that appeal to me but none of them come close to the sheer class & inventiveness of Birmingham's Godflesh who were at least partially responsible for birthing the genre in the first place. I fell hopelessly in love with Godflesh through their classic 1989 debut album "Streetcleaner" which saw me quickly investigating their seminal 1988 self-titled E.P., a release that soon proved itself to contain some similarly masterful material. I'd subsequently get onboard with 1991's stunning "Slavestate" & very solid "Cold World" E.P.'s as soon as they hit the streets as well as Godflesh's brilliant "Slateman" single in what was an imposing initial run of amazing releases that saw Ben & I thoroughly obsessing over Godflesh during the first half of the 1990's. 1992's "Pure" sophomore album would play a large role in that obsession too after I picked it up on cassette shortly after release.
"Pure" sees band leader Justin Broadrick (Jesu/Fall of Because/Napalm Death) embracing his experimental side by further incorporating elements he'd hinted at in the past to create a record that very much owns its own unique identity. It's calling cards come in the form of its repetitive, draw-out song-structures & abrasive layers of guitar work, both of which would provide the inspiration for the post-metal genre that would be developed in the coming years. The heavily hip hop-inspired drum programming & crushingly heavy basslines of G.C. Green (Fall of Because) are perhaps even further accentuated than on past releases with the atmosphere reflecting the coldness of the magnificent cover artwork beautifully. Broadrick's vocals now alternate between a hardcore-ish bark & a wispy & intentionally pitchy clean delivery that has remained with him throughout his career.
"Pure" is not an immediate release by any stretch of the imagination as it can take some time to open up, even upon return visits. It can be most closely associated with 1991's "Cold World" E.P. given that they were both recorded in the same session. There's not even anything that hints at being a weaker track on the lengthy 80-minute tracklisting with some of Godflesh's strongest material being scattered evenly across the album to reward the patient listener for their committed attention. The heavily dance music-inspired "Mothra", the post-rock infused "Don't Bring Me Flowers" & the enormous 21-minute dark ambient closer "Pure II" are simply devastating & represent my personal highlights while some of the other more significant tracks like "Predominance" & "Monotremata" also tick all of my boxes to qualify for classic status.
While 1989's "Streetcleaner" is perhaps destined to remain the pinnacle of Godflesh's illustrious back catalogue for all eternity (closely followed by the underrated "The Earache Peel Sessions" E.P. for me personally), "Pure" doesn't sit all that far behind in my opinion. In fact, I'd suggest that it slightly surpasses the self-titled & "Slavestate" E.P.'s in my esteem these days, comfortably eclipsing "Cold World" too. It's a marvelous example of what true industrial metal music can achieve. You know... music that simply sounds & feels like it's been created by layering samples of factory sounds over the top of each other to create a dark & brooding atmosphere? Godflesh did this better & far more consistently than anyone else during the first half of the 1990's &, in doing so, etched their name into my soul for a lifetime. When I return to these records every so often I feel a calmness & a warmth inside, even in the coldest & harshest of musical landscapes, & it's this achievement above all else that represents Justin Broadrick's most revering calling card. If you only ever find the time to investigate one industrial metal artist then it simply must be this one.
Justin Broadrick and co. really know to light up the industrial part of my metal heart. Normally, whenever I test out a bit of industrial metal from other bands, the end result is just disappointing machinery or sounding too goth or electro. By that rate, you might as well be banging on concrete doors and sheet metal and call all that sh*t "industrial". Yes, you can use unorthodox objects as instrumentation, but it's not just banging them around like preschool music class, you gotta really...think! While Godflesh has never been an Infinite band for the most part, they certainly think outside the conventional box the way progressive/avant-garde metal bands would think. That's a good reason why this album is called Pure, this is pure unconventional music that marks h*ll of an expansion for metal boundaries.
Of course, it's definitely worth it for metal fans. Sure they can grab a hold of accessible rock/metal, but to really spice up this taste, more abstract sounds deserve some appreciation. This band can sound abstract while setting reasonable limits, like a few riffs per song. That's one thing to make industrial metal a proud subgenre, and the short amount of riffs are never too technical or melodic. And it makes industrial metal sound good with all that droning groove and memorable melody. The catchy aspects are still there to break the monotony. Godflesh have done their job well...
This is prominently shown in "Spite" that can be the sign of a shining gift. "Mothra" has groove-powered industrial metal riffing that's never out of place. It's so special and different, and that's the key for the style of Godflesh. Justin's vocals are up to the highest standard, but the riffing is the right priority. Things seem to brighten up with "I Wasn't Born to Follow", though it gets a bit weird.
"Predominance" adds some menacing vocal layers that allow the song to dominate. The title track drums pretty well, but the beat is a little annoyingly predictable, and there are barely any of those wonderous riffs. "Monotremata" is a throwback to the earlier heaviness while adding more melodic vocals. However, it sounds a bit unsettling overall.
"Baby Blue Eyes" is where there's more bliss to go with the sinister sound, becoming more stable. Throbbing Gristle seems like a great influence on the nice atmospheric surface before being attack by what lies beneath. "Don't Bring Me Flowers" helps the band stand by their principles for this highlight. The CD version has two bonus tracks, the first of which, "Love, Hate (Slugbaiting)" is just obsolete ambient-industrial. You can say the same about the 21-minute "Pure II", but it's actually greatly immense.
With that, Pure is a notable part of Godflesh's tenure and continues to show what masterful pioneers of industrial metal they are. There's barely anything boring. It can be strange and moody, but the droning riffs are what make this band memorable and other bands jealous. This is pure industrial metal the way it should've been!
Favorites: "Spite, "Mothra", "Predominance", "Don't Bring Me Flowers", "Pure II"
