Not even going to excuse the capital letters. GODFLESH.
When Napalm Death lifted from others, Siege, Swans, more. Groundbreaking as ND were Justin Broadrick knew when to bale out, and he did so at exactly the right time. I was in an independent record stall in Oasis market and Justin was talking to the the stall owner, Swordfish (another record shop in Birmingham had agreed to finance and EP / album). I knew Justin on a brief chat / similar social group basis back then.
The live experience of Godflesh (no capitals now) remains right up there with the very best I have ever seen / heard. Involuntarily losing ones senses. Hypnotic loss. Giving in to the sound. I saw their first show, I saw many shows. I have not seen them for decades.
I get lost after Pure with them. I think Slateman is a high work of art. I think Streetcleaner is a total masterpiece. The whole shape of the album. The way it runs to Devastator / Mighty Trust Krusher… then the way Life Is Easy bleeds in. I can’t think of anything that compares with that, To take that SWANS / Big Black influence, 2 hugely influential acts, then just take it further, better…
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replying in hope that it might help me to remember to return (don’t think I’ve ever listened to them)
Just listen to Streetcleaner in full (when you get chance), in isolation with no distractions, stop at the end of Locus Furnace, the added on tracks detract from it.
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started at track 1 to get an idea, 30 seconds in and this sounds good
going to sainsbo now so can be my soundtrack
will bang the 10 tracks on a playlist to avoid the extras
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would recommend loads of their stuff but i’d say Post Self is a great example of ‘new flesh’ as JK calls it. very excited for the new album. was lucky enough to see them live twice last year, their set at ATG was amazing.
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I saw them in November and they were incredible. Just a guitarist, bassist and a macbook and it was punishing in such a great way. Really enveloped me in the sound, but wasn’t too loud. I’ve seen them before where my ears were ringing even with earplugs in.
The new songs were really good, even though I haven’t bothered listening to any of the albums since they reformed, so I should look into that I guess.
I still remember my class mate giving me a copy of Streetcleaner on tape. I had never heard anything like it. Anger, despair and musical violence with riffs that are crushing. There’s a remaster that Earache records did without permission that is well worth checking out (but not buying for obvious reasons) it really punches the album up for modern ears and sharpens the album’s teeth.
I mean the intensity of this is insane. And he was about 20 when he wrote it!
My favorite Godflesh release is the Merciless ep though. The title track is just pure GF at their best. Heavy, brutal and soul scaring.
But the highlight is the remix of You Don’t Bring me Flowers from Spite. I don’t like drone, but the relentless repetition is chilling and almost too much. And there is no way those submarine noises should work, but they do.
Big shout out to the Maya Deren artwork as well.
Then there’s the 15 minute techno remix of Crush My Soul. That helped me get into dance music.
And just in case people haven’t heard it, the is the track Jesu that gave his next project it’s name, and it’s wonderful.
Long story short, what a fucking act.
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Never spent any time with them. Colour me intrigued. Will try to get to Street cleaner over the next week and report back
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Streetcleaner is fine as an album but live is where they take it to another level. The crowd is spilt, half look disinterested, half look totally absorbed, lost even in the music. Their first show at the Kaleidoscope in Birmingham, which was a spiritual (venue) successor to The Mermaid, everyone from that scene knew he was the main guy from Napalm Death, and I feel Side 1 of Scum is Broadrick. What the audience didn’t expect was what followed, and almost everyone knew, in unison that he had taken things further.
What I am interested in, is when this video pans to the crowd (3:20) what is going through the people standing still’s minds. I feel their minds have been totally blown here.
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That must have been like being hit by a bus!
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Thing is Napalm Death went on and remained decent for a while but they almost became like a comedy act because it became all about the speed of the music. Godflesh went the other way and slowed all that shit down and made the most mind altering absorbing heavy music I have probably ever heard. Yet in that heaviness are real moments of vulnerability and care. Incredible band.
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Tried with them many times because they should be miles up my street . Never got into them. Think it’s the drum machines. I love them in house and techno, just can’t deal with them in rock bands
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Loved Death Metal ND but never got the grindcore stuff. Their last few albums have been amazing though.
They do use a drummer sometimes, yet they still sound the same. personally I love how crisp and clean the drum machine is with just the two of them summoning up the heaviest organic sound. Riff in this about 2:20 on is ridiculous.
Don’t hold me back, this is my own hell
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Only ones I’ve really tried with tbf are Streetcleaner (because that’s the one everyone recommends) and Pure (because Robert Hampson was in the band then and I love Loop). Both of them sound like they are using drum machines
The kind of band I should really like but really don’t. Seen them twice supporting other bands, they were fine the first time and utterly rubbish the second.
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Benny signalling to the sound man just before they get heavier, magnificent.
Yeah disagree fairly strongly that Napalm became a comedy act. There’s loads of good stuff throughout their discography. Don’t think they fell off at all really
Reading up on them now, big influences are Seventeen Seconds and Faith (The Cure) which is insane given how heavy they sound. Yet it is there if you listen.
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Yeah this - I’m not just wading into the thread to tell people I don’t like something that they like and don’t want to come across like that. Just seems a real blind spot for me because really I should love them. i don’t really like much of the late 80s/90s industrial stuff though so maybe that’s it
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I remember returning the Land of Rape and Honey by Ministry because it had drum machines and sounded like techno rubbish to my then cloth ears.
Fair play to the guy in the shop. He told me I was wrong but still gave me my money back.
