Godflesh discography

Further information: List of songs recorded by Godflesh

Godflesh discography
Two images composited together. The first is of B. C. Green playing bass with Godflesh, and the second is of Justin Broadrick playing guitar with Godflesh.
Godflesh performing reunion concerts in the early 2010s. Left to right: B. C. Green and Justin Broadrick
Studio albums9
Live albums3
Compilation albums5
Video albums1
Music videos5
EPs6
Singles14
Remix albums2

The English industrial metal band Godflesh have released eight studio albums and six extended plays along with a number of singles, compilations and remix and live albums. The group formed in 1982 under the name Fall of Because, but they did not release any music (outside of a 1986 demo tape titled Extirpate)[1] until 1988 when Justin Broadrick and B. C. Green changed the project's name to Godflesh and recorded a self-titled debut EP.[2] That EP, released through the independent label Swordfish, was met with underground success and has since been recognised as one of the first industrial metal releases, if not the first.[3][4][5]

Though the self-titled EP acted as Godflesh's introduction to innovation and experimentation, their next release and first through Earache Records, 1989's Streetcleaner, garnered even more recognition for its musical importance.[6][7][8] After the success of Streetcleaner, Godflesh recorded Pure in 1992, which has drawn retrospective recognition as a significant release in the post-metal genre.[9][10] The band's third album, Selfless (1994), was Godflesh's debut on Columbia Records.[11] The album sold under expectations,[12] and that coupled with MTV banning the music video of its lead single, "Crush My Soul", led to Columbia dropping support of Godflesh.[11][13] Regardless of the disappointing commercial performance of Selfless, Broadrick considers that album and all of the preceding releases as Godflesh's best material.[14][15]

In 1996, Godflesh, back on Earache, released Songs of Love and Hate, which featured Bryan Mantia on drums; this was a significant departure from the band's characteristic style, since all of their previous releases had been structured around programmed industrial beats from a drum machine.[16] Broadrick later described this shift as a dilution of Godflesh's original goal, which was to meld human and machine music.[17] Love and Hate in Dub, a remix album released in 1997, saw Godflesh again experimenting, this time with hip hop, breakbeats and dub.[18][19] Those experiments continued and heightened with the 1999 studio album Us and Them, which again featured machine percussion.[20] After Us and Them proved creatively dissatisfying for Broadrick,[21] the band found a new live drummer (this time in Ted Parsons). Hymns (2001) was recorded in a professional studio, which led to a great deal of frustration for the band.[22][23] Shortly after Hymns' release, Green quit Godflesh, and Broadrick officially ended the band not long after that.[24]

Godflesh reformed in 2010 as Broadrick and Green.[25] After performing scattered shows for four years, the band's return album, A World Lit Only by Fire (2014), was released to critical acclaim and appeared on several critics' year-end lists.[26][27] It was a notably heavy industrial metal album focused again on downtuned guitar, distorted bass and driving machine drums.[28][29] In 2017, Godflesh's eighth album, Post Self, was released. Like A World Lit Only by Fire, it drew critical praise and award recognition;[30][31] unlike that previous album, however, Post Self proved introspective and experimental.[32] Despite regular acclaim from critics and fellow musicians, Godflesh have received only minor commercial success.[33]

  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Fall of Because – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  2. ^ Thompson, David (1 December 1992). Industrial Revolution. Cleopatra Records. p. 44. ISBN 0963619306.
  3. ^ Walters, Martin. "Godflesh – Godflesh". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  4. ^ Prato, Greg. "Godflesh – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  5. ^ Gold, Jonathan (19 April 1992). "10 Essential Industrial Albums". Los Angeles Times: 183.
  6. ^ Christe, Ian. "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  7. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Fact. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. ^ "Terrorizer – 100 Most Important Albums of the Eighties". Terrorizer. Archived from the original on 24 May 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  9. ^ Wiederhorn, Jon. "A Brief History of Post-Metal". Bandcamp. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  10. ^ Jahdi, Robin. "The 40 Best Post-Metal Records Ever Made". Fact. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. pp. 432 . ISBN 1858284570.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference exclaim2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Broadrick, Justin (4 September 1996). "Godflesh Interviewed". RIP Magazine (Interview). Interviewed by Garth Ferrante. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  14. ^ Haynes, Rob. "Godflesh to Play Supersonic. Justin Broadrick Talks Reformation". The Quietus. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  15. ^ Whelan, Kez. "Godflesh: Interview & Album Stream". Terrorizer. Archived from the original on 7 September 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  16. ^ Birchmeier, Jason. "Godflesh – Songs of Love and Hate". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  17. ^ Teitelman, Bram. "Justin Broadrick Talks the Rebirth of Godflesh". Metal Insider. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  18. ^ Eglinton, Mark. "Godflesh – Songs of Love and Hate Reissue". The Quietus. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  19. ^ Cooper, Sean. "Godflesh – Love and Hate in Dub". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  20. ^ Bush, John. "Godflesh – Us and Them". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  21. ^ Bromley, Adrian. "Hymns of Progression". Chronicles of Chaos. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  22. ^ Bartkewicz, Anthony (March 2007). "Justin Broadrick". Decibel. Archived from the original on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  23. ^ Fernando, S.H. "Interview: Swans, Prong, and Godflesh Drummer Ted Parsons". Red Bull Music Academy Daily. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  24. ^ Suarez, Gary. "Voidhead: Justin Broadrick on the End of Godflesh". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  25. ^ "Godflesh Reunite for France's Hellfest". Metal Injection. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  26. ^ "A World Lit Only by Fire by Godflesh". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  27. ^ "Godflesh – A World Lit Only by Fire". Album of the Year. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  28. ^ Falzon, Denise (3 October 2014). "Godflesh: A World Lit Only by Fire". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 5 October 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  29. ^ Heaney, Gregory. "Godflesh – A World Lit Only by Fire". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  30. ^ "Post Self by Godflesh". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  31. ^ "Godflesh – Post Self". Album of the Year. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  32. ^ Simpson, Paul. "Godflesh – Post Self". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  33. ^ Mudrian, Albert (2004). Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal & Grindcore. Bazillion Points. pp. 299–300. ISBN 1935950169.