•
Rating:
Napalm Death, Jesu, Techno Animal, God, Greymachine, Head of David, JK Flesh are some of the musical entities that have seen the involvement of Justin Broadrick, one of the most important figures (if not the most important) in the last three decades of Industrial Metal.
I have taken a look at Justin's entire discography and he has now reached and surpassed the impressive figure of one hundred albums between his own works and endless collaborations; but when I have to associate a single band with the English singer and multi-instrumentalist, only one name comes to mind: Godflesh. The menacing and irreverent "Meat of God". And it is recent news, awaited by me like manna from heaven, of the new album from the band scheduled for next November 17th. "Post Self" is its title.
The layer of heavy smog, caused by the very scarce rains of the last few months, that has been gripping Northern Italy for weeks made me think of the industrial fumes that seem to emerge when listening to Godflesh's music; it's appropriate, then, to talk about "Us And Them," the fifth work in chronological order published in the spring of 1999.
After the interlude of the previous "Songs of Love and Hate," which had seen the use of an actual drummer, once again Justin relies on a drum-machine; massively increasing the electronic loops, samples, and repeated guitar and bass riffs to exhaustion. Even the vocals take on more human characteristics, resulting in "Us And Them" being considered their most accessible album (a term to be taken with due caution, of course).
Over ten years of career experience have enabled Godflesh to better manipulate their sonic material; a greater rhythmic sense meets a guitar sound no longer as crushing and bloody as in the beginning. But I would not like to give you too many illusions because the music emerging from the twelve tracks of the collection remains always cynical, apocalyptic, ruthless. They haven't lost an ounce of brutality and power; there is better production that helps to better "digest" this sort of Industrial Trip Hop (listen to the end of "Control Freak" for reference).
"The Eternal," with its narcoleptic rhythm and clear voice, seems a taste of the sound Justin will offer with Jesu; but the absolute masterpieces are to be found in the opener "I, Me, Mine" with its House-Jungle rhythm, in the title track that starts with a monstrous Sludge rhythm only to explode into a Techno-Industrial finale, and especially in "Bittersweet," which, as the title suggests, is a chase of opposite frenetic sensations: oppression and catharsis.
Maximum score...ENDGAMES...
Ad Maiora.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 I, Me, Mine (05:21)
i, me, mine
i follow the signs
i, me, mine
take what i need
give me strength
but don't fight back
give me strength
now you don't exist
stand up straight
there's only me
i'm your world
there's nothing outside
listen to me
i'm always right
listen to me
'cos you're always wrong
02 Us and Them (05:57)
that's all there is
just us and them
no other way
it's us or them
give it up
or tear it down
give it up
or take it lying down
give it up
it's us and them
give it up
it's us or them
swear allegiance
to your lord
but all we really know
is the way of the sword
03 Endgames (04:57)
take my soul
take my body
take it all
make your money
it's all just you
put me down
rape my purity
for your security
i can't give
i can only take
i can't love
i can only hate
all i believe in
is just fake
but it keeps me believing
for sanitys sake
05 Whose Truth Is Your Truth (05:04)
who's your saviour?
who's gonna slay you?
beyond perception
just deception
believe in something
die for nothing
take all you can get
but it's never over
whose truth is your truth?
who has the answers?
how far can we go back?
'cos we never go forward
06 Defiled (05:30)
i'm gonna get defiled
in your world i'm naive
like a lost child
now i don't seem so strong
are my delusions real?
i'm not right nor wrong
all i can feel is the same old shit
build me up
break me down
and then be done with it
so i'm the one you say's unreal
teach me then slay me
only cold i feel
well you see i'm still standing here
the only thing you taught me
was to feel fear
i feel fear
08 Nail (04:10)
keep me chained down
so i can't move
cut the light out
so i can't see
keep me weak-willed
so you feel strong
cut the air out
so i can't breathe
put me down
it builds you up
play by your game
and by your rules
make me see sense
through your senses
make me see my wrongs
'cos you're always right
09 Descent (05:38)
no desire, no air to breathe
no desire, no need to seethe
i'm just a child
that's always been
i need to justify
just to survive
what i want
is what you get
but what i want
is not yours yet
what you want
you always get
but what you want
is not dead yet
11 The Internal (06:34)
our peace
is now in pieces
but what else would
you expect
but we're nothing
nothing in truth
here comes
the internal
winter
where innocence forgets
Loading comments slowly
