Godflesh - Hymns
Music For Nations - 2001
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the
Godflesh website.
Without these guys, much of todays music wouldn't exist, with the most obvious and notable example being Fear Factory. Whether this is a good thing or not I will leave to your own opinions, but questionable progeny aside, there can be no doubt that Godflesh have never put a foot wrong (apart from, perhaps, the botched drum-and-bass remix outing that was 'Us And Them').
They have been variously labelled as 'slow and heavy grindcore' and 'industrial metal', but I prefer just to call them 'fucking HEAVY'. Even as a duo, JK Broadrick (guitars, vocals) and GC Green (bass) made enough of a racket to cause the listeners brains to leak out of their ears, but after having dropped the ever-present drum machine for a real, human drummer on the last couple of albums ('Hymns' skinbashing ably handled by Ted Parsons), Godflesh's capacity to severely pummel has increased tenfold.
First track 'Defeated' begins with a single simultaneous cymbal crash, bass hit and guitar chord, which taken seperately would have sounded weedy, as a whole in any other band might have been more impressive, but in Godflesh's hands batter with all the impact of a wrecking ball to the skull. Then, after a pause and a couple more, quieter cymbal hits, it happens again. And again. And again, until you begin to think that all the song consists of is this violent yet lethargic sonic battery, until riffs emerge and JK's strangled roars add verbal insult to sonic injury.
Second track 'Deaf, Dumb & Blind' starts with a drum fill that wouldn't sound too out of place in a NIN song, but it's thickly layered over with a wailing, tortured guitar riff that sounds like the dying gasps of Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' should it have been a real entity. These little industrial influences are scattered throughout the album, with samples being used in an ambient, unobtrusive way occasionally in the songs, but they are far more sparse than on earlier albums.
Things take a slightly quieter turn with fourth track 'Anthem', which actually begins with a clean guitar melody, before distortion appears and Broadrick uses clean vocals for the first time on the album. As a lighter track, it is more relaxed and less pummelling than the other songs, but still a long way from being a power ballad - which is perfect, as I doubt many Godflesh fans actually want to hear a power ballad!
The production, as usual, is superb - a single guitar and bass have never sounded this destructive before, and this is a definitely a record to put on at top volume until your entire street collapses into dust.
In fact, I can't think of a single downpoint about this album. Some may accuse it of being far too much like other Godflesh records, with little progression notable in the sound. To that, I would reply - and what exactly is wrong with that? Godflesh have always had a unique sound, and the music they produce is consistently enjoyable. So what need is there to change?
Buy it right now. No, really, now. I mean it!
10/10
