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]
The first disc comprises a best-of collection, the second comprises a selection of rare and otherwise unreleased tracks and an additional DVD or VHS comprises the band's music videos[61]
First side features Loop covering Godflesh's "Like Rats", while the second features Godflesh covering Loop's "Straight to Your Heart" from Heaven's End (1987)[68]
^Streetcleaner (2010 reissue) (CD liner notes). Godflesh. Earache Records. 2010. MOSH1501.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ abStreetcleaner: Live at Roadburn 2011 (vinyl liner notes). Godflesh. Avalanche Recordings. 2013. AREC028.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Grind Madness at the BBC: The Earache Peel Sessions (CD liner notes). Various artists. Earache Records. 2009. MOSH381CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Pulp"/"Christbait Rising" (vinyl liner notes). Godflesh. Combat Records. 1989. ICPROLP-0908.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"Slateman". Godflesh Artwork Descriptions. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
^ abLoopflesh/Fleshloop (vinyl liner notes). Godflesh and Loop. Clawfist. 1991. XPIG 07.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
