Exiled Records

Reviews:

After seven albums and 14 years of pummeling eardrums, Godflesh's terminationearly last year seemed appropriate. Taking his final bow with the unadulteratedrock bombast of 2001's Hymns, Godflesh mastermind Justin Broadrickmade the fewest experimental moves of his audacious career. Funny these four"lost" songs recorded in 1994 shortly following the release of theband's initial "rock" departure—the major label disasterSelfless—should be the first posthumous material from the band to surface,as they showcase some of the Birmingham native's most enterprising material.

Previously only available through Godflesh's official website for a shortperiod in 2001, this Relapse reissue of Messiah takes a far darker turncompared to what preceded it. Like so much of his best work, here Broadrickrelies on ice-cold drumbeats, not guitar riffs, to propel his compositions.Always more Cannibal Ox than Cannibal Corpse, Broadrick's beat backbonesin "Wilderness of Mirrors" and "Sungod" sound like theycould actually be sampled by a number of artists from the current Def Jux roster.But while those indie hip-hoppers successfully implement a similarly, clinicaldrum machine groove, Broadrick's twisted guitar drones help create strangelytraditional rock numbers. Those searching for more esoteric trippiness can examineBroadrick's remixes of each studio track, transforming them into buzzingdub soundscapes. But much like Godflesh's 1997's remix album Loveand Hate in Dub, and like just about every metallic remix ever released,it's not completely revelatory stuff.