The Body – No One Deserves Happiness
I first learned of The Body when they released All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood in 2010, I was intrigued but not convinced. This has changed with the release of No One Deserves Happiness. I read this article: 5 Electronic Albums That Taught the Body How to Make Noise-Metal. I took a listen. And one more. And I was hooked. It dawned on me how conservative metal, punk and grindcore has become. If you stray from the formula, you’re scorned and ridiculed. But for fuck’s sake. There is no evil in bringing studio musicians, guest singers and studio wizardry into the creation of your music. Even if you are doing extreme metal/noise. It’s a common belief among metalheads, grindfreaks and punks that they are progressive and open minded, but it is nothing more than a (false) self image.
Now go, have a listen, and let The Body blow your mind!!
https://www.discogs.com/The-Body-No-One-Deserves-Happiness/release/8260496
Godflesh – Decline & Fall
Oh how eagerly I awaited this… And how satisfying it was to hear it. No need to elaborate on my affinity for Godflesh, you can just read my old post about their latest lp A World Lit Only By Fire here.
http://www.discogs.com/Godflesh-Decline-Fall/release/5753338
Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire
This is a wet dream come true. A monolithic wet bastard of a dream. A new Godlesh lp, featuring the unholy trinity of Justin, Ben and Machine. I was deeply saddened by the 2002 message from JK that Godflesh was disbanding. God flesh was a huge part of my musical upbringing. The first record I heard was Streetcleaner back in 1989. I got it for christmas by my parents, and it was an eye opener for me. The massive monotone beats and the scorching guitar mated with that slab heavy bass.
Fast forward to present day. Back in June we got the brilliant Decline & Fall ep, which made me a very happy divorcee. Justin Broadrick has been by my side at every breakup I’ve had, and it seems fitting that Godflesh disbanded when I met my ex-wife, and released new material when we got divorced. My hippie girlfriend Mette with whom I shared 5 years back in the 1990’s was broken up with by me the the mantra “be what you are, don’t fucking care” from Love And Hate In Dub…
And now as the divorce has been dealt with, and I have moved away from my ex and my son, it is very fitting that the first lp I buy in my new home, is the new Godflesh, A World Lit Only By Fire.
I was a bit nervous when I listened for the first time. I was anxious that it might be crap. Luckily, that isn’t the case. I consider this the strongest Godflesh record since Selfless. I like the later records too, but have always had a hard time accepting human drummers in the mix.
From the very beginning feedback of New Dark Ages, I feel happy. The doomy riff on Deadend and the dark beauty of all the following tracks is a highly stimulating experience.
If you haven’t listened to Godflesh before, now is the time.
Go enjoy it on Spotify, and then go buy the record.
http://www.discogs.com/Godflesh-A-World-Lit-Only-By-Fire/release/6161200
Of course in blood red vinyl…
Pharmakon – Abandon
This lp is so menacing and ubekvem to listen to. It reminds me somewhat of Gnaw Their Tongues but is much more minimal and focused.
All four songs here are intense. As well as the cover which shows Pharmakon mastermind Margaret Chardiet’s body covered in maggots.
Get this. Also on Spotify.
Sweet Tooth – Soft White Underbelly
Here we have one of Justin Broadrick’s more obscure releases. Released in 1990 and sounding a lot like Head Of David’s Dustbowl with a punkier edge. It might be a paranthesis in JK’s massive output, but I like it anyway. It has a more organic feel than Godflesh, but with the same industrial heaviness and deep sense of desolation. It reminds me of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s novel The Mote In God’s Eye, especially the sentence: “The industrial ugliness of the endless cityscape”.
Dave Cochran who plays bass and sings was the founder(?) of Head Of David, and Scott Kiehl the drummer was in Slab.
Read more about that fine novel here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God’s_Eye
And about the record here:
http://www.discogs.com/Sweet-Tooth-Soft-White-Underbelly/release/387193
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