Review Summary: A Massive beast that has yet to be topped in terms of its originality and brutality.
Godflesh was an anomaly in the metal world. To them, the focus was not on crushing riffs or over the top vocals, but on rhythm and atmosphere. That difference of focus makes this album unique because it is undeniably metal, yet there is something fundamentally different about this beast. Many of the songs are prodding dirges that build up to monolithic soundscapes about hatred and desperation. Godflesh's main attraction seems to be Justin K. Broadrick's knack for his seething and realistic hatred. This isn't fake teenage angst that so many bands try and force, but an honest yet bleak opinion on the surrounding world. It's this brutal honesty that gives Godflesh an earnest quality to them.
The standout track on this album, the song that utterly defines what Godflesh's sound is truly like, has to be "Christbait Rising", a seven minute epic dedicated to desperation. The drum machine on this track sounds completely artificial and as if there was no human input at all. Actually the same can be said of every other song on this album. The bass guitar usually follows what the guitar is doing, but it is pretty high in the mix unlike most other metal bands at the time. Dehumanization is a good summary of what Godflesh's first album is like. Everything sounds robotic, including the barks and shouts from Mr. Broadrick himself. There isn't much else that can be said of this album other than that it is a rightful masterpiece.
