Godflesh - Us and Them
Review: Godflesh in their groundbreaking stages were an angry band out to change the world: now they will lull us into contemplation of beauty to bring sensibility and lurking morality to this anger. Ranging from industrial dirges to almost pop-like melodic dissonant industrial rock as on the last full album, songs are each poignant in the confrontation between the unstated alienation and an openness of tonal space yet fail to suggest direction other than an aimless avoidance, which shows in the uninspired simplicity of song structure.
While wrought from rock elements predominantly as was Songs of Love and Hate, the album progresses from Selfless-like moments to a space of ambient sound experiment tinged by atmospheric grindcore, then detours into pop when it is contented in its optimism. This release features the stunningly articulate chord voicings and rhythm guitar melody of Streetcleaner and Selfless, embedding in each verse or phrase a stage in the evolution of a larger sound, but lacks the poetic content which made those albums distinctive.