Godflesh

Reviews > Metal > Oct 03 2014

By Denise Falzon

It's been four years since industrial metal legends Godflesh reunited to perform live again after having been split up since the early 2000s. Finally, 2014 has seen the release of brand new material, first with the stunning Decline & Fall EP, and now with their highly anticipated full-length. Monolithic, heavy, raw and aggressive, A World Lit Only by Fire is 100 percent Godflesh, shattering any doubts that the duo, led by mastermind Justin K. Broadrick, could maintain their classic sound.

The opening of the first track, "New Dark Ages," is a hit to the chest in that same way "Like Rats" was on 1989's Streetcleaner, evoking the same emotions with an intense, ritualistic riff. Although A World Lit Only by Fire is the first new Godflesh album in 13 years, it's as if no time has passed; it could be mistaken for a lost recording from the band's early days if not for the impeccable production. Similarities to their first two records, Streetcleaner and Pure, are heard throughout the album more so than their later recordings, as A World Lit Only by Fire features a distinct early '90s Godflesh sound and approach. However, the modern production, coupled with Broadrick's new eight-string guitar, has made the new material sound even heavier, larger and fuller, as well as more contemporary. Complete with bleak, nihilistic themes, A World Lit Only by Fire is every bit the record fans have been waiting over a dozen years for.
(Avalanche)

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