A band who paved the way for metal music fans everywhere is coming to Austin on June 18th! Godflesh is an industrial metal band that has been a part of the music industry since 1982. They will be touring in honor of their new album, Purge, coming out on June 9th, 2023! Head on down to the Empire Control Room to see this iconic metal band perform all of their best hits and new music!
Godflesh is an English band from Birmingham that has had many names throughout their history. From 1982 to 1983, they were known as O.P.D. and from 1983 to 1987 they were known as Fall of Because. It wasn’t until late 1987 that they would finally adopt their long standing band name, Godflesh. The band got its start when neighbors, B. C. Green and Paul Neville, started experimenting with a drum machine that would later become their signature sound. The band then found a live drummer, Justin Broadrick, in 1984 who is still a member of the band today. Sadly Neville made the decision to leave the band in 1991, but while in it he made quite an impact with the band for the heavy metal industry!
In 1988, Godflesh released a self-titled EP that combined programmed beats, distorted vocals, low guitar and bass riffs that became their famous and unique sound. Their early music can be described as combining heavy metal with industrial metal and as a foundation for other industrial metal bands to follow. In 1989, the band released their first album titled Streetcleaner and it saw significant success in the UK. In 1991, the band released the Slavestate EP, which experimented more with dance and electronic music elements, something the band had never done before. Their second album, Pure, was released on April 13th, 1992 and is said to be a great influence on the post-metal music genre as a whole. Their 3rd album, Selfless, was released in 1994 and was their first album that was released with high-end production quality and also went back to their traditional metal sound they possessed at the beginning of their career.
Before 1996, Godflesh was using a drum machine in their albums, but their 4th album, Songs of Love and Hate, had a real drummer for the first time. They went back to their iconic percussive machines instead of a live drummer for their 5th album, Us and Them, released in 1999. Their 6th album, Hymns, was released in 2001 and within the same month Green decided to leave the band permanently to focus on other things in his life. This was a heartbreaking moment for the band and Godflesh disbanded shortly after in April of 2002. The duo clearly missed the live music scene because in 2001 Broadrick reached out to Green and asked if he wanted to reunite and Green said yes! They performed live together for the first time in 8 years at the Hellfest Summer Open Air festival in 2010.
Since the reunion, Godflesh has released an album and EP in 2014. Their 7th album, A World Lit Only by Fire, was their first album to chart in the U.S. They also released their 8th album, Post Self, 3 years later on November 17th, 2017. They have also released a dubstep album in 2021 titled New Flesh in Dub Vol 1 and a live album titled PURE Live in 2022! Fans are so excited for their 9th studio album, Purge, to hit streaming platforms on June 9th. The band has made waves since their reuniting in 2009 and this is a show metal fans do not want to miss! Don’t forget to listen to their Nero EP that was released this year on April 3rd and gives you a taste of what the new album is all about!
When? June 18th, 2023
Where? Empire Control Room & Garage (606 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701)
Time? Doors open at 5:00 pm CT
Ages? All ages welcome
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