Back in 1988, Justin K. Broadrick, formerly of Napalm Death, joined forces with Birmingham musician B.C. Green to launch Godflesh, a duo that fused deliberate, weighty grooves with psychedelic textures and electronic techniques like drum machines and sampling. Their 1989 debut, Streetcleaner, became highly influential across extreme metal, industrial, and noise-rock—areas where those sounds intersect. Over the years, Broadrick and Green kept Godflesh active in fits and starts, amassing a vast and motivating body of work. Today, the project isn’t long for this world, but a couple of albums remain before they bow out entirely. One of them is called Decay, slated for release next month.
A few months ago, Justin K. Broadrick revealed plans to bring Godflesh to a close for a clearly understandable reason: his voice cannot sustain the brutal shout without risking his health. The 57-year-old creator underwent surgery to repair an inguinal hernia, and continuing the same vocal approach with Godflesh would leave him vulnerable to further issues. He will keep making music under other banners, including Jesu and JK Flesh, projects that don’t impose the same physical demands. Even as he announced the end, Broadrick intended to issue two additional Godflesh records. Decay will function as the duo’s second-to-last release, and it was largely finished before his operation. Still, the title carries a weighty sense of finality.
Godflesh’s most recent full-length arrived in 2023 with Purge, and Decay grows out of many of the same recording sessions that produced that LP. After self-releasing much of their more recent material, Godflesh will have Decay released through Relapse Records. Here’s Broadrick’s take on the new record and the forthcoming end of Godflesh, as shared in a press release:
Decay emerged from the same set of sessions as Purge; it represents a single, sprawling pool of material. I selected what I felt would suit what I aimed to achieve with Purge, with the intention of releasing the pieces that didn’t fit as a new album within a year of Purge’s release. Unfortunately, two years elapsed while we considered outside labels, so I didn’t have to self-release Godflesh anymore, but it took a lot of time to find a comfortable home. The recordings were finished, though, as is my habit, I reworked many things once I revisited them.
Fortunately, all the recordings for Decay were completed long before surgery, vocals included… although the concluding portions of a couple of songs were recorded while dealing with the hernia, and that was a struggle. I was already aware that the Godflesh shout, so to speak, intensified the hernia greatly, as did every Godflesh performance in the lead-up to the operation once the hernia appeared, and the hernia largely stemmed from years of shouting in Godflesh. The album was mixed after the surgery, and although I was still in pain and discomfort, Godflesh typically channels my pain—usually mental, philosophical, and existential—whereas this was physical suffering.
It embodies my pain, and I’ve poured my body and soul into this expression for most of my life. I feel fortunate in a way, because Godflesh has become physically impossible for me, making the project unusable. I now want to break free from its constraints and push forward creatively with heavy, abrasive music into new territory.
Alongside the announcement, Godflesh unveiled one of the six tracks from Decay. “Living/Ending” registers as a dragging, guttural groove that sits well within the band’s overall approach. When heard in its current framework, the palpable physical force behind Broadrick’s vocal delivery becomes evident; it’s understandable why he can’t sustain that level indefinitely. Watch it below.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Master And Slave”
02 “Living/Ending”
03 “Feral Colony”
04 “Fear Of Man”
05 “Fodder”
06 “Consume Me”
Decay drops 9/25 on Relapse. Pre-order it here.
