A Missing Piece of the Puzzle
05/07/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Godflesh always were a messy work in progress, and Messiah is really no exception. It was originally recorded between Selfless and Songs of Love and Hate and as a transition album it's pretty fascinating. The four original tracks layed down here are some of Godflesh's most downtrodden and gloomy to date. Messiah is decidedly forlorn, like wind whistling through desolate trees, and everything has a alien, marooned quality. Overall I'd say Messiah patterns itself more after Selfess then Songs of Love and Hate, though you can definately feel them trying to break out of the cold, clinical cycle they were trapped in and inject some swing into their music. Messiah is kind of like a long-buried archeological find; it gives us context and provides the right perspective. Stay away from four remixes, though, which are extremely pointless and should have never made the album."