AMG Review of Messiah

Eduardo Rivadavia
All Music Guide

Following the release of 2002's indifferently received Hymns opus, industrial grindcore legends Godflesh were finally retired by their sonic architect, Justin Broadrick, who, quiet exit notwithstanding, could proudly look back upon more than a decade of committed service to the cause of extreme music. So it was especially fitting that Broadrick would then choose to lay his legendary beast to rest by unearthing one of the most collectible lost items from its past, the long-out-of-print Messiah EP. Originally made available only to members of the group's fan club back in 1994, Messiah's recording coincided with what most experts consider the group's commercial and artistic peak, and featured four intensely pulverizing cuts (the title track, "Wilderness of Mirrors," "Sungod," "Scapegoat") that easily qualify as vintage Godflesh. For this reissue, four alternate versions of the same songs in dub (remixed a year later in 1995) are added for good measure, resulting in a very satisfying final adieu for longtime Godflesh fans.