Jesu

Few albums represent an individual and genre defining milestone as does the self titled debut from Justin Broadrick's Jesu. Combining the considerable sonic weight of Godflesh with brittle melancholy melodies in hypnotic long-form structures, it provided ample evidence of Broadrick's myriad capabilities as a song writer and ceaselessly creative musical innovator. While the eight tracks that comprise the album truly sound like no one else, they also hinted at previously unexplored areas of tenderness and subtlety. Though Jesu went on to mine those more harmonious aspects of its sound on subsequent releases to great effect, none rivaled the debut in its perfectly crafted mixture of beauty, heaviness, hope and despair. Much has happened since the arrival of this album, both for Broadrick as well as the musical world(s) he inhabits, but nothing has diminished the gleaming radiance of this darkened gem.

Jesu, the latest project from former Godflesh/Napalm Death/Techno Animal maestro Justin K. Broadrick, follows the Heart Ache EP with another thick, sludgy mix of metal and slowcore.

Which might come as a surprise to anyone who delves into the devastatingly deep, dark world of Jesu.

Around the age of 15, I started my first band, Insanity Starts at Lake Erie (don't ask).