 "Photo: Courtesy of Jesu")
Justin Broadrick won't ever make Streetcleaner again. That album, which his band Godflesh put out in 1989, synthesized molten guitar sludge and alienating, inhuman drum machine beats in a terrifying, heavier-than-thou work which many bands have not been able to surpass. Broadrick is not a burnout, nor has he aged poorly like some of his contemporaries.
Quite the contrary, Broadrick is on a new creative roll not seen since Godflesh's early '90s infamy. His new band, Jesu, named from the last song on Godflesh's last album, Hymns, is not the relentless sonic behemoth his former band was. Some of the brutality is still evident, but Jesu is more centered on shoegaze-pop à la My Bloody Valentine. The guitars swirl around, the bass is deep and heavy, but it all comes out to be "pretty." Broadrick's ethereal, spacey vocals are quite unique as well - something he is very proud of.
"I adore dreamy, vague and choral style vocals. I'm really influenced by the use of vocals in dub reggae and dub's use of delayed/echoed voice. It appears infinite and soaring - something I'm really attracted to," Broadrick said.
Godflesh was a more nihilistic, hateful band, and that band's lyrics clearly reflected that sentiment. Jesu, on the other hand, is more melancholy, though Justin says his themes include, but are not limited to: "life, love, hate, loss, frustration, environments and spaces, the ultimate sadness of existence, relationships, friendships and belief systems." Broadrick's emotions and the lyrics that come out of them are an integral part to Jesu's music.
"I'm pretty much ruled and dominated by my heart, so my music is highly affected by where I'm at emotionally," he said.
Jesu is currently touring in support of many new releases. The band has recently released two EPs, Lifeline with new material and Pale Sketches with rarities. They have also released a split LP with Oregon ambient one-man band Eluvium. The release that is getting the most attention, though, is Conqueror, the full-length released back in February. The shoegaze elements are even more prevalent on Conqueror, and there are electronics incorporated into the mix. Beneath the heaviness are oddly hummable melodies. The end result is a sort of "chill-out" metal. It's not as sonically heavy as the S/T debut, but the expanded sound palette makes Conqueror a denser yet more relaxing album.
The band has even achieved crossover success, finding an audience that has just as many as indie fans as metalheads. Jesu has been positively reviewed in both Decibel and Pitchfork, two completely opposite music publications.
"I don't think my music is marginalized that it can't appear to wider audiences," Broadrick said. "Hype comes and hype goes, I'll still be doing my shit."
Jesu will be playing at Mohawk tonight. USSA, Weedeater and Wolves in the Throne Room will support.
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