The gates of delirium

Review Score: (8/10)
Considering the songwriting and the production, this album is a big improvement upon Godflesh's self-titled debut. Still, I don't find "Streetcleaner" as brutal and aggressive as some other reviewers. There are several elements I've already heard in '80s psychedelic rock bands like Loop, My Bloody Valentine, or Band Of Susans. It's no surprise that GF have always attracted more fans of avant-garde guitar rock than lovers of death metal. Typical for GF's early releases, "Streetcleaner" is a rather minimalistic mix of innovative, not-too-heavy guitar playing, violently distorted bass lines, and mid-tempo machine rhythms over which JKB's voice storms with all the subtlety of a tank in overdrive. There are some weak moments in the middle of this album, though. The bonus tracks feature noisier guitars and faster rhythms, but more laid back vocals. There are actually 14 songs on this CD because "Devastator/MTK" are two separate pieces. My favorites are the first three and the last two tracks. Admittedly, I'm rather a fan of GF's later era, when they loosened the clamp, started incorporating elements from techno and ambient, and branched out in all directions with several solo-projects like Ice, Final, and Techno Animal. "Streetcleaner", however, is a strong statement, and although it was no commercial success, it defined GF's status as one of industrial rock's leading bands.

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