"Mothra"
Promotional single by Godflesh
from the album Pure
Released1992
RecordedSeptember–October 1991
GenreIndustrial metal
Length4:31
LabelRelativity
Songwriter(s)Justin Broadrick [1]
Producer(s)
Godflesh singles chronology
"Slateman"
(1991)		 "Mothra"
(1992)		 "Xnoybis"
(1995)
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"Mothra" is a song by English industrial metal band Godflesh. It was taken from their 1992 album Pure and saw release as a radio promo and music video in the same year. The track's title is derived from 1961 Japanese film of the same name by Ishirō Honda. Musically, "Mothra" is a grinding, mechanical song with shouted vocals and heavily distorted instruments.

Composition

"Mothra", the second track on 1992's Pure, is a weighty industrial metal song. Ned Raggett of AllMusic described the track as "surprisingly commercial for the band" and highlighted its "memorable main riff and drumming" as pleasingly listenable; he selected the song as one of his favourites from Pure.[2] Joseph Schafer of Decibel agreed with Raggett, considering "Mothra" one of Godflesh frontman Justin Broadrick's most accessible songs, but added that "it still sounds like getting crushed by a ton of lead".[3] Mike Gitter of Spin and RIP Magazine described hearing "Mothra" by writing, "It's as if your whole body is made to serve as a giant ear, as you are beaten upon by a low-level shock wave. You lose all defenses and filters against the world".[4] He also wrote that the song is "the sound of rock taken to its bleakest and slowest extremes".[5]

As is the case with most Godflesh songs, "Mothra" was recorded with a drum machine, which, according to Shawn Macomber of Decibel, "really hammers the [Steve] Albini vibe" in allusion to the band Big Black.[6] Macomber also recognised "Mothra" as a fan favourite song.[6] Writing for Melody Maker, Sharon O'Connell also noted the song's grinding, deliberate repetition in a favourable light.[7] The Quietus' Noel Gardner wrote that the various machine, guitar and bass elements of "Mothra" seem incongruous from a distance, but in practice they work well.[8] In their book The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock, Ira A. Robbins and David Sprague characterise "Mothra" as having a memorable and definite groove.[9]

"Mothra" derives its title from Ishirō Honda's 1961 film Mothra, which features the fictional giant monster Mothra.[3][4] Some of the song's lyrics are borrowed from "Avalanche" by Leonard Cohen, a track off of his 1970 album Songs of Love and Hate (a title that Godflesh later borrowed).[10][11][12]

Release

"Mothra" released as a promotional maxi single in 1992. Though licensed from Earache Records (who, at the time, managed Godflesh), the promo was distributed by Relativity Records.[13] Pure's introductory track, "Spite", it also included on the release as a B-side.[13] "Mothra" is one of the few Godflesh songs to feature a music video. Directed by Barry Maguire in 1992, the video was described by the band as "a curious affair that mixed David Lynch-style cinematography and concepts with performance shots of Godflesh in a dodgy-looking disco".[14]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Mothra"4:31
2."Spite"4:31
Total length:9:02

Personnel

Credits adapted from "Mothra" liner notes[13]

References

  1. ↑ "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Godflesh – Pure". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 Schafer, Joseph (2 October 2017). "Top Ten Kaiju Metal Crossovers". Decibel. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  4. 1 2 Gitter, Mike (June 1992). "Godflesh – Noise²". RIP Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  5. ↑ Gitter, Mike (June 1992). "Godflesh – Pure (Earache/Relativity)". Spin. 8: 78.
  6. 1 2 Macomber, Shawn (15 April 2014). "Czar Issues Decree: Top Five Godflesh Songs". Decibel. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  7. ↑ O'Connell, Sharon (February 1992). "Godflesh – Pure (Earache)". Melody Maker. 68: 32.
  8. ↑ Gardner, Noel (21 August 2009). "Godflesh – Slavestate, Pure, Cold World Reissues". The Quietus. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  9. ↑ Robbins, Ira A.; Sprague, David (7 March 1997). The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock. Fireside Books. p. 302. ISBN 0684814374.
  10. ↑ "Interview with Justin Broadrick of Godflesh". Metal Maniacs. January 1995. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  11. ↑ Pure (CD liner notes). Godflesh. Earache Records. 1992. MOSH32.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Songs of Love and Hate (Vinyl liner notes). Leonard Cohen. Columbia Records. 1971. C 30103.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. 1 2 3 "Mothra" (CD liner notes). Godflesh. Relativity Records. 1992. RPROCD-0152.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ↑ In All Languages (DVD liner notes). Godflesh. Earache Records. 2001. MOSH250.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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