Riffage: Godflesh - "Flowers"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGigt6kIcqs

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Today’s “Riffage” contains none of the typical hallmarks of metal: no chugs, power chords, or palm-muted stabs. The riff of choice is Godflesh’s “Flowers” off of the fantastic and fantastically overlooked 1994 EP, Merciless. Justin Broadrick constructs this monolithic riff entirely out of open string harmonics, sampled from the outro to “Don’t Bring Me Flowers” off of 1992’s Pure LP. If that song is a march through the most traumatic human relationship, then “Flowers” is a bleak yet tranquil cross-section of that relationship. In focus, it’s beautiful like kaleidoscopic micro-fauna in a sewer rat’s fur.

First things first: tune those strings down three semitones to C# (low to high: C#, F#, B, E, G#, C#). Beyond that, the focus is tone. A crisp ’90s-style metal distortion will suit best. Justin Broadrick employed the low-end-less Boss Heavy Metal pedal for his distorted tone. (Note: I like JB’s guitar sound on those old records, but objectively, the HM is one of the shittiest high-gain pedals ever made). Distortion (not fuzz or overdrive) is the key to getting those harmonics going on for days with piercing clarity. Make sure you’re on your bridge pickup for maximum brightness and sustain. You want that tone where harmonics sound easily and loudly from the slightest finger contact – there’s a huge difference if you go the extra mile dialing in your sound.

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This track is one of Godflesh’s most haunting, as the more abstract and un-rock Godflesh tracks generally are. It’s easy to see why 20 years ago everyone was either stealing from Broadrick’s playbook or trying to recruit him. He was importing a devolved aesthetic from post-punk anti-shredders like Joy Division and Swans into heavy rock, and the resultant sound blew everyone’s mind. Godflesh were a neat coda to the (temporary) obsolescence of ’80s thrash, and a springboard for what would come next: a reassessment of the concept of “heavy”, a moratorium on technicality, low tunings, and a slightly warmer attitude towards the punk aesthetic. Sure, the ’90s left us with some bad metal, but the ripest fruits from Godflesh’s tree fell in the Aughts: Sunn O))), Converge, and Isis all studied at the Broadrick Academy of Riffing while forging their own paths. Merciless was my introduction to the band, reminding me then as it does now of the absolving power in primitive stabs of guitar. Keep your reverence: take a break from running scales to simply worship sound.

Next time, I’ll resume my accidental theme with another legendary Earache artist. I’ll be digging a little deeper exploring variations within a song. Until then, happy riffing!