Godflesh was formed in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in 1988 by Justin Broadrick (born 1968, Birmingham) as guitarist, vocalist, and programmer, and B. C. Green (born 1967, Birmingham) as bassist and programmer; their early work emerged from the duo’s previous band Fall of Because. The pair released the self‑titled Godflesh EP on the Swordfish label in 1988, followed by the full‑length Streetcleaner in 1989 on Earache Records, which established their industrial metal style. Subsequent albums Pure (1992), Selfless (1994), Songs of Love and Hate (1996), Us and Them (1999), and Hymns (2001) saw a gradual shift toward electronic and dub influences, accompanied by tours with Napalm Death and Ministry. After B. C. Green left in 2002, the band dissolved until 2009 when Justin Broadrick and B. C. Green reunited, producing A World Lit Only by Fire (2014), Post Self (2017), Purge (2023), and Decay (2026). Their music has been cited as foundational to industrial and post‑metal, with Streetcleaner repeatedly listed among the heaviest metal albums.
