"Post Self" is an

industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...

song by the band

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the title Fall of Because but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Gree ...

, taken from their 2017 album of the same name. It was released ahead of ''Post Self'' on 31 October 2017 through frontman

Justin Broadrick Justin Karl Michael Broadrick (born 15 August 1969) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer and a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and i ...

's own label,

Avalanche Recordings Avalanche Recordings is an independent record label, founded by English musician Justin Broadrick in 1999. It is named after Broadrick's own recording studio, Avalanche Studios, and mainly releases Justin Broadrick's side projects. The first r ...

, as a digital download.

Composition

"Post Self", the introductory and title track of Godflesh's eighth studio album, is one of only a few songs on the release to feature a traditional

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

riff. Structurally, "Post Self" can be seen as a microcosm of its host album; just as ''Post Self'' begins with a three metal-oriented tracks, "Post Self" the song's first half is dominated by aggressive guitar and guttural vocals, and just as ''Post Self'' becomes more somber and experimental in its latter stages, so too does the song. Peter Helman of ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' described the song as "crushing", and Zoe Camp of ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'' called it "relentless". ''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...

's'' Phil Witmer highlighted the song's distortion, hip hop-inspired percussion, screaming, low-tuned guitar and overall grinding sound as "a great primer" for the band. Some critics labeled the song as

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

Critical reception

"Post Self" was well received by critics.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

writer Paul Simpson called the main riff "instantly striking." Vince Neilstein, cofounder of

MetalSucks MetalSucks is a heavy metal music-themed news website. The site features reviews, interviews, information on latest metal releases and blog-like posts from the writers, most notably Vince Neilstein and Axl Rosenberg. History The site was foun ...

magazine, said that "Despite the press copy's claim that ''Post Self'' will be 'less metal,' this track still goes really fucking hard." Denise Falzon of ''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

'' wrote that "Post Self" "contain those instantly recognizable pulsating beats and crushing sludgy heaviness, while Broadrick's distinct vocals are as powerful as ever." Also writing for ''Exclaim!'', Brock Thiessen praised the song, saying, " tis a crushing sonic assault, loading on thick, damaged layers of industrial-minded sludge. It's right in line with what you'd expect from Godflesh, and that's definitely not a bad thing."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from "Post Self" liner notes *

– vocals, guitar, production, rhythm programming *

G. C. Green Ben George Christian "G. C." Green (Born 1964) is an English musician, best known as the co-founder and bass guitarist of the industrial metal band Godflesh. Biography A native of Birmingham, Green was involved in the city's post-punk and got ...

– bass guitar

References

{{Godflesh Industrial songs 2017 songs Godflesh songs