Mothra (song)

"Mothra" is a song by the 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.

This article is about the industrial metal song. For the 1961 film, see Mothra (film).
"Mothra"
Promotional single by Godflesh
from the album Pure
Released1992
RecordedSeptember–October 1991
GenreIndustrial metal
Length4:31
LabelRelativity
Producer(s)
Godflesh singles chronology
"Slateman" "Mothra" "Xnoybis"
Audio sample
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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.[1] 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".[2] 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".[3] He also wrote that the song is "the sound of rock taken to its bleakest and slowest extremes".[4]

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.[5] Macomber also recognised "Mothra" as a fan favourite song.[5] Writing for Melody Maker, Sharon O'Connell also noted the song's grinding, deliberate repetition in a favourable light.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8]

"Mothra" derives its title from Ishirō Honda's 1961 film Mothra, which features the fictional giant monster Mothra.[2][3] 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).[9][10][11]

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.[12] Pure's introductory track, "Spite", it also included on the release as a B-side.[12] "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".[13]

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

Personnel

Credits adapted from "Mothra" liner notes[12]

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