Streetcleaner
Encyclopedia
Streetcleaner is the second release and the debut full length album by the band Godflesh
, following the release of their self-titled EP
in 1988. It was released in 1989 on Earache Records
. It was remastered and re-released on June 21, 2010.
Justin Broadrick has stated that the drum machine sound was heavily influenced by hip hop artists in the late 80s, particularly the beat on "Christbait Rising" which Broadrick was quoted as saying "It was my attempt at copying the rhythm sample on 'Microphone Fiend
' by Eric B & Rakim".
The titular track was covered by Isis
on a split EP
with Pig Destroyer
.
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, following the release of their self-titled EP
Godflesh (EP)
Godflesh is the eponymous first release by the influential industrial metal band. It was originally released in 1988 through Swordfish Records, and was later reissued by Earache Records with two additional tracks....
in 1988. It was released in 1989 on Earache Records
Earache Records
Earache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
. It was remastered and re-released on June 21, 2010.
Justin Broadrick has stated that the drum machine sound was heavily influenced by hip hop artists in the late 80s, particularly the beat on "Christbait Rising" which Broadrick was quoted as saying "It was my attempt at copying the rhythm sample on 'Microphone Fiend
Microphone Fiend
"Microphone Fiend" was the second single released from the hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim's second album Follow the Leader. The song became something of a signature song for rapper Rakim, and Allmusic.com's Steve Huey says the song "weaves references to substance addiction throughout in explaining why...
' by Eric B & Rakim".
The titular track was covered by Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
on a split EP
Isis / Pig Destroyer
Isis / Pig Destroyer is a split EP by the bands Pig Destroyer and Isis. The EP features the two bands playing cover songs.-Track listing:#Isis – "Streetcleaner" #Pig Destroyer – "Exhume to Consume"...
with Pig Destroyer
Pig Destroyer
-Biography:The band formed in 1997 with vocalist J. R. Hayes , guitarist Scott Hull , and drummer John Evans. Evans was later replaced by Brian Harvey...
.
Reception
Streetcleaner received good reviews. Ned Raggett of allmusic.com said, "Streetcleaner doesn't so much grind as crawl, but it does with an awesome, bass-heavy power," and "Drum machines shatter, shudder, and downright assault, while the riffs the two (or three) cook up are bludgeoning." He also states that "the band deliver everything with a pinpoint precision." Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+. Chris Sessions of MetalReview.com said Streetcleaner was "almost too pure to handle... hypnotically beautiful and awful and spellbinding."Track listing
Track information
- Tracks 1–5 were recorded at Soundcheck in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, May–August 1989. - Tracks 6–10 were recorded at Square Dance in DerbyDerbyDerby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, May 1989. - Tracks 11–14 were originally recorded as the Tiny Tears EP, which the band wanted the label to release as their follow up to the GodfleshGodflesh (EP)Godflesh is the eponymous first release by the influential industrial metal band. It was originally released in 1988 through Swordfish Records, and was later reissued by Earache Records with two additional tracks....
[EP]. Earache RecordsEarache RecordsEarache Records is a heavy metal-oriented record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records in the period 1988-1994.-History:...
, however, pushed the band to record a full length album instead, and the Tiny Tears EP never saw an independent release. The tracks were instead later appended as bonus tracks to the second CD issue of Streetcleaner.
Accolades
| Year | Publication | Country | Accolade | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Alternative Press | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
"Top 99 Of '85 to '95" | 34 | |
| 1998 | Alternative Press | United States | "The 90 Greatest Albums of the '90s" | 79 | |
| 2000 | Kerrang! Kerrang! Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
"200 Albums For The Year 2000 (Industrial)" | 5 | |
| 2000 | Terrorizer | United Kingdom | "100 Most Important Albums of the Eighties" | * | |
| 2002 | Revolver | United States | "The 69 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time" | 66 | |
| "*" denotes an unordered list. | |||||
Credits
- G. Christian Green – Bass
- Paul NevillePaul Neville (musician)Paul Neville is an underground experimental industrial metal guitarist and musician from Birmingham, England.He is best known as the second guitarist in the seminal industrial metal band Godflesh on the second half of their Streetcleaner album and on the Slavestate EP as well as a tour member of...
– Guitar (6–9 only) - Justin BroadrickJustin BroadrickJustin Karl Michael Broadrick is a British singer, songwriter, guitarist and drummer. He is best known as a founding member of the band Godflesh, one of the first bands to combine elements of extreme metal and industrial music.-Biography:Broadrick was born in the council estates of inner...
– Guitar, Vocals - Machine – Rhythm
- Produced by GodfleshGodfleshGodflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
- Engineered – Pete Gault (tracks 1–5) / Ric Peet (remaining tracks)
- Album cover – from the movie "Altered StatesAltered StatesAltered States is a 1980 American science fiction-horror film adaptation of a novel by the same name by playwright and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky. It was the only novel that Chayefsky ever wrote, as well as his final film. Both the novel and the film are based on John C...
": first hallucination scene