Regression is progression? It might seem difficult to believe, but for Godflesh this seems to be the case. Or perhaps `regression` is just the wrong term, and I should replace it with `going back to the roots`. Because that is exactly what is happening on Hymns, Godflesh` eleventh album (including the EPs, excluding the In All Languages anthology album). Where Us And Them was a pretty beat and even drum`n`bass oriented release, there is nothing on Hymns that even reminds us of those out-of-genre flirts. "Deaf, Dumb & Blind" could have been on the Streetcleaner-album, while a song like "Voidhead" sounds like a Selfless-song.

.. but overall, the new Godflesh album breathes a very metal-ish atmosphere that will make a lot of older fans, who didn`t quite got into the new stuff, very happy. For me, the highlights are "Anthem" (great intro) and the noisy song "Antihuman". Godflesh has been around long enough to be past the point of having to prove themselves. They have influenced countless bands from Prong to Fear Factory and many many more. Hymns shows once more why this is the case: a rocksolid album with no flaws, but also no surprises. Good enough for me.