The Godflesh AC/DC cover is usually what settles this sort of thing for me...

Also the band I liked the most live.

This is not a genre to which I am drawn, so I will abstain from voting. That being said:

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 6:36 pm That weird double rhythm section on Filth alone just wallops everything.

Yeah, Filth sounds so bizarre and disjointed to me, which I find interesting. Also, I think it fits the subject matter very well. Of the little material (relative to others on PRF) I know from these bands, I could see revisiting this record every now and then.

chexmixbreath wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:04 pm I was convinced there wasn't any other music out there, recorded or otherwise, that could exceed or even come close to matching the cosmic intensity of Swans.

Then I came upon Pharoah Sanders (RIP) - 'Karma' and realized black jazz musicians had long outdone the Swans in terms of heaviness in 1969:

'Black Unity' by Sanders was also a huge deal for me, but that was back in the 90's when I was really into Davis and Coltrane. I have listened to 'Karma' but not in a while. I should. I've been listening to some of that stuff again lately and really enjoying it.

I'd never make the equation you have, so I'm interested to hear it tomorrow and see what I think.

Godflesh was formative for me, can't say the same about the other two. I like all three bands, but an easy vote.

Neurosis was a very detectable influence on way, way too much music, very little of which is particularly good, or interesting at all. That has dilluted their impact to me, somehow.

Gira really seems like the smarter fellow out of all involved, btw.

While I have yet to cast my vote, I have been struck by the following while mulling it over:

1. The last two Neurosis albums are mediocre and boring.
2. The last two Godflesh albums are surprisingly bad.
3. Swans and Neurosis live a lot closer to parody territory than Godflesh does.

That is all, for now.

Justin Broadrick recorded the Godflesh debut with 18 years old or so me thinks. Pretty stunning.

Vibracobra wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:30 am Justin Broadrick recorded the Godflesh debut with 18 years old or so me thinks. Pretty stunning.

I don't know that you could record that kind of album if you were much older. That's not a knock on it by any means, more an acknowledgement of its thematic primitivism.

Godflesh sounds cheap and silly to me. I appreciate the variety of extremes in Swans but none of it has hit me on a deep level. Neurosis, while it got formulaic after a while, made a handful of stunningly heavy and evocative records. Easy vote for me.

chexmixbreath wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 3:04 pm Then I came upon Pharoah Sanders (RIP) - 'Karma' and realized black jazz musicians had long outdone the Swans in terms of heaviness in 1969:

Heaviness is an interesting way to put it. I hear it more as total emotional catharsis, but agree some of that music in the Pharoah Sanders/John and Alice Coltrane camp gets there. That could be a thread in itself.

Neurosis, no question. It would be damn hard to top Through Silver in Blood or Times of Grace for me and as much as I love Swans they just aren't in the same ball field.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:12 am

Vibracobra wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 5:30 am Justin Broadrick recorded the Godflesh debut with 18 years old or so me thinks. Pretty stunning.

I don't know that you could record that kind of album if you were much older. That's not a knock on it by any means, more an acknowledgement of its thematic primitivism.

Got it. I meant, normally it takes a few years/records to become THAT awesome.

I know Broadrick was already recording stuff in the mid 80's, I guess he was seasoned enough when he entered studio to record the debut.

The Swet Tooth LP is also very good BTW.

It took Neurosis 3 records to become good if my memory serves me well (Souls is the 3rd?) and 5 to become awesome me thinks. Then they ruled for like 10 records more and/or 20 years or so, that's also awesome.