A Nod to Heart Ache and Ruin (ed)

In 2004, Justin K. Broadrick having recently disbanded Godflesh, released an albums worth of material in the form of a two song EP called Heart Ache. The title is often misspelled as Heartache which would make the notion of the title seem romantic and silly rather than expressing the gut-wrenching pain of the subject matter.

Broadrick played all of the instruments on Heart Ache which, with only two songs, clocks in at just under 40 minutes. The title track "Heart Ache" shows Justin returning to form with the pummel of early Godflesh as well as the awe-inspiring yet subtle emotions we've come to expect from this Birmingham born renaissance man. Track two however shows us just how far Jesu really is from any of Broadrick's previous endevours.

"Ruined" is 20 Minutes and 14 seconds long and takes you from a hauntingly beautiful piano intro to a teeth-nashing crush-fest middle before laying the foundation for one of the most amazing and mezmerising wrist-slashing conclusions in the history of shoegazing. One can't help but feel someone has completely and uterly destroyed Justin's sense of hope and compasion as he exclaims, "Just like me, you've lost your sight. Just like me, you see no reason to fight", a testament to the all too familar expressions prominate in modern day relationships in this "throw up your arms and give up" world of losers and lonely hearts.

All in all, Ruined can provide the listener with two options. Learn from the mistakes of the past and the advice of those who have been where you about to venture, or jump in blindly with hands tied and your eyes closed and risk never returning from the dark abyss that is a heart broken forever.

(((03)))