In essence these tracks are a little different from any of Godflesh's previous works. Monotonous, pounding rhythms married to claustrophobic, six-string psychedelia and swathes of seething feedback, all topped with Broadrick's trademark, ghostly plainsong. It's a winning formula and one which has born continual re-interpretation over the years. This new collection has more in common with Love and Hate in Dub than it does with any other. Elements of dub, hip hop, various strands of electronica and the darkest, starkest jungle all make perfect sense combined with Broadrick's emotive and often harrowing lyrics. These sparse backdrops, punctuated with savage, atonal guitar noise and throbbing bowel bass, work both as powerful rock music and as compelling mood music.

Let me clearly say don't let the hip-hop influence deter you from checking this CD out at all! This CD is Godflesh at their pinnacle. Everything they have ever been known for is performing at its best: Justin's clean melodic vocals (with some digital delay here and there) and his shouting distorted yells are superb, the crunching guitar riffs riding shot-gun to the bizarre feedback and harmonic screeches are catchier than the black plague. And, of course, the ever-present low-end rumble of Ben Green's bass delivers, while the psychotic beats and fills are far from boring. I was scared in the beginning but my confidence was totally restored after hearing this CD.

Us and Them sees the guitar being used as it was on Streetcleaner: creating dissonant, eerie ambient sounds rather than the pummelling riffage of Selfless. It also draws heavily on the sounds explored on Love and Hate in Dub. The album has a strong hip-hop element, more so than any previous release. This gives the rhythms a strange organic yet mechanical sound. Us and Them is certainly a varied album with plenty of surprises, and yet there is a common feel that holds it together. Certainly fans of the crushing Godflesh guitars may be a little disappointed that the guitars are only really at the forefront on the more melodic tracks. If the listener is perpared to be patient with the album though, I think that the only conclusion can be that Godflesh have again created a masterpiece.