NEW JESU: WHY IS JUSTIN BROADRICK SO SAD?

So last week Rob from Metal Injection stopped by the MetalSucks Mansion for a hang sesh, and as we were sitting around, shaving years off of our lives (and that was the first night in a long time when I seriously thought I might die), we decided we needed to listen to something a little on the mellower side. So I threw on some Jesu.

Now, I fucking love Jesu, but as I was sitting there listening to the song “Silver” (sample of the upbeat lyrics: “I don’t understand the pain” and “Silver’s just another gold/When you’re bitter and you’re old”), I started thinking: Why is Justin Broadrick so sad? The guy has been a professional musician since he was like fifteen or something. He co-founded Napalm Death. He co-founded Godflesh. He’s universally acknowledged as a major talent. Apparently he smokes massive amounts of weed. I know he’s not like a rich dude or anything, but still, he’s got it pretty good. And so before you knew it, Rob and I adopted the Mr. Plinkett voice and started saying, over and over again, “WHY ARE YOU SO SAD, JUSTIN BROADRICK???”

I mention all of this because Jesu’s first EP, 2004’s Heart Ache (which never got an official release in the U.S.), has now been combined with another Jesu EP, Dethroned, which Broadrick also started working on in 2004 but only recently completed. And there’s a track from Dethroned, entitled “Annul,” streaming over at Stereogum. And even though the music is way heavier than most recent Jesu, it still seems kinda glum. I’m not complaining, or criticizing; I love Jesu, and I think “Annul” is great. I guess I’m just saying, I’d like to give Justin Broadrick a hug.

Go listen to “Annul,” and then come back here and tell us if you’d like to help Justin cheer up, too. Heart Ache and Dethroned will come out November 16 on Hydra Head, and can now be pre-ordered here.

-AR