Godflesh was recorded and produced over two months in Birmingham by frontman Justin Broadrick and bassist G. C. Green, both of whom had played together in an early version of the band known as Fall of Because.

Fall of Because, the band that would eventually become Godflesh,[1] temporarily dissolved in 1987 when Justin Broadrick left to drum for the English experimental group Head of David.

"[10] As one of, if not the, first releases to merge the genres of industrial and metal,[12][13][14] the music of Godflesh is defined by its programmed drumming, Broadrick's low guitar and growls and Green's pummelling bass.

[8][15] The EP's sound, informed by Swans, Big Black, Killing Joke and Throbbing Gristle, is notably heavy and slow, built upon the deliberately repetitive pounding of the drum machine.

[16][17][18] Simon Turner of Melody Maker highlighted the EP's discipline and restraint as its greatest asset, praising its so-called "cruelty of denial".

About this subject, Melody Maker's Simon Reynolds described Godflesh as "terminal", or at the end of musical development, writing, "Rather than feminise themselves, they'd rather their masculinity was defeated, their strong bodies crushed and pulverised.

[24] Distributed only on vinyl at first, the EP was a surprise underground hit that reached position 20 on the UK Indie Chart;[25] Digby Pearson of Earache Records took notice and acquired Godflesh, promising them wider circulation since Swordfish could not fulfil international demand.

Directed by three fans of the band (Jack Sargent, Julian Weaver and Stephanie Watson) who had followed Broadrick since his days drumming with Head of David, the video comprises bootleg recordings of early Godflesh concerts.

Martin Walters of AllMusic called the EP "one of the most influential recordings in the industrial metal scene", but suggested that new fans should listen to Streetcleaner, Slavestate (1991) or Pure (1992) first.

[16] Also from AllMusic, Greg Prato said Godflesh helped "pave the way for countless copycat acts",[8] and Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times suggested that the EP influenced the sound of many metal groups, especially Ministry.