Remembering The God Machine, the hottest band of the 1990s
The history of music is brimming with instances of artists or bands with the potential to be world-beaters but, in the end, failed to reach the status they were destined for. From local grassroots outfits to support acts of bigger bands that outshine the headliner, every music fan can name at least one instance of a group or artist who were so good that the future looked incredibly bright but, somewhat tragically, decided to end things prematurely.
The timeline of music is full of disappointing stories. ‘Oh, what could have been?’ is a question that all music lovers have asked themselves repeatedly over the years, and it is not something that is likely to change.
Whilst there are many outfits that fans need reminding of, one particular band was so powerful, whose two albums are so good, that it makes their story a little bit more mournful. The band in question is The God Machine, and to put it simply, they are astonishing. Formed in San Diego in 1990 before relocating to London, the group was comprised of frontman and guitarist Robin Proper-Sheppard, bassist Jimmy Fernandez and drummer Austin Lynn Austin, and for a trio, the sounds that they produced were spectacular.
Ostensibly an alternative rock band, The God Machine’s music touches on doom, folk, lo-fi, industrial, and slowcore, with flecks of Jane’s Addiction, Red House Painters, Duster, The Chameleons, and Swans. The interesting aspect of their sound is that although there are hues of other influences, with Proper-Sheppard being criticised by some for sounding too much like Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, broadly, The God Machine sound like nothing that came before them. They sound like The God Machine, whatever that is, and the name could not have been more fitting.
The band released the Purity EP in 1991, and they quickly created a buzz as it featured fan favourites such as ‘Home’ and the much-loved title track. They were eventually picked up by Fiction Records, the legendary home of The Cure and other world-famous outfits, and released two stellar albums. It is mystifying that outside of those who were around at the time and were fans of the finest guitar bands such as Swervedriver and Catherine Wheel, The God Machine are seldom mentioned in the discussion.
The first time I heard the track ‘Ego’ – taken from their 1993 debut album Scenes from the Second Storey – it was a live version, and after the chilling intro ends with the instrumentation kicking in with a thud, I was blown away by the unrelenting power conveyed and the darkness contained in Proper-Sheppard’s vocal delivery and lyrics. Added to this, the cuts ‘The Dream Machine’ and ‘I’ve Seen the Man’ are imbued with such a punishing form of Generation X fury that after the first listen, you immediately dive in for another whirl. Furthermore, ‘She Said’ is another highlight, with Fernandez’s bass work driving it along like a freight train threatening to come off the rails and destroy everything in its path.
However, it wasn’t all just doom and gloom. The introduction to the track ‘Purity’ was one of the most beautiful things I had heard in a long time. An atmospheric and moving orchestral piece arranged by Proper-Sheppard, who I should note is a genius, after listening, you understand where the likes of Trail of Dead and post-rock heroes such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor might have taken some of their cues. Added to this multifaceted sense is that Scenes from the Second Storey is brimming with other orchestral textures and samples that make it one of the most complex opuses of the era.
Interestingly, the band’s second record, 1994’s One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying, is a departure from the first in the sense that it is no way near as punishing, preferring a more minimalist stylistic slant. It is not without its more pulsating tracks, though, as opener ‘Tremolo Song’ and ‘The Love Song’ confirm.
Across the album, the left chilling space is akin to a mesh of Bauhaus and Joy Division’s most glacial moments and the darker edges of Red House Painters, with ‘Alone’ and ‘The Train Song’ being great examples of this. Perhaps the finest cut on the record is ‘The Devil Song’, a moody piece that builds up to the band’s most stirring chorus. As pointed out by (Sic) Magazine, there are many parallels between this record and Interpol’s early work, giving you a great sense of its substance.
Reflective of the band’s quality is the list of legends that they toured the world alongside. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, My Bloody Valentine, The Cramps, The Fall, and The Jesus and Mary Chain are just some of those that The God Machine shared a stage with, and they even completed sessions for the era’s most prominent backer of great music, BBC DJ John Peel.
The band were on a purely upwards trajectory. However, tragedy struck, and it killed them forever. Jimmy Fernandez suddenly died of a brain haemorrhage in 1994. Putting the finishing touches on One Last Laugh when it happened, the band completed the album, and then Proper-Sheppard and Austin called it a day, drifting off into the sunset in what is one of the saddest ends to a band in history.
The thing about The God Machine was that each member brought something vital to the fold, with Fernandez’s swollen and expressive basslines the glue between Proper-Sheppard and Austin’s respective parts. He was also one of the most underrated bass players of his day, making it another tragedy that his work is so overlooked. Over the years, Propper-Sheppard has been clear in maintaining that The God Machine will never reform as Fernandez was as much the band as he and Austin, and it just wouldn’t be right without him.
Proper-Sheppard then formed The Flower Shop Recordings label and the bands Sophia and The May Queens, two lauded by very cultish acts. As for Austin, he launched his musical project Mercylane in 2020 after being out of the music industry for years.
Although we will never see The God Machine in the flesh again, the handful of material they left us is excellent and something that all lovers of rock should hear. They’re like a lost treasure waiting to be uncovered, waiting to see the daylight and for everyone to remember just how wonderful they were.
