Children of God

by Swans

Released: October 19, 1987

Noise rock, gothic rock, blues rock, industrial

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The Album

"Children of God" is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on October 19, 1987, through Caroline Records and K.422 in the UK. Children of God was reissued in 1997 alongside the World of Skin compilation, but the reissue replaced the original version of "Our Love Lies" with a version from the Love Will Tear Us Apart EP. The album was recorded over six weeks in February and March 1987 at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, England.

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Essential Tracks

New Mind

It also included additional tracks from the New Mind single.

Our Love Lies

Children of God was reissued in 1997 alongside the World of Skin compilation, but the reissue replaced the original version of "Our Love Lies" with a version from the Love Will Tear Us Apart EP.

Trust Me

Several songs were shortened with earlier fadeouts, and "Trust Me" transitioned directly into a brief interlude.

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Swans - Children of God

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The Complete Album Story

"Children of God" is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans, released on October 19, 1987, through Caroline Records and K.422 in the UK.

The album was recorded over six weeks in February and March 1987 at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, England. It marked a significant departure from the band's earlier sound, shifting from the intensity of previous work to incorporate acoustic instruments and more traditional song structures. Michael Gira, the band's frontman, noted that by 1986/7, they had grown tired of their previous approach and wanted to explore new musical directions to avoid becoming repetitive or cartoonish.

Children of God was reissued in 1997 alongside the World of Skin compilation, but the reissue replaced the original version of "Our Love Lies" with a version from the Love Will Tear Us Apart EP. It also included additional tracks from the New Mind single. Several songs were shortened with earlier fadeouts, and "Trust Me" transitioned directly into a brief interlude.

A remaster of the album, along with the live album Feel Good Now, was released on November 13, 2020.