Massive Attack: 'Heligoland'

The anticipation surrounding the expected release of the progenitors of trip-hop, Massive Attack, has finally come to an end. After a seven year hiatus, they have returned with their new studio album, ‘Heligoland’. Since their creation in 1988, they went on to produce three masterpieces in the 1990s; ‘Blue Lines’, ‘Protection’, and ‘Mezzanine’ and rightly earned the title as the forefathers of trip-hop.

However, as with all success this could not last forever. In the 2000s, Massive Attack only managed to release one studio album, ‘100th Window’, to largely muted reception. Therefore, a lot was riding on this release. Not only did they have to prove they were still relevant; they had to compete with a similar band from their genre, Portishead, who like Massive Attack, made a comeback after a long break to critical acclaim. On top of that, they have to deliver something as astonishing as their early output.

Before even listening to the album things look promising. The usual plethora of guest vocalists looks exciting and well-chosen. The guest line-up includes Daman Albarn, Guy Gurney, from Elbow, and Tunde Adebimpe, from TV on the Radio. They should help to make this album very ‘now’ which is exactly what a band whose creative peak was twenty years ago need.

In regards to the sound, there are no surprises; a minimalist approach with deep rhythmic drums, and subtle, simmering undercurrents mixing organic with synthesized sounds. Although it has the ambient suspense expected, it cannot be purely classified as chill-out which tends to leave it confined to no man’s land. This in itself is not a problem but there is certainly no sense of urgency in the sound; in fact it remains so relaxed it becomes lethargic. Also, there are no stand-out tracks such as ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ or ‘Protection’. Possibly the worst part is the inclusion of two tracks with vocals provided by Martina Topley-Bird; ‘Psyche’ and ‘Babel’. If including a vocalist who has been confined to obscurity was not enough, her failure to produce anything of any substance throughout her career should have given a hint of what was to come. In saying that, ‘Splitting the Atom’ wins the title of worst track on this album, it’s just plain awful.

However, the entire album is not a letdown; there are some good parts worthy of praise. There are certainly flourishes of the Massive Attack of old and the genius which they possess. These include the fantastic ‘Paradise Circus’ which is similar to the equally amazing ‘Protection’ from the album of the same name. Other highlights include ‘Flat of the Blade’ and ‘Saturday Come Slow’. ‘Rush Minute’ and ‘Pray for Rain’ are also perfectly listenable songs.

In conclusion, this album would have to have been nothing short of extraordinary to have been rated highly. They are victims of their own success. It simply doesn’t compare to their first three releases and it’s not even as good as Portishead’s ‘Third’. This once-in-a-generation band appears to have reached the end of their creative streak. However, the flashes of genius contained within reveal a glimmer of hope that they could yet still return to form and deliver another great album. That is as long as we don’t have to wait another seven years for one.