Album Review
After the warm, soulful grooves of Blue Lines introduced Massive Attack to the world, their 1994 follow-up Protection refined and deepened that sound; moodier in places, but still rooted in the same lush, soul-inflected trip-hop that had made their name. By the time the band regrouped to work on a third album, however, something had shifted. The three members - Robert "3D" Del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles - retreated into the studio and, by most accounts, nearly tore each other apart in the process. Del Naja wanted to steer the sound somewhere darker and more abrasive, drawing inspiration from the post-punk records he'd grown up with. Vowles wasn't convinced. The sessions were so fractured that the band members reportedly worked in near-isolation, coming and going from the studio at separate times to avoid crossing paths. What emerged from all that tension and paranoia, was Mezzanine.
Released in April 1998, the album represents a dramatic shift in mood and texture. The jazzy warmth of their earlier work is largely gone, replaced by something heavier, more claustrophobic, and considerably more unsettling. Rock guitars, previously absent from their sound, creep into the mix alongside those trademark deep bass lines and the meticulous electronic production. It is, in the very best sense, music that makes you feel slightly on edge... which is precisely the point.
A huge part of what makes Mezzanine so special is the vocal cast assembled for it. Horace Andy, a long-time collaborator, brings his unmistakable reggae-inflected voice to several tracks, but the undisputed highlight has to be Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins, who contributes a breathtaking vocal performance on Teardrop. It's a song that has since taken on a life of its own, partially as the theme to the TV series House M.D. but also in its own right as one of, if not the band’s biggest song. But here, in the context of the full album, is where it lands with the most emotional force.
The album went straight to number one in the UK and has sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, making it the band's most commercially successful release. Critical recognition followed in abundance too: Mezzanine won the Q Award for Best Album, received a Mercury Prize nomination, and has since featured on some of the most prestigious all-time lists in music, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, where it currently sits at number 383.
If you haven't listened to Mezzanine in a while, or have never properly sat down with it, consider this your invitation. Put on a decent pair of headphones, set aside some time, and let Bristol's finest do what they do best. It's a challenging listen in the most rewarding way... and 28 years on, it hasn't lost a single gram of its weight.
Mezzanine was released 20 April 1998.
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Still credits: “Massive Attack ~ Angel ~ Mezzanine (HQ Audio)“ uploaded to YouTube by steelyman08
