Heligoland

Rated by DIOONER on 7th February 2010

Massive Attack. Just the name itself suggests waves of dubby synths, deep basslines, martial yet half-asleep beats and croony vocals. Sure, they helped define a genre for the 90s, that lame "trip hop" tag so many claimed to be part of and so few deserved, producing much groundbreaking music, especially in the shape of their debut "Blue Lines" (1991), which helped set DJ culture into the mainstream, and "Mezzanine" (1998) that added heavy, howling guitars in the mix to a mostly stunning effect. So, what's to expect from this, their 5th album proper in a mere twenty years career ? Well, as many other reviewers noted, a bit of the same and something different at once. First striking thing is the actual sound of the whole record. Some pointed out a supposed return to the coldness of "Mezzanine", but that's not at all what I hear here. If "100th Window", their 2003 effort, was a letdown to many fans, being more of a 3D solo effort than a collective work, in fact it furthered the post-punk hint "Mezzanine" suggested, replacing the loud guitar shriek with icy electro beats. The results were, to say the least, mixed, but at least it was still seeking forward, sonically speaking. On "Heligoland", by contrast, everything is understated, from the drum patterns to the shy basslines, from a quiet organ part in the background to voices you feel are more dreamt than actually performed. That's a record that almost begs forgiveness for existing at all, rather than punching its pride in your face, which is why it probably won't get among die-hard fans (let alone the mainstream) the same praise as their giddy peaks mentioned above. Take, for example, languid opener "Pray For Rain", magnified by TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe ; on previous records, songs like "Safe From Harm", "Angel", "Protection" and even "Future Proof" were kicking proceedings in panache and style, but here you get a moody lament over a tense rolling drumbeat that keeps things tight but never to the point of explosion. If there's a revolution this time around (and as far as I know nobody pointed this out yet), that's precisely the fact that, for once, Massive Attack seem to have opted for a rather organic simplicity instead of creating the beat monster everyone expected (especially in the wake of the awesome "United Snakes" released in 2006 as the flip to "False Flags", and that could have been a welcome addition here). Yet for all simple it appears, "Heligoland" is a much thought of record, being neither minimal nor easy, it's just that the main body of work hides behind the curtains. As always, the vocalists guestlist must have been quite helpful too : the two Martina Topley-Bird contributions, on the false calmdown "Psyche" and the tense "Babel" shine on, while, oddly, the exquisitely lightweight "Paradise Circus" - an obvious choice for the single - could have been an outtake from that singer's great LP, "Blue God"... except that it's performed (almost haunted, more like) by ex-Mazzy Star diva Hope Sandoval. Also, while not being a big Elbow fan to be frank, I have to give an accolade to their frontman Guy Garvey, who provides his wonderful, almost atonal falsetto on "Flat Of The Blade", making that difficult seemingly weird song sound like an early Peter Gabriel lost gem. Overall the record is less diverse but more consistent than other Massive LPs ; like another reviewer rightly pointed out, there's no real standout tracks yet there's no filler either (I still can't figure out, though, why Damon Albarn has been casted for the relatively dull "Saturday Come Slow", apart from his obvious friendship with the band). Still, for all great those guests' performances are (and it has to be noted that for each one of them, the backing tracks seem to have been made up especially this time more than ever), it's from 3D himself and regular partner Horace Andy that the best comes again here ; at first together with Daddy G. on the narcotic anthem "Splitting The Atom", then the latter delivers on "Girl I Love You", which despite what its unworthy title might suggest, is a broody reggae-rock hybrid, driven by an epileptic bassline, while, like on "100th Window", the former gets to sound alarmingly worried and warmly seductive at the same time. At that, "Rush Minute" and "Atlas Air" are arguably the best things here, almost towers of song reaching the same heights the frightening "Antistar" did as the closer on the much maligned predecessor to this album. So overall, "Heligoland" might not be as groundbreaking as the stuff Massive Attack are most known for, but it showcases a collective (with the back of Daddy G, largely absent from the previous decade's output) daring to experiment in his own field, which will be fair enough for some, and disappointing for others. But believe me, a bit like their underrated "Protection" (1994), that beast of a sensitive record (their best effort in my opinion, still), this really, almost physically, GROWS on you.

Rated by 6th.replicant, London, UK on 11th February 2010

A slow burner that from the 2nd listen onwards gets better with each play. Multi-layered & multi-textural, never dull or predictable, full of underlying energy & passion - IMHO this a beautifully crafted album, on all levels. Has that distinctive quality that is pure Massive Attack, yet still manages to sound fresh & inventive. Heligoland was obviously meticulously conceived & executed, but does not fall into the category of 'dull & self-indulgent'. Also exquisitely produced & mixed - it'll make your hifi sound extra special.

Rated by K. M. Edwards, Suffolk England on 30th June 2010

I have been listening to Massive attack for years ever since saw a clip introduced by Normski ( yes that long ago) and have pretty much loved the majority of work produced. The trouble with this album is that its like all the darkest tracks from 100th window, mezzazine and the obscure B sides all on 1 album, it makes for a dark and depressing journey of music that if your not in a pleasant frame of mind then its a steer clear record. I wanted to love it but its pretty boring ( i hate myself for saying that) but it dosn't inspire you to play it again after a couple of listens.

Rated by Deven Gadula, san francisco, ca, united states on 10th February 2010

This album is not going to be liked by all fans of Massive Attack, or at least not right away. The depth of music of Blue Lines or Protection, or the intensity of Mezzanine seems to be lacking here, although probably everyone will notice that the music is stronger that anything we have heard from Massive Attack in the last 12 years. I would dare suggest that the depth of music is still here, but it has been...relocated. Miles Davis once said that his musical style kept changing on him, just like a curse. Well, after 16 years in business Massive Attack has gone experimental, atmospheric and minimalist all at once. However, all those changes affect mostly the added layers of the background of their music. I have to say honestly that I have been disillusioned with a lot of new music of various styles, lately, and this new album by Massive Attack to me is one of the nicest musical surprises of the last many months, ever since Porcupine Tree's The Incident was released. The incorporation of the experimental ambient layers of sound in addition to the industrial tones which for a long time have been with Massive Attack makes this album unique to me. The overall mood is mellow, peaceful and reflective but it spreads over a wide sound texture. These songs may sound simple and plain at first, but they do grow on us with repetitive listening. I really feel like with this album the music of Massive Attack positioned itself somewhere between Massive Attack and Radiohead, and that is a perfect place to be in. Really, the Zoviet France like undertones of a few of their new songs (this album hides many jewels in the back of itself and its songs) are exactly the layers which make the music of Radiohead so addictive. The song number 7 for example, reminds me a little bit of Radiohead's Videotape. I especially like tracks: 8,5,7,9,10,1. Track 1 begins like cover of some bluesy Peter Green song from In The Skies, and then progresses into many different stages and layers. Track 2 is driven by a Joy Division like sounding bass and drum line and it is one of the most energetic songs of the album. Track 3 develops one of the most haunting atmospheric background melodies. Track 4 is full of texture which again, is located at the final minute of a song, a very Radiohead like approach. Track 5 has a Steve Reich like repetitive feeling to it. It is quite beautifully structured with a skillfully interwoven vocal line. Track 6 is very trippy and will probably turn quite a few listeners off. However, there is much more happening here besides the Skinny Puppy like rhythm section which becomes less prevalent as this song progresses. The beauty of track 7 is apparent from the beginning and it has a hypnotic quality. Just play it on repeat 1 and you might experience a beautiful enchanted evenings. Track 8 floats in between Massive Attack, Radiohead and Joy Division, a truly perfect ground. Both tracks 9 and 10 are...very complex... underneath. Again, please listen to this album quite a few times before you decide that you really don't like it as much. This music will grow on you...

Rated by John Wakeman, Corwen, Wales on 6th May 2010

It's amusing to see the wide variety of contrary views of this album - it just goes to show that it depends on what sort of music you happen to like, as much as anything else. So if you don't like generally slow, dubby, textured sounds with rather morose lyrics, you probably won't like this. The general sound world is very recognisably Massive Attack, but with some interesting new directions. What I wasn't prepared for was how the album would grow on me - how different tracks come 'into focus' over repeated listens - and this is still happening. It's incredibly well produced, with a richness of layering to all the tracks, and some utterly delicious sounds, e.g. the brass lines that increasingly underpin 'Girl I love you'. The stand out track in early listenings was the ethereal and beautiful 'Paradise Circus'. Then I started to notice 'Flat of the Blade' which is the most 'different' and perhaps 'difficult' track, judging by earlier comments like 'In what can only be described as a bizarre choice, Guy Garvey (Elbow) lends his vocal to a song which seems devoid of any point or reason, just a incoherent set of noises ....' Well I'm afraid it can't 'only' be described in this way - I find it one of the most extraordinary, beautiful and moving songs they've ever produced, with excellent lyrics, and a perfect performance by Guy Garvey. All the other tracks are revealing their riches the more I listen ... I think that's the main thing - letting go of preconceptions, and letting it sink in. Unless you don't like this sort of music, in which case listen to something you do enjoy. For me, it vies with Mezzanine as their best album ever.

Rated by G. Bradley, Scotland on 22nd April 2010

First time I heard this, I immediately liked half of it (songs 1-4 and song 10) and disliked the other half. This is my usual reaction to new Massive Attack until it grows on me, when I eventually love all of it. So far so good. However after a dozen plays, rather than grow on me as usual, the opposite has occurred. I soon started to dislike most of what I had previously liked (songs 3 and 10 are the exceptions and remain likeable), and really really hate the rest. Every song here has the feeling that something big and wonderful is about to happen, but then it just doesn't, and the next song rolls in with the same empty promise. The songs go nowhere and become extremely tedious once familiarity creeps in. Easily Massive Attack's worst offering. And by a long chalk. Like many people (according to Amazon) I picked up the new Groove Armada CD at the same time as this. The best advice I can give you is pick that up instead (it's simply amazing), and give this a big miss.

Rated by Joseph Augustine, Cambridge, UK on 17th April 2010

To offer a comparision with Radiohead's recent 'In Rainbows' for its renaissance factor would not be far off the mark, and having grown up with Massive Attack and listened to all their albums, this one pleasantly surprised me.. and in the best possible way a classic album can..it rapidly grows on you and earworms its way into your day with lots of worming space to spare. Robert Del Naja has swallowed the Nick Drake melancholy tune book and given it an experimental electronic flare that is sometimes equalled but never surpassed in UK music IMHO, and this album still has an overall cutting edge, which is remarkable for a band that has been around since 1988. Therefore luke warm reviews coming from across the pond (e.g. Pitchfork 5/10) are even more puzzling to me - the juicy discordant middle-eight break in 'Girl I Love You' and very addictive base line of 'Psyche' are worth the entrance fee alone :)) A slow burner for sure and, if like me, you were slightly under-awed by '100th Window', Heligoland should not disappoint!

Rated by C. Kyriacou, UK on 14th March 2010

When I first listened to this album I was disappointed, as the low-fi sound of the record -on first listen- is less engaging than the "heavier" (? I'm not sure whether the expression is correct..) sounds of the previous albums (particularly Mezzanine and 100th Window) But it turns out that this is what eventually makes the songs so..effective and loveable - instead of imposing themselves on you, you discover the excellent melodies behind the low-profile sounds gradually and they become a part of you. In terms of mood, a reviewer said that it is a "defeatist" record and I kind of agree. From what I understand, I hear hopelessness in the record, but this gloom is actually quite charming.. To me, it is a beautiful record about giving up on the world and accepting how things are. Some of the songs have not grown on me and I will not claim that all of them are equally interesting. However, even if the record had just one of the good songs -which obviously isn't the case-, it would still be an indispensable good song and would be much more worthy than the majority of the albums being released today. I'm sure I will be listening to some of these songs in the years to come as well. My favourite tracks are Splitting The Atom, Rush Minute and Atlas Air. Also very good are Paradise Circus and Pray For Rain. P.S. I would like to say that I believe that the criticized 100th Window is an excellent album and could well be my favourite. 3D is amazing.

Rated by J. Rychetnik, England on 16th February 2010

This is an exquisitely dark and slow record. It is so slow and dark it is almost depressing. But it has tons of that Massive Attack distinctive character and original sound. Some would say it is not a ground beaking record. But I would say it is. It is ground breaking in that it makes 'dark & slow' almost cool. It is typical Massive Attack. They have not lost their unique sound. I would say this record is the sum of all that they have done before. It has elements of all their previous records in it, but it comes up with its own original stamp of identity. I'm not usually one who likes downbeat and downtempo records that much, but when they come this good I'm all for it.

Rated by J. E. Holden, UK on 10th February 2010

I feel compelled to review this album, since I think it is getting some harsh treatment, here on Amazon, but particularly in the likes of Pitchfork.com You have to feel sorry for a band like Massive Attack. When you created one of the best dance tracks of all time with Unfinished Sympathy in 1991, you created one of the few truly unique, beautiful and dark albums of an era in Mezzanine in 1998. You then fade from the public view. In the meantime, new artists come along to define new eras - the likes of Burial and the Bug along with others in our time. You are now in your mid-40s and early-50s, and you are never going to reach the peaks you once so majestically scaled. With efforts such as 100th Window and this, Heligoland, the fifth studio album the band has produced, you are in lower realms. For Massive Attack, read Radiohead, and for Heligoland, read Hail to the Thief. The great climbers of Everest are now pottering up the Scottish highlands. But what they can do is what they have done, they create a sound true to themselves, and therefore in the lineage of their previous great work. The connoiseurs of this sound can therefore enjoy this lineage, while to younger ears the fuss and the thrill will be difficult to find. For me, in glimpses of Heligoland you hear that sweet Bristolian soul and the dark dark grit. For me, that is in Paradise Circus, in the opener Splitting the Atom, Flat of the Blade and Saturday comes slowly. No they are not what they were, but how the hell could you expect them to be?!!