Customer Reviews

Heligoland (Extended) [+digital booklet]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

At first I thought this album lacked cohesion, and only a few songs really stood out.

I'm editing my review 1.5 years later to say that I appreciate this album for what it is, and have grown to thoroughly enjoy it. Even the stranger tracks (notably "Flat of the Blade") have grown on me.

So, I'm deleting my original review and adding a star. Well done, MA. I still have my fingers crossed that one day you might just release all those other tracks that didn't make the final Heligoland cut.

Massive Attack's newest release is worth the wait. The album hints at tones of the band's former self. There are moments that reflect Mezzanine and Blue Lines (i.e. Girl I Love You and Pray for Rain) but in essence this album may be a smarter, more confident effort than those albums demonstrated.

With that said, each of the songs seem to begin rather simply. I first thought that they were perhaps working to make their music a bit more acceptable. But, within a few seconds it is clear that the lads won't be capitulating to the masses anytime soon. The songs reverberate on, twisting and turning through the listener's psyche like a fine sports car on a curvy road. Each track winding and unwinding through highs and lows that evoke a deepening of experience that I hadn't heard on previous Massive Attack releases.

Heligoland is, simply put, a grown ups mind trip. It's Massive Attack's smartest release to date.

If you are a fan (and are willing to allow for what is clearly the result of a maturation process) then buy Heligoland; upload that baby, plug in your ipod interface and head out on the open road for an hour or so. This album resonates on a higher stream of consciousness. Check it out and see what their souls say to you.

MA has tapped into the feeling of today with another dark, totally modern, and often chilling album. Buy it. It's every bit as good as Mezzanine.

Awesome album. 3D and Daddy G have gone beyond on this one and where they were was pretty fantastic. Every track is strong and the production skills are amazing. Special mentions for Girl I Love You w/Horace Andy, Paradise Circus w/Hope Sandoval, Babel w/Martina Topley, and Atlas Air. Every track on this album is more satisfying than the last hundred movies I have watched and so it will be in permanent rotation.