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Product Details
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Track Listings
| 1. Pray For Rain |
| 2. Babel |
| 3. Splitting The Atom |
| 4. Girl I Love You |
| 5. Psyche |
| 6. Flat Of The Blade |
| 7. Paradise Circus |
| 8. Rush Minute |
| 9. Saturday Come Slow |
| 10. Atlas Air |
Editorial Reviews
2010 album from the Bristol-based Electronic/Trip Hop outfit. Heligoland is their fifth album overall and their first in over seven years. Featuring previous collaborator Horace Andy, and a bevy of vocalists such as Martina Topley-Bird of Tricky fame, Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star and The Warm Inventions, Tunde Adebimpe, and Adrian Utley of Portishead on guitar duties. Tim Goldsworthy of UNKLE and DFA fame was roped in for co-production on a few songs as well.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
96 of 101 people found the following review helpful
By Angry Mofo
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Massive Attack albums are rarely immediate. Same with Heligoland: at first, the synths at the beginning of "Splitting The Atom" and "Flat Of The Blade" sound off-key and simplistic. I heard the three-note lead in "Paradise Circus" and wondered how on earth that simple sound could sustain a five-minute song.
But when I listened to "Paradise Circus" a few times, my perception started to change. The clattering, echoing drum track combined with the lead to create an eerie atmosphere. Above all, the song has possibly the most intimate vocal performance of any Massive Attack song. Hope Sandoval's voice is scratchy, but the way you can hear every minute shift in her throat, together with the deliberately slow pace of the vocal, gives an impression of a wide-awake, intensely focused late-night rumination. It's a remarkably sexy song, but it also expresses uncomfortable qualms: the lyrics say that "the devil makes us sin," and that's exactly how the song sounds, like someone giving in to temptation, but feeling uneasy about possible divine repercussions.
The entire album is characterized by this subtle feeling, like constantly looking back over one's shoulder. Heligoland sounds softer and more electronic than, say, Mezzanine, without those overdriven guitars. But it also sounds much more swampy and dissonant (maybe "sullen" might be a good word to describe the tone of the drums in "Pray For Rain") than Protection. This makes it difficult to like the album on the first listen, but at some point, one starts to appreciate the spooky, off-kilter atmosphere. The haunted-house keyboards and strings are somewhat reminiscent of The Knife's Silent Shout, one of the best albums of the past decade.
And just when you think that the music sounds too simple, there's some kind of twist. Toward the end of "Paradise Circus," there is a break with soft strings, and after that, some dark, reverberating piano chords come in to very strong effect. The downtuned echo of the chimes opening "Pray For Rain" is both pretty and creepy. It is soon strangled by the overbearing drums; halfway through the song quiets down, then builds back up in a loud, dark drone, and then unexpectedly breaks into a more gentle-sounding plateau. Once you register everything that's going on, you see how original it is. The keyboard lead in "Splitting The Atom" eventually sinks into a dreamy ambient outro. Many songs don't end the way you expect them to.
"Girl I Love You" is also a lot more interesting than you might expect from the requisite Horace Andy song (especially one with such a generic title). It is similar to the classic "Angel," it's got the dub bass line, the reverb in the background, and the crashing, loud crescendo -- but, incredibly, it does all of those things better than "Angel." It's a lot more energetic, with a fast dance beat. Instead of the grinding guitars (which were powerful, but honestly a bit plodding), there is what sounds like a brass section in a haunted circus. And it also helps that Horace Andy turns in his best, smoothest Massive Attack vocal yet -- not bad for a guy who's pushing sixty!
Unexpectedly, "Atlas Air" is Massive Attack's most danceable song, with a bracing house beat and an awesome echoing, multi-layered keyboard hook. Even more unexpectedly, Robert Del Naja finally puts a new spin on his mumbling vocal style and sort of speak-sings to the rhythm. In the process, he gets backed by these amazing reverberating electronic chimes that contrast his voice perfectly and give it an ominous edge. Eventually, there's a blaring noise breakdown. This song should be a hit.
I should say that Heligoland moves very far from Massive Attack's hip-hop roots. Robert Del Naja only takes the lead on two songs, probably to compensate for hogging the limelight on 100th Window. Even then, he does no rapping, and instead prefers the restrained speak-singing style that I mentioned above. Grant Marshall gets one verse on "Splitting The Atom," but even there he sort of recites the words without really rapping per se. As if to underscore the departure from rap, Heligoland brings in a bunch of other male singers, including Damon Albarn, who gives a reliably good, plaintive vocal performance on "Saturday Comes Slow," which is good, but sounds a bit like a Blur ballad.
But then, we expect every Massive Attack album to be a departure, don't we? The originality of Heligoland is more subtle than, say, the difference between Mezzanine and Protection, and takes time to really sink in. However, though the sullen, stifling production and deceptively simple melodies may throw one off at first, they actually conceal surprising, multi-segmented song structures and pinprick-inducing atmosphere.
But when I listened to "Paradise Circus" a few times, my perception started to change. The clattering, echoing drum track combined with the lead to create an eerie atmosphere. Above all, the song has possibly the most intimate vocal performance of any Massive Attack song. Hope Sandoval's voice is scratchy, but the way you can hear every minute shift in her throat, together with the deliberately slow pace of the vocal, gives an impression of a wide-awake, intensely focused late-night rumination. It's a remarkably sexy song, but it also expresses uncomfortable qualms: the lyrics say that "the devil makes us sin," and that's exactly how the song sounds, like someone giving in to temptation, but feeling uneasy about possible divine repercussions.
The entire album is characterized by this subtle feeling, like constantly looking back over one's shoulder. Heligoland sounds softer and more electronic than, say, Mezzanine, without those overdriven guitars. But it also sounds much more swampy and dissonant (maybe "sullen" might be a good word to describe the tone of the drums in "Pray For Rain") than Protection. This makes it difficult to like the album on the first listen, but at some point, one starts to appreciate the spooky, off-kilter atmosphere. The haunted-house keyboards and strings are somewhat reminiscent of The Knife's Silent Shout, one of the best albums of the past decade.
And just when you think that the music sounds too simple, there's some kind of twist. Toward the end of "Paradise Circus," there is a break with soft strings, and after that, some dark, reverberating piano chords come in to very strong effect. The downtuned echo of the chimes opening "Pray For Rain" is both pretty and creepy. It is soon strangled by the overbearing drums; halfway through the song quiets down, then builds back up in a loud, dark drone, and then unexpectedly breaks into a more gentle-sounding plateau. Once you register everything that's going on, you see how original it is. The keyboard lead in "Splitting The Atom" eventually sinks into a dreamy ambient outro. Many songs don't end the way you expect them to.
"Girl I Love You" is also a lot more interesting than you might expect from the requisite Horace Andy song (especially one with such a generic title). It is similar to the classic "Angel," it's got the dub bass line, the reverb in the background, and the crashing, loud crescendo -- but, incredibly, it does all of those things better than "Angel." It's a lot more energetic, with a fast dance beat. Instead of the grinding guitars (which were powerful, but honestly a bit plodding), there is what sounds like a brass section in a haunted circus. And it also helps that Horace Andy turns in his best, smoothest Massive Attack vocal yet -- not bad for a guy who's pushing sixty!
Unexpectedly, "Atlas Air" is Massive Attack's most danceable song, with a bracing house beat and an awesome echoing, multi-layered keyboard hook. Even more unexpectedly, Robert Del Naja finally puts a new spin on his mumbling vocal style and sort of speak-sings to the rhythm. In the process, he gets backed by these amazing reverberating electronic chimes that contrast his voice perfectly and give it an ominous edge. Eventually, there's a blaring noise breakdown. This song should be a hit.
I should say that Heligoland moves very far from Massive Attack's hip-hop roots. Robert Del Naja only takes the lead on two songs, probably to compensate for hogging the limelight on 100th Window. Even then, he does no rapping, and instead prefers the restrained speak-singing style that I mentioned above. Grant Marshall gets one verse on "Splitting The Atom," but even there he sort of recites the words without really rapping per se. As if to underscore the departure from rap, Heligoland brings in a bunch of other male singers, including Damon Albarn, who gives a reliably good, plaintive vocal performance on "Saturday Comes Slow," which is good, but sounds a bit like a Blur ballad.
But then, we expect every Massive Attack album to be a departure, don't we? The originality of Heligoland is more subtle than, say, the difference between Mezzanine and Protection, and takes time to really sink in. However, though the sullen, stifling production and deceptively simple melodies may throw one off at first, they actually conceal surprising, multi-segmented song structures and pinprick-inducing atmosphere.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By ChefBum
Format:Audio CD
I was looking forward to Massive Attack's latest release, coming a number of years after "1000th Window".
I've always enjoyed Massive Attack's music, right from "Blue Lines" and past "Mezzanine". The mix varies from record to record, with "Blue Lines" being very much hip-hop oriented, whereas "Mezzanine" is very dark and sounds almost like rock in some places. "Protection" is somewhere in between the two. Massive Attack always mixes it up, and sometimes are unclassifiable in terms of genre.
This latest review seems to be another sign of the times. I also have Portishead's latest "Third", and it appears that the two bands have been comparing notes. The latest albums from both reflect a similar aesthetic, with more sparse beats, particularly in the first few tracks of this release. However, I feel a bit manipulated, as though the track order is the band's deliberate way of setting up listeners for a new experience. Only later tracks on this release start to resemble what we have come to expect from this band.
Overall, it only works in parts. The first track, "Pray for Rain" is the best example of this new, sparse aesthetic. It's almost acapella. But as things get better deeper into the disc, it appears that Massive Attack has become more abashedly derivative. "Rush Minute" has EXACTLY the same opening drum line as Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi is Dead", but fails to do anywhere near as much with it as the song progresses. In fact, the entire song seems to be based on that classic drum line. It's not a *bad* song, but haven't you come to expect a bit more originality from these guys?
And in another song, I hear exactly the same simple, three-note dark chromatic minor chord progression that is used as the theme song to "28 Weeks Later".
The final two tracks, "Saturday Come Slow" and "Atlas Air" are the highlight of this disc. The former is also somewhat sparse, but with pleading, heartfelt lyrics and singing, and a surprising amount of soul for trip-hop. I've always felt that MA have always balanced the rapping and singing in their song selection very well, with the sung songs tending to be the stronger of the two. "Saturday Come Slow" is thankfully no exception. "Atlas Air" finally gives us that quintessential Massive Attack sound. It is built on a catchy melody that is layered upon in interesting ways. It is probably the only song on this record that upon hearing it, I knew right away that it was Massive Attack.
Overall, this is a much softer, gentler disc than "Mezzanine", and much less unabashedly hip-hoppy than "Blue Lines". I give MA credit for continuing to blur genre lines and attempting to break new musical ground, but unfortunately, "Heligoland" will not go down as being nearly influential as either of their two earlier, seminal efforts.
I've always enjoyed Massive Attack's music, right from "Blue Lines" and past "Mezzanine". The mix varies from record to record, with "Blue Lines" being very much hip-hop oriented, whereas "Mezzanine" is very dark and sounds almost like rock in some places. "Protection" is somewhere in between the two. Massive Attack always mixes it up, and sometimes are unclassifiable in terms of genre.
This latest review seems to be another sign of the times. I also have Portishead's latest "Third", and it appears that the two bands have been comparing notes. The latest albums from both reflect a similar aesthetic, with more sparse beats, particularly in the first few tracks of this release. However, I feel a bit manipulated, as though the track order is the band's deliberate way of setting up listeners for a new experience. Only later tracks on this release start to resemble what we have come to expect from this band.
Overall, it only works in parts. The first track, "Pray for Rain" is the best example of this new, sparse aesthetic. It's almost acapella. But as things get better deeper into the disc, it appears that Massive Attack has become more abashedly derivative. "Rush Minute" has EXACTLY the same opening drum line as Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi is Dead", but fails to do anywhere near as much with it as the song progresses. In fact, the entire song seems to be based on that classic drum line. It's not a *bad* song, but haven't you come to expect a bit more originality from these guys?
And in another song, I hear exactly the same simple, three-note dark chromatic minor chord progression that is used as the theme song to "28 Weeks Later".
The final two tracks, "Saturday Come Slow" and "Atlas Air" are the highlight of this disc. The former is also somewhat sparse, but with pleading, heartfelt lyrics and singing, and a surprising amount of soul for trip-hop. I've always felt that MA have always balanced the rapping and singing in their song selection very well, with the sung songs tending to be the stronger of the two. "Saturday Come Slow" is thankfully no exception. "Atlas Air" finally gives us that quintessential Massive Attack sound. It is built on a catchy melody that is layered upon in interesting ways. It is probably the only song on this record that upon hearing it, I knew right away that it was Massive Attack.
Overall, this is a much softer, gentler disc than "Mezzanine", and much less unabashedly hip-hoppy than "Blue Lines". I give MA credit for continuing to blur genre lines and attempting to break new musical ground, but unfortunately, "Heligoland" will not go down as being nearly influential as either of their two earlier, seminal efforts.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By Tim
Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase
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.
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.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not as good as Collected but still distinctive
Especially liked Paradise Circus which I first heard as the theme for Luther. They are good enough that I have as a channel on Pandora.
Published 4 months ago by Steven J. Felton
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best of Massive Attack
Outstanding album. When I discovered Massive Attack's Mezzanine, I was convinced it was their best CD. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Overhed
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very warm sound. Highly recommended.
It is very different from 100th window and I'm really glad about that. It is similar to Mezzanine because Grant has worked on it too but the sound is much warmer.
Published 10 months ago by Lyubomir Minkovski
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it, after a few listens.
Great release. My measure of a really good album is the growth factor, in that it gets better and better and "grows" with each listen. Read more
Published 18 months ago by S. Langston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Permanent Rotation
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. Read more
Published 18 months ago by ciphersort
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Mezzanine or Blue Lines, but close.
I have loved Massive Attack ever since I first heard "Unfinished Sympathy," an exquisite song on a good soundtrack for a terrible movie (Sliver). Read more
Published 20 months ago by Erik Russell Olson
4.0 out of 5 stars
First Massive Attack for me
I had never heard of Massive Attack prior to watching the television show "Luther", which has Paradise Circus as their intro.
First listen was a little slow for me. Read more
First listen was a little slow for me. Read more
Published 24 months ago by sixdemonbag
3.0 out of 5 stars
Kind of weak
We've heard better from Massive Attack. A couple of strong songs but the album never made it into my regular mix. Don't blame me if I compare this to Mezzanine--blame MA. Read more
Published on April 14, 2011 by Picturesque Music
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not their best work, but a return to form with a lively guest roster
Released in 2010, HELIGOLAND was the first team effort by Massive Attack in over a decade, as the interim 100TH WINDOW was mainly a Robert "3D" Del Naja solo effort. Read more
Published on April 13, 2011 by Christopher Culver
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond the shadow of a doubt...
I started quite late in listening MA, just a few years ago (naturally having started with Blue Lines and Mezzarine). Meanwhile I own 4 records. This one for sure is the best. Read more
Published on January 7, 2011 by Amazonion
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