Massive Attack: Heligoland

Label: Virgin Records

How nice to have Massive Attack back after seven years, which was bad, and 100th Window, which was worse. The pioneering trip-hop outfit put out the groundbreaking, genre-defining Mezzanine in 1998, a true crossover hit that catapulted Massive Attack to cult status, but the group splintered and never gave us a true follow-up, wallowing in soundtrack work for most of the past decade. Here’s the return to form we’ve been waiting some 12 years for. Heligo Land shows some new direction for Massive Attack, now featuring Robert Del Naja,Neil Davidge and Andrew Vowles; the songs are more spread out and spare (the opener, “Pray for Rain,” featuring TV on the Radio‘s Tunde Adebimpe, is particularly haunting), but Massive Attack’s signature beats and steady tension loom throughout. As usual, we’re treated to a stellar cast of guest vocalists: Hope Sandoval, Martina Topley-Bird, Guy Garvey (Elbow), Damon Albarn and (of course) reggae great Horace Andy. The vocalists give the album warmth and scope, but the real story here is that Massive Attack is back, not unlike the way Portishead took up by storm a few years ago after their long absence. (James)