Massive Attack – 100th Window

In the span of five years, most bands burn out and end. Massive Attack, however, chose to spend the years 1998-2003 sporadically working on their new offering 100th Window. Now reduced to a one man band, Massive Attack somehow manages to maintain the high level of proficiency which was more than evident on their landmark Mezzanine album from 1997. Massive Attack have opted on this new album to further explore the style they created with their last album and add layer upon layer of production to it.

This is not an uncommon move in the music industry but I was really hoping they'd be able to come up with something completely new again. Why did this album take five years to release? would be my major complaint about 100th Window.

Massive Attack have spent the time interestingly, to be sure. The arrangements and refinement on 100th Window are quite impressive. From the opener "Future Proof", the gauntlet is thrown down at those younger bands who sought to steal Massive Attack's thunder during their prolonged absence.

"What Your Soul Sings" features the work of Irish chanteuse Sinead O'Connor and is a stunning example of parallels in song structure coming together to form a stark and spine-chilling composition. Ms O'Connor has been popping up on many releases over the past two years. Could she be testing the waters for a commercial comeback? If she keeps this up, she just may make it.

"Everywhen" is an odd on again off tempo piece which floats along very lazily and very majestically wheras the lead single "Special Cases" is quite cinematic in it's content. This track is a simple masterpiece when it comes to trip hop. The quarter note ride cymbals and subdued 3/4 time make for a fine work of slowburning excellence. The lyrics in this song raise the hairs on the back of my neck whenever I hear it. I cannot praise this song highly enough, it is a true example of Massive Attack firing on all cylinders.

The rest of 100th Window is all quite dark and very honed in it's sound. I can only hope to someday hear this album live, or perhaps quite loud in a squalid strip club. For all of it's well thought out concepts and shiny production values, I just wonder what this fellow will do for the next album. Massive Attack are at the same point they were at after they released Protection in 1995.

I cannot suggest strongly enough that they break some new ground on their next album and evolve. The ability to make two albums which are quite similar and yet different just enough to merit interest is a rare accomplishment.

Reviewed 2003

An album unduly slated as a disappointment compared to previous Massive Attack output, which couldn't be further from the proof. Six years on and unsuspecting compositions like "Everywhen" and "Smalltime Shot Away" are as poignantly deep and emotive today as they were upon release. Reverent, reserved, brooding and foreboding, this is my personal favorite MA album (with Mezzanine trailing somewhat behind) and I'm anxiously awaiting the new material set for release in 2009.

Not Massive Attack's best album, but 100TH WINDOW is still an album of impressive beauty and menace. Sinead O'Connor takes the role of chanteuse du jour, and her fragile voice accompanies the lonesome guitar and wistful harp chords on "What Your Soul Sings" with startling fragility. Later, on “Special Cases,” she makes her whisper into more of a growl. Frequent collaborator Horace Andy also lends his vocals: on “Everywhen,” he adds a grace note amongst the dub effects. He also works well with faster tempo, as on “Name Taken.” As with other Massive Attack albums, the overall feel of 100TH WINDOW is one of dense sonic paranoia (“Butterfly Caught” is a good example of this; it’s bass growls with tension), but also has fewer songs to lighten the mood somewhat. “A Prayer for England” is both gorgeous and depressing. And I’ve never thought that Robert Del Naja was the best vocalist, but his grizzled voice matches the overall tone.

The album that would never please anybody. Since reviewers often call one of massive attack's prior albums "the greatest ever" and then label the others "disappointing" this album will always be derided because it is most definitely not "the greatest ever." If you can step out of that mindset you are left with an excellent album that is worth a listen.