Like its predecessor, this is a generous collection of new and old tracks from the U.K.'s premier roots reggae band. As usual, the focus is on instrumental groove music, though voices are punched in regularly. This collection features more creepy poetry from Andy Fairley ("Your head will become a crazy bulbous punchbag of sound, lead-weight and fearsome") and more of
Bim Sherman's light, gauzy crooning, along with the requisite bizarre vocal samples.
"Style" Scott and
"Flabba" Holt keep things tight and heavy on drums and bass, respectively, but
Adrian Sherwood's production takes center stage, as the bass shakes the walls and other instruments fly around the room crazily. This is ominous, exhilarating, frightening music that shows how interesting and creative it's possible to get while remaining within the confines of a genre as stylistically defined as reggae.
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Rick Anderson, Rovi