Published on Dec 4, 2003
“You are my angel. Come from way above. To bring me love….”
This is how it all begins. The horror-show starts with “Angel,”
with Horace Andy doing the honors beginning with inviting words
against a very somber and eerie backdrop. This 6 min. 18 sec. long
forerunner leads the way for the equally dark remaining ten songs,
the conglomeration of which make up the beautifully horrific
Mezzanine. After the very positive and spirited
Blue Lines, Massive Attack took a shift and came up with the
less exuberant but equally mind-blowing
Protection. This gradual move towards the less brighter side
of affairs could only result in something as bleak as
Mezzanine — sensuous, enjoyably distressing and stoic.
The female collaboration these fellas have been working with is
worth a look. Firstly, it was Shara Nelson on
Blue Lines. Then it was Tracey Horn on
Protection. With
Mezzanine, their darkest and boldest effort to date, their
female accompaniment comes from an equally strange and mysterious
band, The Cocteau Twins. Elizabeth Fraser sings for The Cocteau
Twins and has sung / co-written three songs in
Mezzanine. With her mellow vocals and ambiguous style of
singing (which befits The Cocteau Twins’ style of music), Liz’s
vocals agree perfectly with the ambience of this L.P. Of
“Teardrop”, “Black Milk” and “Group Four,” Fraser’s vocals sound
best on the first single of the album. With just the right amount
of elusiveness she entices with her soothing tone, which makes
“Teardrop” such a difficult song not to be haunted by.
The other female support to Elizabeth is Sara Jay. Sara sings
the most frightening number of this collection of spooky tunes.
“Dissolved Girl” is the name of the song, which starts off in the
most pensive and unassuming manner. The excitement starts somewhere
in the middle of its six-minute timespan, when a bizarre crescendo
explodes, showing off a grand display of drums, bass and guitars on
the ranks of a grunge band. This affirms that Massive Attack’s
realm of genius extends well beyond disco.
This collection of trip-hop gems also includes some very
interesting samples from The Cure and the Velvet Underground, to
name a few. “Man Next Door,” which contains samples form “10:15
Saturday Night” by The Cure, eases on the eeriness a bit and is the
most accessible song on the album. If you dare to enter this
haunted house, you are guaranteed of a hair-raising experience,
which will make you enter it again once you’ve come out of it.