Massive Attack

100 Best Albums

Essential Albums

Artist Playlists

More To Hear

About Massive Attack

Born out of the unique mix of cultures and styles in Bristol, Massive Attack emerged in the early ‘90s as the architects of the brooding, atmospheric sound known as trip-hop. Both the genre and the band were rooted in Wild Bunch, a sound system famed for live and DJ sets of hip-hop, post-punk, dub reggae and lovers rock. By the end of the '80s, four members—rappers Robert "3D" Del Naja and Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, plus musician/DJs Grant "Daddy G" Marshall and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles—coalesced into Massive Attack. The group had an immediate impact with their 1991 debut, Blue Lines, which made stunning use of Tricky (who would soon go solo) and guest vocalists such as reggae great Horace Andy. Over the several next decades with Vowles as the one constant in a shifting lineup, Massive Attack continued to situate star turns by guest vocalists—including Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser on 1998's bruising yet beautiful Mezzanine—within soundscapes that were suffused with bass, dread and a sharp intelligence.

ORIGIN
Bristol, England
FORMED
1987
GENRE
Electronic
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada