Massive Attack

Massive Attack emerged from Bristol's sound system culture in 1988, coalescing around Robert "3D" Del Naja, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, and Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles. Their 1991 debut Blue Lines essentially invented trip-hop, slowing hip-hop breakbeats to a narcotic crawl and layering them with dub bass, soul samples, and guest vocalists like Shara Nelson. The album arrived as rave culture peaked, offering a comedown soundtrack for a generation.

Protection (1994) and the monumental Mezzanine (1998) deepened their palette. The latter's grinding guitars and paranoid atmospheres captured millennial anxiety with tracks like "Teardrop" and "Angel", becoming their commercial zenith. Vowles departed in 1999, leaving Del Naja and Marshall to continue the project's politically charged evolution.

Beyond music, the group pioneered data-driven touring to reduce carbon emissions and maintained fierce anti-war stances. Their influence permeates electronic music, from Portishead to The xx, establishing Bristol as a crucible of British experimental sound. Del Naja's ongoing solo work ensures Massive Attack remains both archive and living concern.