Attack on your musical senses (From Stroud News and Journal)

Attack on your musical senses

HARD to believe though it may be, it is 15 years since Massive Attack swooned onto the music scene with the glorious, swelling and soulful Unfinished Sympathy, from debut album Blue Lines.

Since then, the genre-splicing Bristolians have produced a string of classic tracks mixing hip-hop, jazz and strings into a dark, sublime sound.

Their live shows also raise the bar with breathtaking light shows and visuals - and fans can experience the full Massive Attack experience at Westonbirt Arboretum this summer.

The band are currently working on a new album, tentatively titled Weather Underground, and have just released a greatest hits package, Collected.

This contained a new single, Live With Me, released last month, which featured the powerful vocals of Chicago folk legend Terry Callier, who will be special guest at Westonbirt, and hints at yet another direction.

Formed from the ashes of Bristol collective the Wild Bunch, Massive Attack were quickly branded trip-hop - although they hated the term - and launched the careers of Tricky and Shara Nelson.

They went on to inspire Portishead and Morcheeba.

Earlier this year, Blue Lines was voted the 65th best ever album in a Q Magazine readers' poll, even beating Stevie Wonder's classic Songs In The Key Of Life.

After the success of Blue Lines, the band developed a more lush, deeper sound on 1994's Protection, which featured Everything But The Boy vocalist Tracey Thorn on the title track.

Tickets for the performance on Sunday, July 30 are £27.50 (subject to booking fee) and are on sale now. Call 01842 814612 or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk