Mezzanine

“Mezzanine”, released in 1998, is the third studio album by British trip hop group Massive Attack, released on 20 April 1998. It was produced by Neil Davidge along with the group. The album was released on Virgin Records; singles from the album include; Risingson, Teardrop, Angel and Inertia Creeps.
“Mezzanine” features the talents of long-time Massive Attack collaborator Horace Andy, along with guest vocalists such as Elizabeth Fraser. “Mezzanine” marked the parting of band member Andrew Vowles (aka Mushroom), due to creative conflicts. An artist notably absent is Tricky who had worked with them on their two previous albums.

Musically, Mezzanine is a major departure from the jazzy and laidback sound of the first two albums (Blue Lines and Protection), invoking the dark undercurrents which had always been present in the collective’s music. The album’s textured and deep tone relies heavily on abstract and ambient sounds, as demonstrated in the song “Mezzanine” among others. Overall, the album was highly acclaimed by many critics; discordant rock guitars are featured on several tracks, allegedly against the wishes of founding member Andrew Vowles, who left the band shortly after the album’s release, citing creative differences.
Similar to their previous albums, the majority of the songs consists of one or more samples, ranging from Isaac Hayes to Led Zeppelin. In 1998 Manfred Mann sued Massive Attack for unauthorised use of a sample of the song “Tribute” from Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s eponymous 1972 album, used in “Black Milk”. The song has subsequently appeared as “Black Melt” on later releases and at live performances, with the sample removed.