Massive Attack – Protection

Protection (1994) is Massive Attack’s second studio album and a defining moment in the evolution of trip-hop. Following the groundbreaking Blue Lines, the group expanded their sonic palette, blending downtempo beats, dub influences, and atmospheric electronics with soulful vocals and subtle orchestration. The title track, featuring Everything But The Girl’s Tracey Thorn, sets the tone — intimate, hypnotic, and emotionally charged. Elsewhere, “Karmacoma,” “Sly,” and “Eurochild” show the group’s knack for fusing mood and rhythm into a seamless whole, while Horace Andy’s vocals bring a ghostly reggae edge that grounds the album’s dreamlike textures. Protection is less immediate than its predecessor but richer in tone and emotional scope. The production is intricate yet spacious, revealing new details with every listen. Its understated confidence helped shape a generation of electronic and ambient music, proving that subtlety could be as powerful as intensity. Nearly three decades later, Protection remains a cornerstone of the Bristol sound — cool, introspective, and quietly revolutionary.

Reviews

“Protection is a masterpiece of mood — smooth, melancholy, and beautifully constructed.” – AllMusic

“Massive Attack perfected the art of restraint here; the atmosphere is everything.” – The Guardian

“A record that feels timeless, both grounded and weightless in equal measure.” – Pitchfork