Massive Attack

Massive Attack formed in Bristol, England in 1988, creating a slow, bass-heavy sound that merged dub reggae, hip-hop, soul, and electronic production into what became known as trip-hop. While primarily a production collective, guitarist Angelo Bruschini's contributions from the late 1990s onward added a textural guitar element characterized by clean, reverb-soaked arpeggios and subtle distorted accents. The band's approach to guitar treats it as one element within a dense electronic production rather than a lead instrument, with parts often processed beyond recognition through delay, reverb, and pitch-shifting. Blue Lines, Protection, and Mezzanine progressively darkened their sound, the latter incorporating rock elements through collaborations with Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. Their production techniques influenced ambient, electronic, and atmospheric rock for decades.