Dreadzone - Nine (Dubwiser Records)

In numerology, the number nine symbolizes completion, not necessarily an end, but the conclusion of a phase or period, leading to the initiation of a new one, marked by insights and growth.

Dreadzone mastermind Greg Roberts describes the nine tracks on Nine as: “Here are nine tunes around themes of redemption and division, love and loss, with journeys inside, on the road around the earth. Whilst this treads in new territories, it still connects with the past ambience of early albums, a return to the garden!”.

Musically, this album echoes Dreadzone classics like ‘Second Light’ and ‘Biological Radio’. It’s no coincidence that ‘Return to the Garden’, crafted in a similar vein as ‘A Canterbury Tale’, reunites the band with former Miranda Sex Garden vocalist Donna McKevitt, who also lent her voice to those earlier works. ‘Adrift’, featuring Emma Gillespie, is in the same vein.

Reggae enthusiasts will likely spot a nod to Augustus Pablo’s ‘Cassava Piece’ in ‘Northern Lights’. ‘Magic Earth’ is a gem of a pop song featuring Zoe Devlin Love on vocals, though it feels like an outlier among the rest of the tracks on ‘Nine’. True Dreadzone style shines through in opener ‘Conqueror’, featuring the ever-reliable Earl Sixteen and MC Spee on vocals, and in ‘Lost And Found’, where Earl Sixteen is joined this time by LSK (Leigh Stephen Kenny).

For the fitting and poignant closing track, Last Song, Greg Dread incorporates an audio fragment of the final recorded call of the Kauai-o’O, an extinct Hawaiian bird species. The last remaining male of the species was spotted a final time in 1985.  

The final word goes to Greg Roberts: “‘Nine’ is the culmination of years of growing and reinventing the Dread sound, always aware of the span of time that moves on, never knowing where the end of the road is, but traveling towards a heroic destination!”.

Outstanding release that rightfully earns its place among the best in Dreadzone’s discography!