Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best Of 2009
Best Of 2008
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
Best Of 2004
Best Of 2003
Best Of 2002
Best Of 2001
Best Of 2000
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
70
AFI
65
Air
71
Alice In Chains
77
Amerie
85
The Antlers
75
Arctic Monkeys
68
As Tall As Lions
82
Atlas Sound
75
The Avett Brothers
67
Backstreet Boys
56
Bad Lieutenant
68
Devendra Banhart
72
Lou Barlow
88
Baroness
69
Basement Jaxx
81
David Bazan
72
Brendan Benson
72
The Big Pink
96
Big Star
46
Billy Talent
75
The Black Crowes
51
Black Mold
68
Blitzen Trapper
75
BLK JKS
77
A.A. Bondy
73
The Bottle Rockets
63
Box Elders
65
Boys Like Girls
76
Brand New
73
Tyondai Braxton
87
Brother Ali
70
Ian Brown
75
Michael Buble
78
Built To Spill
61
Colbie Caillat
79
Califone
68
Mariah Carey
84
Brandi Carlile
73
Julian Casablancas
83
Rosanne Cash
69
Castanets
65
The Cave Singers
84
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
79
Vic Chesnutt
75
Choir Of Young Believers
81
Circulatory System
68
The Clean
84
The Clientele
71
Cobra Starship
85
Converge
71
Eric Copeland
80
Cymbals Eat Guitars
71
Datarock
59
Dead By Sunrise
76
Dead Man's Bones
88
Destroyer
63
The Dodos
77
Drive-By Truckers
66
Bob Dylan
44
The Entrance Band
67
Esser
69
Fanfarlo
63
Felix Da Housecat
68
Fink
78
The Flaming Lips
66
Flight Of The Conchords
79
Florence And The Machine
67
John Fogerty
83
Fuck Buttons
71
Nelly Furtado
47
Gary Go
68
Ghostface Killah
79
Girls
69
Gossip
62
David Gray
66
David Guetta
79
Richard Hawley
74
Mayer Hawthorne
66
Headlights
79
HEALTH
77
Joe Henry
66
Hockey
69
Whitney Houston
68
Imogen Heap
59
Jack Ingram
79
Islands
73
Jessie James
74
Jamie T
65
Jay-Z
51
Jet
69
Daniel Johnston
76
Karen O And The Kids
72
Toby Keith
69
Kid Cudi
65
Kings Of Convenience
62
Sean Kingston
64
KISS
76
Kris Kristofferson
68
KRS-One & Buckshot
76
La Roux
84
Miranda Lambert
72
Ledisi
75
Sondre Lerche
56
Juliette Lewis
82
Lightning Bolt
73
Little Dragon
44
Pixie Lott
73
Lyle Lovett
66
Lovvers
75
Baaba Maal
77
Madness
84
Madonna
85
Manic Street Preachers
62
Maps
55
Massive Attack
57
Matisyahu
67
Reba McEntire
66
Tim McGraw
65
Brian McKnight
79
Mew
77
Malcolm Middleton
77
Mika
68
Amy Millan
76
Mission Of Burma
76
Molina And Johnson
80
Monsters Of Folk
62
Morrissey
85
Mount Eerie
78
The Mountain Goats
62
Múm
72
Muse
66
Willie Nelson
78
Nirvana
97
Nirvana
72
Nisennenmondai
80
No Age
71
Noah And The Whale
75
Noisettes
79
Nudge
47
Dolores O'Riordan
74
Os Mutantes
73
Osso
81
Owen
76
Paramore
76
Pastels And Tenniscoats
51
Sean Paul
80
Pearl Jam
66
Jemina Pearl
72
Jack Penate
65
Phish
82
Pissed Jeans
61
Pitbull
79
A Place To Bury Strangers
66
Robert Pollard
79
Polvo
72
Porcupine Tree
80
Q-Tip
80
R.E.M.
89
Raekwon
69
Rain Machine
70
Ramona Falls
75
Dizzee Rascal
75
The Raveonettes
76
Jay Reatard
82
Reigning Sound
81
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
79
Russian Circles
69
Buffy Sainte-Marie
73
Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
61
Sally Shapiro
78
Shudder To Think
70
Simian Mobile Disco
58
Simple Minds
72
Six Organs Of Admittance
69
Slaughterhouse
80
Slayer
61
The Slits
62
Mindy Smith
78
Soulsavers
77
Speech Debelle
58
Spiral Stairs
58
Squarepusher
55
Steel Panther
73
Sufjan Stevens
52
Rod Stewart
65
Joss Stone
75
George Strait
83
Barbra Streisand
76
A Sunny Day In Glasgow
74
Susanna And The Magical Orchestra
78
The Swell Season
76
David Sylvian
83
Taken By Trees
78
Tegan And Sara
68
The Temper Trap
72
Themselves
82
They Might Be Giants
67
Third Eye Blind
66
J Tillman
69
Times New Viking
57
Tokio Hotel
67
Trey Songz
71
The Twilight Sad
58
Carrie Underwood
56
The Used
68
Various Artists
70
Various Artists
74
Various Artists
77
The Very Best
71
Kurt Vile
67
Vivian Girls
71
Volcano Choir
76
Rufus Wainwright
59
Weezer
80
White Denim
76
Why?
83
Wild Beasts
80
Wildbirds & Peacedrums
59
Andrew W.K.
71
Patrick Wolf
67
Wolfmother
84
The xx
79
Yo La Tengo
83
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
51
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
59
Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
100th Window
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 32 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Virgin
Release Date: 11 February 2003
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Electronic, Alternative, Trip-Hop
Summary
The first of two planned 2003 releases for the far-from-prolific Bristol-based electronica collective sees the group pared down to one original member: Robert "3-D" del Naja (although Grant "Daddy G." Marshall intends to return to the group for the next disc). Horace Andy returns to provide vocals on several tracks, and Sinead O'Connor also guests on two songs.
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Stylus Magazine
The naysayers do not understand. Their expectations hamstring them.... Like the glass sculptures featured in the artwork it is precise, transparent, dangerously fragile, and ominously lit. 100th Window is a masterpiece of its kind.
Read Full Review >Urb
While its hardly an overwhelming masterpiece like Blue Lines or Protection, it still stands head and shoulders above most everything else. [Mar 2003, p.95]
Dot Music
'100th Window' is every bit the production masterpiece its predecessors are - in places harkening back to, if not quite matching, the collective's glorious debut.
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
It's a magnificent accomplishment, the sound of one long night spent waiting for someone, but never being certain if you want them to arrive. [Apr 2003, p.87]
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Where Mezzanine sounded scared and sinuous, 100th Window goes a step further: It sounds like music made for headphones with teeth.
Read Full Review >Mojo
It's recognisably the same band, but lower key, less structured, a set of soundscapes rather than songs, and sometimes almost gothic in its mood. [Mar 2003, p.97]
Vibe
With its ice-cold beats, smoldering bass lines, and shimmering textures, this is one of the most openly erotic albums British pop has ever given us. [Apr 2003, p.178]
Uncut
Takes a few listens to become accustomed to. [Mar 2003, p.104]
All Music Guide
Satisfaction enough for those who kept Mezzanine near their stereo for years on end, but a disappointment to those expecting another masterpiece.
Read Full Review >Launch.com
Is this Mezzanine lite? In a way, yes. There is nothing here as gripping as "Angel," "Risingson," or "Inertia Creeps." Womblike and seductive, this is make-out music for hibernating astronauts.
Read Full Review >Spin
100th Window is a masterpiece of haunted sonics. But the spirit of community that once warmed this band's angsty soul is missing. [March 2003, p.117]
Neumu.net
If there's one misstep on 100th Window, it's that [Sinead O'Connor's] talent and her range are underused.
Read Full Review >Dusted Magazine
For most artists, this album would be a significant achievement--but we've come to expect more from Massive Attack.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
Massive Attack fans won't be startled by anything on 100th Window, but at nine tracks, this may be the most accessible, freaky, futuristic electronic head-food album on the market.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
Even in the album's most quiet moments, songs rarely waver in dynamics from their liftoff point.
Read Full Review >Planet
The downside is a lack of innovation that has always accompanied Massive Attack's recordings. [#3, p.86]
Almost Cool
The problem is that it's just not very engaging, treading the same cinematic-heavy soundscapes over and over again without much in the way of dynamics or anything new in terms of sound.
Read Full Review >Playlouder
For those who looked forward to the new genre-leading direction in downbeat dance that would come with the next Massive Attack album... well, let's just say the major challenge you'll face with '100th Window' is deciding whether there is a hidden track or that 'Antistar' is really a 22-minute song with an excessively long silent bit in the middle.
Read Full Review >Billboard
100th Window meanders along, emotion-less and soul-less—albeit with haunting Middle Eastern flourishes.
Read Full Review >Blender
All the surfaces are exquisitely tasteful, all the string arrangements achingly melancholic. But there are no tunes. [#14, p.138]
The Wire
It's all elegantly executed and often beguiling, but just too clean and predictable to be really involving. [#228, p.62]
Entertainment Weekly
A series of often stillborn soundscapes. [14 Feb 2003, p.72]
E! Online
Less immediate than their brilliantly untouchable 1998 album Mezzanine, this project is unsettling, uneasy and, okay, sometimes unbearably depressing.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Everything comes dripping in portent and seems too in love with its own seriousness to excite any emotions. [Mar 2003, p.106]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 32 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Phil M gave it a10:
Absolutely a 10! I can't get enough of Butterfly Caught!! That song just doesn't end...Definitely for headphones. CD should have a warning label advising anyone going through treatment for depression to stay away!! As good as Mezzanine? Yes, and so different. Next release, please.
Poldo G. gave it a10:
The best album for M/A Absolutely FUTURE PROOF!
Joris V. gave it an 8:
Just listen to Futureproof, Butterfly Caught or Smalltime Shot Away! Every album of the massive was different and the expectations heep rising each time too, that's wahy some gave it bad reviews... but this is another spooky masterpiece. 1.Protection 2.Mezznine 3. 100th Window 4. Blue Lines
nilo n gave it a 10:
The best album from Massive Attack. Incredible. I never listened somthing like this.
John gave it a 10:
As with all other Massive Attrack CD's, my favourite it Protection and Mezzanine, 100th Window is different, it what I expected late at night in a dark room - Fan Fucking Tastic..just listen to it!
Dave T gave it a 9:
in a darkened room, late at night, headphones on, it talks to your soul. not mezzanine, but nothing else ever was. i miss daddy g, and sinead is good but better on asian dub foundation. horrace andy is awesome. the next evolvement with daddy g back will show whether there is more magic to come or if this was the end.
L P gave it a 7:
This album is beautitul, but also quite dark and disturbing. It will take a couple of listens to get used to, but then after that you realize the detail in 3-D's production is Crazeeee!...but in a good way.
