Diagnostics is a dark, gritty, underground drum ‘n’ bass album. It is great for what it is, but won’t appeal to all listeners of the genre. There is hardly any sign of melody or keyboards and the occasional computerised vocals create a sinister feel. The beats are crunchy and raw and the structure to each song is well thought out. This is most definitely an album, not just a collection of tunes (like a lot of dnb Lps) which makes it difficult to pick out a stand out track. Equally hard is to find a song that lets the album down.
You won’t here many of these tracks at a club; you’re more likely to hear the album stuck on repeat in a basement of a house party. Technical Itch is an excellent producer (just listen to Killa Bites II) and has proved with this album that he is also a very good creator of drum ‘n’ bass. Not for the faint hearted, but if you’re into the darkside, you’ll love it.

Probably the most interesting current DJ. Laurent Garnier plays anything from Detroit Techno to Old Skool Jazz. If you're ever lucky enough to see him at one of his seven hour sets you'll hear him explore almost every genre there has been over the past twenty years. This guy is a genius and no-one can say a bad word about him. His music has mellowed as he progresses and it is fascinating to compare the original albums with his latest (Cloud Making Machine). Unreasonable Behaviour is one of the best albums ever to be created. Legend!!

Very formulaic drum ‘n’ bass. Cheesy trance style keyboards with fast beats. The structure of songs is simplistic at best and the album is predictable. It’s catchy and that’s why people are going to like it. It’s a shame that this gets labelled drum ‘n’ bass, because although that’s what it is essentially, there is nothing interesting or progressive at all about this album and it lets down the genre. All these songs will be forgotten in a few years, and hopefully so too will Concord Dawn.
There is an attempt of a Slayer remix, ‘Raining Blood’, which doesn’t work very well. ‘Morning Light’ is probably the best effort at a song, but that’s because you haven’t had to endure any of the album before. It gradually gets worse and worse and once the excruciating seventy minutes are up, it’s hard not to feel ill. The lyrics off ‘Don’t Tell Me’ wouldn’t be out of place in an American pop punk song and the aptly titled ‘Horror Show’ almost put me to sleep with its inane repetitions.
A disgrace to the drum ‘n’ bass genre.

Massive Attack’s most famous album has no faults. This is the album that defines the Bristol Trip Hop scene. It’s divided into two halves with the first “exchange” being the midpoint (although on vinyl “Dissolved Girl” appears on the first LP). The first part consists of the famous songs and creates an intense atmosphere until “exchange” eases us into the second half. After multiple listens, you realise that the classic songs are actually on the second LP. For me, although “Angel” and “Teardrop” will always be some of my favourite songs, the real highlights are “Black Milk” and “Group Four” which are often overlooked due to the powerful opening. A repeat of “exchange” is necessary at the end to finish the cycle.
This is a must have album for anyone with an interest in electronic music. “Blue Lines” and “Protection” are also legendary, but have floors. This does not. When it comes to Trip Hop, Massive Attack prove here that they are the godfathers.