Long-awaited dub version of Massive Attack's Mezzanine LP is a treat for fans and casual listeners alike, Massive Attack V Mad Professor Part II (Mezzanine Remix Tapes '98) was released as part of Mezzanine's 20th anniversary.

Five of its eight tracks may already be familiar to diehard fans, having appeared on various 12-inches and compilations before and after Mezzanine's original release.

Mezzanine, Massive Attack's most commercially successful album, was a torment to make as its members argued over the band's direction. The album's dramatic shift in sound was the result of bitter infighting, missed deadlines and months of neurotic tinkering. The soulful dubbiness of Blue Lines and Protection gave way to rockier, more paranoid atmospheres. But Part II is, for the most part, an upbeat record. Fraser puts a spring in the step of famously dusky tracks like "Angel," "Inertia Creeps" and "Teardrop." His "(Mazaruni Dub 1)" of "Teardrop" is a particular delight, tweaking and splintering the sombre pads, harpsichord melody and Elizabeth Fraser's vocals into a smoky, bassy beauty. It's one for crafty DJs looking to turn heads and melt hearts at the afterparty.

But Fraser wouldn't be doing right by Massive Attack if there weren't some dank moments on Part II. Even without 3D and Daddy G's hushed, anxious raps, "Risingson (Setting Sun Dub 2)" is creepy, a disorientating soundscape of cymbal crashes, bird cries and what might be the coolest sound on the record: a synth gurgle the texture of tar, which enters halfway. Creepier still is "Group Four (Security Forces Dub)," the only track where the remix might be eerier than the original. With none of Elizabeth Fraser's high-pitched warbles, the dub is noisy and bleak. The notion of dub versions was born from a desire to experiment, to pull and twist a song's elements into exciting new forms. But many people's favourite remixes also stay faithful to the source material. Part II gets this balance just right.