At the time of this album's release,
Steel Pulse's core membership had dwindled to three: drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nesbitt, keyboardist Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown, and singer/guitarist
David Hinds. The band's sound, however, remains tight and heavy, laying the electronic sheen of modern dancehall over the heavyweight one-drop beat and conscious lyrics of classic roots reggae.
Steel Pulse may never again achieve the inspired heights of their earlier work (particularly the stunning
Tribute to the Martyrs and the hooky, forward-looking
True Democracy), but
Rage and Fury shows that no one needs to write the band any epitaphs just yet. "Role Model" rocks with a solid hip-hop/reggae groove and features a fine cameo by DJ Mega Banton; Jukie Ranks contributes to the equally hard "I Spy." The mood is lightened considerably by a cover (perhaps not entirely necessary) of
Van Morrison's "Brown-Eyed Girl," but things get heavy again quickly with an updated version of "Ku Klux Klan" (originally recorded on
Handsworth Revolution,
Steel Pulse's debut album), which appears again in a jungle remix at the album's end. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson