Enemy Maker

If you want to understand Dub War's musical philosophy, start with the artful juxtaposition of the two words in the band's name, then consider this admirably succinct statement by frontman Benji: "I've never seen why we should stick to one style when there's so much music to enjoy." With that thought in mind, you won't be shocked to hear a punk-metal anthem like "Money in the Bank" followed immediately by a drum'n'bass remix of "Nations" (courtesy of flavor-of-the-month junglist Aphrodite), or to hear the soulful trip hop of "Silencer" (in a demo mix) followed by an acoustic version of the title track, and then by a seriously tweaked-out dub mix of the same track. The album ends with a bang, with a brilliantly abstract DJ Ninj jungle remix of "Pain". None of this is completely original — others had dabbled in metal-jungle fusion before and many more would do so later — but Dub War's willingness to run headlong in any stylistic directon it wanted and turn around without pause to run in a completely different direction at the next moment was thrilling and inspiring. Recommended.