Breakage – This Too Shall Pass

In hindsight, one of the top 10 goat dnb albums.

This era breakage is all amazing stripped back no nonsense pressure

This should be repressed by Mr. Boyle, because a lot of people would buy it! Eventually on colored vinyl?

Great release, but like a lot of DnB, people are charging way too much. Somebody wants like $50 for a VG copy that's missing one of the discs. That ought to be illegal.

One of the most underrated albums of all time. This is pure gold!

Like others have said, it is a slight change from some of Breakage's amen outings which were pretty basic yet still fantastic.

This album really shows what he is capable of, some of the tracks have a distinct half time / dub feel.
Lead Me On (from memory) doesn’t even have a snare, just a big lump of a kick drum and mountains of super low bass driving the tune along.

Morning Star is a 2 step roller utilizing the funky worm break, a very nice number.

Losing Track is another highlight, a real hypnotizing tune where 2 of the first beats of the bar are in a half time signature, then the next 2 beats (to make up the whole bar) are in a normal D&B fashion. It makes for a unique bouncy beat but works with the hypnotically deep atmosphere the tune creates.

Ironically my favourite moment comes in the form of the amen work out 'Ruff Dub' featuring Bassbin head honcho 'Rohan'
Hugh bass and a wickedly processed amen makes this tune the perfect vision of 21st Jungle.

Shame the album is only 3x12" release but that seems to be more common in Drum & Bass now days.
The CD version contains more tracks so that is worth getting also.
Breakage sounded unique but also could be described as a Photek / Digital hybrid, which is no bad thing.

As the title of the first track suggests, 'Lead Me On' will lure you into limbo over what you may expect next. 'Morning Star', then, gives you what you want, with its snappy tempo that tells your mind to move. Smooth basslines ensue. I'm a fan of the beat pattern of 'Chump Inc'; listening to the vibrant high hats while keeping track of the elusive snare is sure to hypnotize you. The album is sprinkled with ambience and samples, while keeping focus on the drums, as in 'Losing Track'. Want some dirty drums? 'Shadow' provides. Gets you pumped like you're going to a riot. Throughout the album, the drum sounds and drum patterns are the focus - which is great if you're into the essence of dnb. By this time in the album, you will be asking "where did the bass go?" Enter 'Untitled Jungle' with a bangin' low end - kick & bass. Dance as if no one is looking. That guy just saw you. 'Eve' brings back the slower atmosphere (perhaps it is now after the riot) and emphasizes the precise nature of Breakage's drum programming once again. You know how some dnb can be over-compressed and sounds kinda like white noise? Breakage gives the opposite effect. Crisp. Being quite a long track, 'Eve' then morphs into an entirely different animal; tempo increase, heart rate increase, on the move again, running through the jungle at immense speed. It feels awesome. The aptly named 'Stomp' slows it down again in a downtempo groove that'll make your head bob...and leads down the hip hop avenue into 'Hill St'. I think this is where Breakage tells you to light another spliff and chill out for a bit. If the entire album was a breathing cycle, the first half would be a frantic breath in, and the second half would be you letting it out nice and slowly. Turn up your soundsystem and listen to the stereophonic bass synth of 'A Song For The Simple' as it sweeps up your neurons. By the time "Strumpet' rolls around, you think about the depth of music you've just listened to, and if you were acute you'd recognize genuine production talent. With 'Meaning of Things' you feel you are in a jazzy, dimly lit, smoke filled lounge, and because you're probably burning out from your spliff(s), Breakage slowly wakes you up with some noise in 'Unireverse' to signify the end of the album.

Overall, a tremendous display of work. The double CD, however, is a double-edged sword as it's a lot to take in at once, but, thoughtfully, Breakage has divided the album accordingly. A very intelligent production, 5/5. See also Big Bud.