Dreadzone - Dread Times (Dubwiser Records)

The line-up of the band has been expanded with Bazil (samples, electronics) and Greg Dread's son Marlon has also joined the ranks. Where the guest contributions on 'Dread Times' are concerned, none other than Don Letts wrote the lyrics for 'Battle' and singer-songwriter Lena Cullen leant her voice to the poppy 'Never Going Back', but we especially noted the resurrection of nineteen nineties ragga duo Louchie Lou & Michie One - remember 'Shout (It Out)' - in 'Area Code'. For 'Music Army' Dreadzone goes Balkan and be sure to check the militant 'Black Deus' in which, among others, the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. can be heard. But a "real" Dreadzone track of course features the voices of MC Spee and Earl Sixteen, and in that category, we want to make sure to mention the gripping 'Where Is My Friend', an ode to Sixteen's friend Derek Serpell-Morris (better known as DJ Derek, with a career spanning over 40 (!) years, one of Britain's foundation deejays in ska, rocksteady, reggae, dancehall and soul). Derek was reported missing in July of 2015 and his remains weren't recovered until March of 2016. But we also shouldn't forget opener 'Rootsman', in which Earl calls on the current generation of reggae not to forget the founders of the genre, and then of course there's also the aforementioned 'Battle'. 'Dread Times' might just be the best Dreadzone album since 1995's widely acclaimed 'Second Light'. 'Dread Times' indeed!