| Westgate Under Fire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 5 August 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2016–2022 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:45 | |||
| Label | Earache | |||
| Producer | Richard "Action" Jackson | |||
| Dub War chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Westgate Under Fire | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Kerrang! | 4/5 [2] |
| Louder Sound |    [1] |
Westgate Under Fire is the third studio album by Welsh ragga metal band Dub War, released on 5 August 2022 via Earache Records. It is the first album of new material by the band since Wrong Side of Beautiful in 1996.
After their split in 1999, 3/4 of the band went on to form Skindred, however only frontman Benji Webbe remained by 2004. In 2014, the group reunited for a limited number of shows with Mikee Gregory on live drums. [4] [5] This was followed in March 2016 with the single "Fun Done" [6] and "Making a Monster" in October that year. This was initially planned to be part of a series of singles that would eventually culminate in a full album through independent label Saint Ringland Records. [7]
However, these plans eventually fell through until 2022, when the group announced Westgate Under Fire, inspired by the events of the Newport Rising, and important moment in the Chartist movement. [8] [9] The group reunited with Earache Records to release the album, [10] and recruited a host of drummers to perform on the album alongside Gregory. The first single, "Blackkk Man", was released on 2 March 2022. The track was inspired by the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests. [11] Previous stand-alone single "Fun Done" is included on the album, while "Making a Monster" was renamed "Mary Shelley".
All tracks are written by Benji Webbe, Jeff Rose and Richie Glover.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blackkk Man" | 3:30 |
| 2. | "War Inna Babylon" (Max Romeo and The Upsetters cover, featuring Ranking Roger) | 3:41 |
| 3. | "Vibes in the Place" | 3:48 |
| 4. | "Art of War" (featuring Spike T. Smith) | 2:11 |
| 5. | "Reveal It" (featuring Roy Mayorga) | 4:50 |
| 6. | "Mary Shelley" | 4:13 |
| 7. | "Bite Back" (featuring Dave Chavarri) | 3:18 |
| 8. | "Coffin Lid" | 3:52 |
| 9. | "Crying Clowns" (featuring Jamie Miller and Mikey Doling) | 3:18 |
| 10. | "Get Back Up" (featuring Mike Bordin) | 3:55 |
| 11. | "Fun Done" | 3:29 |
| 12. | "Stay Together" (Al Green cover) | 4:19 |
| 13. | "Celtic Cross" (featuring Tanner Wayne) | 3:21 |
| Total length: | 47:45 | |
Dub War
Additional musicians
| Production
Artwork
|
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [12] | 27 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [13] | 49 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [14] | 2 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [15] | 1 |
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing early grindcore and death metal records between the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Its roster has since diversified into more mainstream guitar music, working with bands such as Rival Sons, the Temperance Movement, Blackberry Smoke, Scarlet Rebels and the White Buffalo. The company also hosted the 'Earache Express' stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2017 and 'The Earache Factory' at Boomtown 2018. The label's logo is a homage to Thrasher magazine, as Pearson was a skateboard culture enthusiast.
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