Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

This London, UK based band is far from what I would call ordinary, entering into an atmosphere few artists attempt, crossing genres and creating a unique sound that encompasses many aspects. This album is their sophomore effort and includes guest vocals by Planet Asia, Massive Attack, The Specials, and Sight beyond Light.

The Dub Pistols began in 1996 and soon signed a 3 EP deal with England's Concrete label. DJ Barry Ashworth is a huge force in the UK's underground music scene. He started out as a promoter, establishing two infamous nightclubs, Eat the Worm and Naked Lunch as well as establishing Monkey Drum nights on the exotic party island of Ibiza. Ashworth has remixed tracks for the likes of Moby, Limp Bizkit, and Filter, and you can appreciate his production knowledge on this album.

Their music is a fusion of sounds that incorporate hip hop, ska, reggae, punk, and soul with some tribal drums mixed in with heavy beats and a strong reggae influence. It would be very hard to genre classify this band, most artists that attempt this genre clashing end up with tracks that are basically noise, where the Dub Pistols have done the opposite in creating a unique blend of the best elements taken from electronica, ska, reggae, and hip hop, producing a clean, commercial friendly fusion of dub and big beat sounds.

Tracks off the album include Soldiers, a mellow groove with a memorable trumpet melody, followed by Big World, a track that has an unearthly quality mixed into reggae and hip hop beats. They pick up the pace with Problem Is, which includes a catchy beat that will get your feet moving. My favorite track off the album, and the first single to be released is Official Chemical, which has a faster rap/rock style, followed by 3am beautiful, a song that has a haunting melody line that might rock you to sleep if you weren't so fascinated by its changes.

The title track, "Six Million Ways to Live" delivers an incredible lyrical message folded into the beat in classic Dub Pistols style, followed by Revolution, a spacy almost dizzy backdrop with a heavy bass line, and Crazy, with its tribal intro, and strange vocals this song classifies the true diversity of their sound. The last set of tracks off the album are the 70's style Riptides, the fast paced Soul shaking, the effect laden Architect, and the final track, Together as one, where you'll likely find yourself way out in the atmosphere by the time it finishes.

Six Million Ways to Live should turn heads in a variety of diverse crowds, especially after the bands appearance on the notorious 2001 Vans Warped Tour where they gained a legion of new fans. For those bouncing around the underground scene looking for a new channel for their energy, this just might be the answer.