Boots on the Ground is a landmark collaboration between Bristol trip-hop innovators Massive Attack and the legendary Tom Waits, released in 2026. It marks Massive Attack's first new music since 2020 and Waits's first new recording since his 2011 album Bad As Me, making this an eagerly anticipated meeting of two of music's most distinctive and uncompromising voices. The release addresses, in the artists' own words, "the American epoch that is yet to be named," signaling that both artists remain as politically and culturally engaged as ever.
The title track pairs Massive Attack's atmospheric, tension-laden production with Waits's gravelly, world-weary presence, resulting in something that feels urgent and timeless in equal measure. The B-side, "The Fly," is an exclusively recorded spoken word piece from Waits, showcasing his trademark sardonic wit and storytelling craft. Together, the two tracks form a collaboration that feels like a genuine creative event — a rare convergence of artists whose individual legacies speak for themselves.
- Format: Vinyl
- Color Vinyl
- Label: Play It Again Sam
- Genre: Electronic, Rock, Non-Music
- Release Date: 07/31/2026
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TRACKS
A. Boots On The Ground
B. The Fly
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