Two decades of success havn't extinguished the fire in the belly of Grammy-winning reggae act Steel Pulse.
"Rage & Fury," the English trio's first studio album in three years, is as lyrically fiery as anything the band has done.Songs like "Emotional Prisoner," "The Real Terrorist" and "Black and Proud" - as well as two remakes of its classic number "Ku Klux Klan," one in the "dub" style - uphold Steel Pulse's reputation as a politically conscious rock band.
Or to be more specific, the group is continuing to make music "in a very educational mode," said David Hinds, vocalist and guitarist for Steel Pulse.
"We're not here to start a physical revolution," said Hinds, the band primary songwriter, during a telephone interview. "We're just here to open everybody's eyes and let them check things out for themselves."
For example, the band cautions against anti-racist sentiments - not just against blacks but also against other racial ethnicities - on the song "I Spy . . . (No Stranger to Danger)." In fact, Hinds said he and his bandmates, Selwyn "Bumbo" Brown and Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett, are continuing to preach for racial pride, which can only be achieved through racial unity.
"We're losing ourselves and I think it's very important for us to realize that," Hinds said. "Too many of our youths have been lost of drugs or by the gun or not having the education needed to persevere and move in an upward direction."
Elsewhere on the album, Steel Pulse has contemporized its sound by bringing its guest DJs Mega Banton, Jukie Ranks and Prezident Brown, who contribute rapped vocals.
Hinds said that the inspiration on those tracks came from rap/reggae fusionists the Fugees, another act that doesn't exactly try to hide the political messages in its songs.
"I'm very impressed with what the Fugees are achieving," he said. "They're still coming through on a political tip, coming through with songs that can appear to be a thorn in America's side."