Steel Pulse

• Genre: Pop-Reggae
• Hometown: Birmingham
• Steel Pulse Website

About

Along with Aswad, Steel Pulse have been leaders in British Reggae, drawing inspiration from the music of Bob Marley and Burning Spear to mold their own Jamaican-inspired sound. They started their career opening for the Clash, the Sex Pistols and Generation X, inserting a bit of Punk edginess into their heavy sound. Tracks like "Ku Klux Klan" and "Earth Crisis" carried political messages stowed away on catchy, bass-heavy grooves that ultimately founded the Pop-Reggae genre. Lead singer David Hinds -- instantly recognizable for his massive, up-shooting palm tree of dreadlocks -- has taken the band through many musical realms during their extended career, but has consistently based their sound around traditional Roots influences, searing guitar solos and blazing horns. After delving a little too heavily into overproduced, synth-based music, Steel Pulse have returned to their original sound.

- Robyn W.