Biography
Dub War erupted from Newport, Wales, in 1993 with the raw energy of a defiant adolescent, fusing ragga, post-punk, metal, and unearthly sonic textures into a singular assault. Their self-titled 12-inch immediately drew worldwide critical praise and drew parallels to Faith No More and Rage Against the Machine. Earache released the full-length Pain in 1995, followed a year later by Wrong Side of Beautiful. The more dance-oriented Soundclash EP appeared in 1997, accompanied by a handful of singles, before the remix anthology Step Ta Dis surfaced in 1998. The group disbanded in 1999, after which several members established Skindred and The Jones.
Formed in Wales in 1993, the band surfaced on the British circuit the next year as a politically charged, high-velocity extension of metallic hard rock that braided fresh elements with post-punk and jagged dub reggae. Guitarist Jeff Rose, bassist Richie Glover, drummer Martin Ford, and reggae sound-system vocalist Benji Webbe arrived from contrasting musical histories. Rose had performed with Blood Brothers throughout the 1980s and served as session and touring guitarist for Samantha Fox; Glover had participated in assorted minor punk outfits; Webbe had honed his craft toasting on reggae sound systems, collaborating with dub producer Mad Professor, and navigating the dancehall circuit. Their self-titled 12-inch EP closed out 1993 by simultaneously charting on three separate New Musical Express lists. A debut mini-album followed in 1994, after which the band signed with Earache Records for the Mental EP and joined tours alongside Pop Will Eat Itself and Manic Street Preachers. Mental incorporated remixes by Senser, Brand New Heavies, and Jamiroquai and preceded the Gorrit EP.
Having secured critical standing and a devoted live audience, Dub War delivered their debut album Pain in February 1995. International acclaim enabled extensive touring across the continental United States and Europe. The consistently strong Wrong Side of Beautiful arrived in 1996 and later received a limited-edition reissue containing a bonus disc of remixes titled Right Side of Beautiful. Commercial breakthrough remained elusive, prompting further attempts via the Soundclash EP in 1997 and several subsequent singles. Earache and the band issued the remix collection Step Ta Dis in 1998, yet dissolution followed shortly thereafter.
Webbe initiated the side project Mass Mental, which included future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and also partnered with Soulfly. Mass Mental evolved into the nu-metal quartet Skindred alongside Rose and Glover; in 2002 the latter pair departed to establish Raw Bud, while Glover additionally co-founded The Jones. Skindred alone sustained ongoing activity.
In late 2019 Rose contacted Webbe and Glover to stage reunion performances under the Dub War name. Employing multiple drummers, the musicians completed more than a dozen sold-out, widely praised shows that reignited creative momentum before the pandemic halted proceedings in March 2020. Throughout that year the core members exchanged recorded ideas online to develop new material. Satisfied with the results, they recruited Richard “Action” Jackson to produce and mix the recordings, and he in turn brought in additional engineers. Drummer Mike Gregor was enlisted for both live and studio work, joined by six further percussionists and several guests that included Roy Mayorga of Stone Sour, Mike Bordin of Faith No More, Tanner Wayne of In Flames, Spike T. Smith of Killing Joke, and the late ska legend and former English Beat toaster Ranking Roger, captured in a live appearance in 2019 shortly before his death.
In total the sessions yielded thirteen tracks, among them the single “Blackkk Man” and a vigorous cover of Max Romeo’s “War Inna Babylon.” The collection appeared as Westgate Under Fire on Earache in August 2022.
Formed in Wales in 1993, the band surfaced on the British circuit the next year as a politically charged, high-velocity extension of metallic hard rock that braided fresh elements with post-punk and jagged dub reggae. Guitarist Jeff Rose, bassist Richie Glover, drummer Martin Ford, and reggae sound-system vocalist Benji Webbe arrived from contrasting musical histories. Rose had performed with Blood Brothers throughout the 1980s and served as session and touring guitarist for Samantha Fox; Glover had participated in assorted minor punk outfits; Webbe had honed his craft toasting on reggae sound systems, collaborating with dub producer Mad Professor, and navigating the dancehall circuit. Their self-titled 12-inch EP closed out 1993 by simultaneously charting on three separate New Musical Express lists. A debut mini-album followed in 1994, after which the band signed with Earache Records for the Mental EP and joined tours alongside Pop Will Eat Itself and Manic Street Preachers. Mental incorporated remixes by Senser, Brand New Heavies, and Jamiroquai and preceded the Gorrit EP.
Having secured critical standing and a devoted live audience, Dub War delivered their debut album Pain in February 1995. International acclaim enabled extensive touring across the continental United States and Europe. The consistently strong Wrong Side of Beautiful arrived in 1996 and later received a limited-edition reissue containing a bonus disc of remixes titled Right Side of Beautiful. Commercial breakthrough remained elusive, prompting further attempts via the Soundclash EP in 1997 and several subsequent singles. Earache and the band issued the remix collection Step Ta Dis in 1998, yet dissolution followed shortly thereafter.
Webbe initiated the side project Mass Mental, which included future Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and also partnered with Soulfly. Mass Mental evolved into the nu-metal quartet Skindred alongside Rose and Glover; in 2002 the latter pair departed to establish Raw Bud, while Glover additionally co-founded The Jones. Skindred alone sustained ongoing activity.
In late 2019 Rose contacted Webbe and Glover to stage reunion performances under the Dub War name. Employing multiple drummers, the musicians completed more than a dozen sold-out, widely praised shows that reignited creative momentum before the pandemic halted proceedings in March 2020. Throughout that year the core members exchanged recorded ideas online to develop new material. Satisfied with the results, they recruited Richard “Action” Jackson to produce and mix the recordings, and he in turn brought in additional engineers. Drummer Mike Gregor was enlisted for both live and studio work, joined by six further percussionists and several guests that included Roy Mayorga of Stone Sour, Mike Bordin of Faith No More, Tanner Wayne of In Flames, Spike T. Smith of Killing Joke, and the late ska legend and former English Beat toaster Ranking Roger, captured in a live appearance in 2019 shortly before his death.
In total the sessions yielded thirteen tracks, among them the single “Blackkk Man” and a vigorous cover of Max Romeo’s “War Inna Babylon.” The collection appeared as Westgate Under Fire on Earache in August 2022.
Albums
