AT the time Mikal Asher’s previous album was released in 2001 the world was going through chaos with the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York. He also experienced turbulence in his personal life which curtailed his music career.

On September 21 Unchained, the singer’s third album, will be released by VP Records. Like its predecessors, the 13-song set has a strong roots-reggae feel.

More importantly, Asher told the Jamaica Observer, Unchained is a personal testimony.

“Dis is Mikal Asher story — which is about Africa, black man redemption, black man salvation. Dis is what Mikal Asher is all about,” he said.

Most of Unchained is produced by Ronald Butler, a respected guitarist who has worked with The Wailers, The Meditations, Israel Vibration and Anthony B.

Two of the songs are produced by Gary Davis of Chocolate Star Record who produced Asher’s first song, Starting All Over, in 1994.

“My thing is a more old-school type a feel. The intention is to be back to basics as far as reggae is concerned, and I think we achieved that,” he said.

Binghiman, one of the songs from Unchained, is scheduled for release today. Songs already out are Battlefield and African Spirit.

Born in Clarendon, Asher (real name Michael Morgan) is well-connected musically. His older brother is singer Denroy Morgan, patriarch of Grammy-winning band Morgan Heritage.

For the past 40 years he has been a member of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, whose back-to-Africa mission statement appealed to him.

Asher lived for a time in Africa, settling in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. His first album, Binghiman, was released in 1999, followed two years later by Armageddon.

The year Armageddon came out, Asher was sent to Federal prison for seven years. On his release he said family, not music, took precedent.

Unchained is his biggest music project since Armageddon. It has a sound reminiscent of his early years with the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

“It’s organic, it’s natural. It’s who we are,” he said.