Prong
Power Of The Damager

Prong has been a fundamental band for the development of Metal; born in the second half of the '80s, they contributed to the birth of new currents within the genre. They were the first to combine the violence and aggression of Thrash Metal with a greater use of melody and contamination from other genres, effectively foreshadowing the advent of Crossover. Moreover, from the beginning, they incorporated Industrial and electronic elements, decisively contributing to the birth of Industrial metal. Despite their importance, partly due to the anti-mainstream attitude that always accompanies politicized groups, and partly due to their never too accessible musical offerings, they never recorded exorbitant sales or significant popularity rates.

In this latest album, released on October 2, 2007, the real novelty is the change of label, namely the transition from Locomotive Music to 13th Planet Records of Al Jourgensen, who is also involved in the production.

Musically, the album remains in the usual style of the New York band, despite the lineup changes: Tommy Victor's guitar, now the only remaining original member, is always the same, with its characteristic distortion and Thrash Metal riffs. The drums, entrusted to Aaron Rossi, are less dry than usual, and indulge in a more audacious use of the double pedal, contributing to hardening the sound in some tracks. The bass, as in all Prong albums, is very present; indeed, unlike what happens in most Metal albums, Monte Pittman's bass lines are clearly audible and contribute to giving depth to the powerful guitar lines. A difference from past productions is constituted by a greater use of the voice: Tommy Victor no longer restricts himself to the muffled and confused screams of previous productions, but instead tries to use his voice in different ways, sometimes exaggerating a bit ("No Justice" is a blatant example).

The album begins with a typical Prong opener: "Looking For Them" is indeed a piece with vaguely Thrash sounds, yet it does not forgo melody, characterized by a repetitive riff and an overwhelming chorus. Another track in the typical style of the band is undoubtedly "The Banishment", which somewhat recalls the song "Broken Peace", present in the album "Cleansing", in structure and sounds; particularly notable is the finale enriched by the imposing keyboards, played by Al Jourgensen. There are pure Thrash-style tracks, such as the intense "3rd Option" or the title track, where the bass perfectly interlocks with the powerful guitar lines; it may seem a paradox, but the just-mentioned tracks show us that Prong is one of the bands that today best expresses the concept of Thrash metal, despite the New York band being universally cited as a cornerstone of Post Thrash development. There are melodic openings with vaguely Nu metal sounds, like "Pure Ether" and "Worst Of It", while the surprising positive is the final "Changing Ending Troubling Time", characterized by a higher duration compared to the average of the tracks and sounds tending towards Melodic Death.

Two or three somewhat less inspired tracks lower the rating of an otherwise excellent album, with an unmistakable style and impeccable production.

P.S. This review was written in memory of Paul Raven, bassist of this band and Ministry and Killing Joke, who suddenly died on October 20.