• Rating:
It must be said that compared to their previous works, with this one the Prodigy have almost changed genre, moving from an innovative and very appreciable techno to a very aggressive techno. By this, I don't mean that I don't like the album; in fact, there are some songs that I find beautiful, but I still preferred the previous "Experience" and "Music For Jilted Generation."
I can't fathom what was going through Liam Howlett's mind when he decided to give a dancer (Kool Keith) the role of singer, but the only thing I am sure about is that this nano-punk can't sing (in fact, his voice is shaped by the Goddess Technology). Fortunately, you don't hear him in the first song. "Smack My Bitch Up" is, in my opinion, one of this group's most successful tracks, and I say this not only as a DJ but also as someone who saw the video when I was practically still a kid. The following "Breathe" (the beginning will sound familiar because it's a sample of the 007 theme riff) is the only track I like that's contaminated by Keith's voice. Why? Because it's powerful, damn it.
Then there's a string of songs where you can clearly hear the hip-hop influences of the third member Maxim. Frankly, I don't like them. "Serial Thrilla" is hard-core techno in its raw state, super aggressive. Then there's "Narayan," particularly appreciating the part that brings a hypnotic Middle-Eastern ecstasy. It is followed by the very aggressive "Firestarter," which makes me wrinkle my nose a bit, asking: was it really worth venturing into such a hard-hitting type of techno? I know many like it, but personally, I don't find it good at all.
It's a good album nonetheless, but in my opinion not up to the previous ones (yes, even 'Experience' seems better to me). Oh well... I preferred the days when Kool Keith was a dancer with long hair and a tracksuit...
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