Band: Primal Fear
Country of Origin: US
Status: Active
Genre: Groove metal / Industrial metal
Type: Full Length
Format: CD Digipak
Length Approx.: 44:00 min.
Length Approx.: 44:00 min.
Release Date: 02-05-2016
Current label: SPV GmbH
Release label: SPV GmbHIR Classification: Moderate (3.4 / 5)
Listen our review! (English)
A very divisive album
with old elements, venturing into the mainstream
Prong has been delivering tunes for over three decades, Tommy
Victor started with the band around 1986 playing some kind of Crossover and
Thrash metal at that time, their debut album "Force Fed" released
back in 1988 set them in the underground scene, but it was not until 1991 with
their third album "Prove You Wrong" which appeals more to the groove
sound of bands like Pantera or Machine Head, in 1994 they were able to reach
their pinnacle of their career with the album "Cleansing".
However by 1996 they came out with their album
"Rude Awakening" which doesn't capture enough attention, some people
blamed them for adding Nu metal elements, later in 1997, they split and took
different ways, Tommy Victor joined Danzig and by 2002 the band was reformed and
focus in the songwriting for their sixth full length which was released in
2003, Prong was ready with a comeback album entitled "Scorpio Rising"
but again, it wasn't what everyone were expected, but persistence leads to
succeed, in 2007 their album "Power of the Damager" put them back in
the right track, with a relentless thrash metal and giving high hopes to their
diminished fanbase, by 2012 "Carved Into Stone" takes an approach to
groove metal and it blends with some thrashier riffage, at some point sounds to
me like Anthrax and their "Persistence of Time" album, during 2014
they released their tenth album "Ruining Lives" which resembles the era of "Beg to
Differ" and "Prove You Wrong", seems to be very tempting for the
old followers, with tracks like "The Barriers", "Remove,
Separate Self" or even "The Book Of Change" it's almost
impossible to let it go.
One of the Prong constant problems has been to pull up a
steady line-up, "X - No Absolutes" count with Tommy Victor in guitars
and vocals, bassist Jason Christopher (ex-Sebastian Bach) and drummer Arturo
"Art" Cruz (Winds of Plague), So! let's get into business and review
Prongs new album "X - No Absolutes" which turns to be a very divisive
album in my opinion "Ultimate Authority" and "Sense of
Ease" both built with fast grooving riffage and thrash industrial elements
which became as the consistent part in their latest releases, including catchy
tracks, "Without Words" and "Cut And Dry" with abundant
melodies and more mainstream as we notice in their previous record, "No
Absolutes" and "Do Nothing" for a single minute, I got bother,
because I thought that somehow my player began playing Linkin Park, but no!
Even so I had to check the track list to believe what I was listening and I got
speechless, "Belief System" cause divergence because its grounding in
the middle of nothing far from their roots and far to be a deathcore tune,
"Ice Runs Through My Veins" structured with an electro-pop vibe and
mainstream chords, losing their guitar signature riff, the closing track must
have been "Worth Pursuing" due to the heavy riffage, solid bass notes
and the drums sound very decent and steady.
After listening several times "X - No
Absolutes", I still striving to go with them, unfortunately they have lots
of dynamics, no doubt at their best, but directionless! In my opinion, few
tracks save the brightness of the yesteryear, while others venture into a more
mainstream culture, I think is up to you, listen and make your own judgment.
Stay True… Stay Metal… Stay Brutal...
Track List:1. Ultimate Authority
2. Sense Of Ease
3. Without Words
4. Cut And Dry
5. No Absolutes
6. Do Nothing
7. Belief System
8. Soul Sickness
9. In Spite Of Hindrances
10. Ice Runs Through My Veins
11. Worth Pursuing
12. With Dignity
13. Universal Law (bonus track)
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