Prong – Age of Defiance

Release Date: 29-10-2019
Label: Steamhammer

Prong- We live in a society… which is exactly the type of thing bands like Prong have always had a gripe with – not that we live in a society, but the type of society that we do said living in.

Now, just in case you’ve been living in a cave somewhere (in which case, those are just shadows you see on the wall) Prong is a New York metal band known more for their industrial-tinted and somewhat groovy outings. They’ve had a long career since 1986 and Age of Defiance is their latest release. It’s a bit of a mini-EP with only two new songs (Age of Defiance and The End of Silence) and three live renditions of old songs. Content-rich, this is not, but let’s see what the content offers.

Of the two new tracks, Age of Defiance is basically a nu-metal number with some Fear Factory-esque staccato riffing thrown in during the verses. It’s upsides are that downtuned guitar tone that is absolutely monstrous and the grooviness of it. Other than that, it’s pretty standard. The End of Sanity is more of a genre mash grounded in rock: you hear nu-metal, hard rock, groove metal, bit of hardcore punk. Though more exciting, it’s a bit chuggy and the main riff is just as simple as they come.

So far, so mediocre.

The live tracks are old Prong songs, but, there is a point to be made here: they sound much better than the new ones. There is a very clear layer (dollop) of gloss on the new songs, which is entirely absent from the lives and the difference is staggering. It’s raw, striking and feels far more real than the polishfest that are the new tracks – when your album sounds like it could be the new Skillet joint, you have the problem of having too much pop in your sound. Think on it, guys.

I don’t really have much else to say about Age of Defiance, really – Prong is being Prong and at this stage of their career, I don’t think expecting more is reasonable. It’s featherly light and played out, sure, but hey, give it a go. Might float your boat.

Line-Up:
Tommy Victor – vocals and guitars
Jason Christopher – bass and backing vocals
Aaron Rossi – drums

01. The Age of Defiance
02. The End of Silence
03. Rude Awakening
04. Another Worldly Device
05. Cut Rate

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