The Prodigy once was regarded as the forerunner of electronica, the kinetic mid-90s music craze. 1997's The Fat of the Land was the perfect techno album. Rugged and garage-raw, the album was lined with ear-splitting bass drums, police siren wails and walls of industrial guitar. It continues to inspire police tickets and insomnia.
Seven years later, The Prodigy has released Always Outnumbered
Never Outgunned an occasionally attention-grabbing yet generic reminder of how great distorted guitars and drum loops used to sound.
Liam Howlett, the classically trained pianist and beat master behind the outfit, is the only original member on the album. To compensate for the much-missed vocals of Keith Flint, Howlett warps the vocals of, among others, Twista, Kool Keith and Juliette Lewis (yes, the actress turned wannabe rock star) to thicken the album's sound and to add a pop structure to the songs.
Celebrity appeal aside, these cameos are rarely worthwhile. The Prodigy's strength was always found in its meticulous production values and unconventional sound-collage approach. Does the new album live up to the group's past glory? Yes -but it's not half as interesting or original as it used to be.
Howlett shines on tracks like Shoot Down a punk-rock song lined with echoing snares and an infectious guitar twang that does its best to zone you out and pump you up. Girls
the album's best song, begins with an '80s sample but soon takes off into a blitz of organic, staccato beats accompanied by a damaged MIDI riff straight out of a Salt 'n' Pepa B-side.
Unfortunately, every great track is mirrored by a repetitious anti-anthem that would sound better on an MTV compilation from 1993. The Way It Is is an uninspired Chemical Brothers rip-off, while opener Spitfire sounded much better seven years ago when it was called Firestarter.
Always Outnumbered
Never Outgunned is ultimately disappointing, but it's still an album that can't be ignored. For slick beats and industrial drones that get the testosterone flowing, The Prodigy ranks up there with Nine Inch Nails. The album does just enough to inspire The Prodigy's die hard-fans to brace themselves for another seven years of anticipation.
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Sean Edgar
