PRONG — Beg to Differ (review)

PRONG — Beg to Differ album cover Album · 1990 · Crossover Thrash Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Beg to Differ" is the second full-length studio album by US, New York based thrash/groove/crossover metal act Prong. The album was released through Epic Records in March 1990. While the band´s first two releases were issed through small local labels, and were therefore relatively raw and primitive underground releases, "Beg to Differ" is a completely different beast, as Prong was discovered by Epic Records, who provided the band with a recording budget which allowed them to hire producer Mark Dodson (Anthrax, Judas Priest, Suicidal Tendencies)...

...and that is audible as "Beg to Differ" features a professional, detailed, and powerful sounding production job. Sure the guitar sound is maybe a bit on the thin side, and Tommy Victor´s vocals could also have sounded a little better, but other than that this is a well sounding release and a huge step up in sound quality from the raw and unpolished "Force Fed" (1988).

While "Beg to Differ" opens with the full-on thrash metal assault of "For Dear Life", most of the remaining tracks on the 11 track, 40:58 minutes long album (10 originals and one live cover of "Third From the Sun" by Chrome) are more heavy and groove/thrash oriented. It´s arguably one of the earliest examples of groove/thrash and Prong should most certainly be counted among the seminal artists in the genre. Prong are interesting as although they include quite a few hardcore influences in their music (and the odd nod towards post-punk and Killing Joke in particular), this is not standard fare crossover thrash metal (at least not how most people would think crossover thrash metal would sound). They are influenced more by the heavy and bouncy part of the New York hardcore scene, but combine that influence with thrash metal riffs and aggression.

Upon conclusion "Beg to Differ" is a high quality sophomore studio album by Prong. It´s a step up in every department from what came before, and the first time Prong showed a personal songwriting style and performance (the drumming by Ted Parsons deserves to be mentioned as a highlight). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Take Shelter Immediately Sludge Metal
ORTHRUS (VT)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Witness To A Wasted World Deathcore
PATH TO EXTINCTION
Buy this album from MMA partners
Born Rotting Sludge Metal
GOUT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Aspiral Symphonic Metal
EPICA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Antifragile Melodic Metalcore
ALL THAT REMAINS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Call To Arms - Vultures
CALL TO ARMS
Bosh66· 2 hours ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us