PRONG — No Absolutes (review)

PRONG — No Absolutes album cover Album · 2016 · Groove Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
Prong’s 2016 album X No Absolutes is a real stunner. The band entered a new golden period of high quality and high productivity with 2012’s Carved Into Stone. Since then they’ve released 4 studio albums, one covers album, and one semi-live album. You could imagine with that high an output maybe the albums would sound rushed, but quite the opposite, this is arguably the strongest period of their career to date.

Among the best of this renaissance period is X No Absolutes, which is their tenth full length studio album (hence the X!). Prong show no weakness or slowing down with age. This album is pretty damn bad ass. The album follows the musical direction of the past few albums; Pantera & Early Machine Head-esque ’90s sounding Groove Metal mixed with brief hints of Thrash, a weird arty Killing Joke tinge at times, the best parts of Nu Metal used in moderation and all that is wrapped up in Tommy Victor’s New York bark.

The first track, lead single and modern day concert mainstay, ‘Ultimate Authority’ is an absolute winner, starting the album off strong with its faster pace and memorable chorus. All the first four songs are great. Groovy, punchy and memorable. Varied, but tied together perfectly by the vocal and production style. If you want to know if this album (or band) is for you, check out those first four tracks, they are red hot.

The title track comes next, branching out into more melodic material, which then defines the middle of the album. ‘Do Nothing’ actually reminds me a bit of Papa Roach only with more Fear Factory style drums, if you can imagine that. Think Digimortal meets Love Hate Tragedy.

After the middle experimental section of the album, it gears back up into more metallic territory, with ragers like ‘Universal Law’ and ‘In Spite Of Hindrances’ being particular highlights.

If you are into the likes of Pantera, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Pissing Razors, ’90s era Sepultura and actually Five Finger Death Punch as well now that I think of it, I think you would really enjoy this album. Its got a real good mix of styles but lives in that very crunchy, bouncy, memorable world more often than not and is another fine example of Prong’s modern day upswing. If you haven’t checked them out since Cleansing, maybe take a look back in the Prong camp nowadays, they’re as good if not better than ever!
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