Prong – "State of Emergency"

Because "State of the World Address" was already taken?

Much like Filter, Prong is another band that I dug back in the day, but didn't bother following up on after they disbanded and reemerged as one main man with a revolving door of two other guys around him. Also not the least due to the poor reception of their 2003 attempt at a comeback album, "Scorpio Rising".

Once again, though, it seems I might have been missing out.

From its onset, "State of Emergency" is unmistakably Prong. Opener "The Descent" switches between relentlessly precise thrash and one of those equal parts simple and ass-kicking hardcore guitar figures around which Prong pretty much centered their golden age material. Main man Tommy Victor's primal yelling is as primal as always, but also his clean vocals sound like no time has passed since his band's heyday. And it's cool to be reminded how great of a shouter he is.

The hardcore element is prevalent, with especially the chromatic cadence of "Lights Turn Black" sounding more like Biohazard than anything else. Shit, even Victor's voice is strikingly resemblant to Evan Seinfeld's. In fact, a lot here sounds conspicuously like this one little 1994 H/C masterpiece called "State of the World Address". (Shit, is the album title a coincidence??)

However, when you're traversing crossover country like Prong, the world's best H/C album isn't the worst thing to resemble. And many of the elements do work, like those all too well-known breakdowns for which the H/C scene has so much to answer. (No, I don't mean that in an unconditionally positive way). For example, the opener has a quarter-time breakdown. And in the equally H/C-like title track, Victor initiates a breakdown just a few BPM above half-time – only by shouting lyrics. Say what you want about breakdowns; that is cool as shit. And on the other end of the scale, Victor's hometown hymn "Back (NYC)" moshes around in the violently thrashy side of H/C.

This is the sound of what happens when mercilessly meticulous bitchslapping meets all-round musical aptitude.

And apart from all the groove elements that made the band what it became, "State of Emergency" keeps on opening up, the uptempo "Breaking Point" being just a tad more catchy than the openers. And "Non-Existence", with its simple lead over that melodic cadence, is, from start to finish, just as legitimate of a hit as "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" or "Prove You Wrong".

Same thing goes for "Disconnected", echoing the title track from 1996's overlooked "Rude Awakening" album. In fact – and again, like with Filter – this sounds like alternative hard rock from the '90s as much as anything else. But it just showcases Victor's versatility as a musician and songwriter. The same thing goes for the man's vocals which, especially on this track, almost sound like two different people, with one strangely clean, almost boyish baritone complementing the other, aforementioned deep, primal shouting. And shit, I have to mention his guitar skills as well, with especially the opener featuring a solo of complete fucking face-melting dimensions. (Like on the new Extreme album, curiously.)

Another stand-out is the dry half-tempo chug of "Obeisance", its distortion so crisp that the guitar, much like in Meshuggah, sounds like actual metal grating against metal. Which is pretty damn metal. And this is complemented by a melodic chorus with a harmony voice, arpeggiated chords, and a mandolin-style background tremolo lead. Again, much like Filter-style alternative '90s hard rock.

But Prong is just that tad better than a band like Filter. Because Victor never lets his melodies go too sugary sweet, and because Prong has a baseline of straight-up being heavy as shit. The drums here are mechanically precise, but it doesn't sound like triggers. This is simply the sound of what happens when mercilessly meticulous bitchslapping meets all-round musical aptitude.

Anyone who was ever into the band since "Beg to Differ" ('90) won't go wrong here. And it looks like yours truly has some catching up to do with the Prong albums from this century.

If anyone wanted another example of the band's musicality, the ending cover of Rush's "Working Man" makes an obvious such. I made my standpoint on cover songs clear in my review of the latest Alice Cooper LP in which he covers The Who's "Magic Bus". But just like the Coop, Prong deliver an equal parts respectful and personalized version. Perhaps shaving off a bit much, but still hitting the sweet spot on the continuum between carbon copying and creative freedom.

In the grand scheme of things, sure: If Prong had had more interesting features and stronger staying power than, say, Pantera, they would've made it bigger than they did. But less does it. And "State of Emergency" is one of those examples of an album that would've been considered on par with the group's classic outputs, had it been released in the same decade as those.

Anyone who was ever into the band since "Beg to Differ" ('90) won't go wrong here. And it looks like yours truly has some catching up to do with the Prong albums from this century.

Rating: 4.5 out of 6

Genre: Groove/thrash metal / hardcore
Release date: 6/10/2023
Label: Steamhammer/SPV
Producer: Steve Evetts