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Prong makes a powerful comeback with genre-defying metal.
After a long wait, American metal band Prong returned in 2023 with a new studio album: State Of Emergency. The long hiatus was partly due to pandemic-related uncertainties, but also to positive personal events in the life of frontman Tommy Victor. Now the band presents an album that remains completely true to their idiosyncratic style: raw, energetic, and genre-transcending.
Victor describes the album as “typical Prong,” with a sound that brings together elements of punk, metal, post-punk noise, doom, blues, and thrash, supported by direct, powerful vocals. The songs were produced by Steve Evetts and combine intensity with variety. ‘Breaking Point’ is reminiscent of the Cleansing era, while the title track evokes the recognizable groove and hardcore flair of ‘Beg To Differ’. There are also surprises, such as the post-punk-tinged ‘Disconnected’ and the experimental ‘Back’ (NYC). The album closes with a heavy, slowed-down version of the Rush classic ‘Working Man’, paying tribute to one of Victor’s biggest influences.
The artwork also receives praise: according to Victor, Marcelo Vasco perfectly visualized the theme of media control.
