Prong has been making a major comeback for the better part of four years now. Their new album, X – No Absolutes hit stores on Feb 5 and balance to the metal was achieved; as it is with all Prong releases. Most thought that Tommy Victor and who ever he deems worthy of sharing the stage (Prong) would ever come back from their second hiatus. In 2012 they came back bigger, badder and more well rounded than almost any metal band ever. Tommy Victor is a guy who continuously enjoys learning and he applies that to his work. Since 2012 Prong have released four stunning releases, three of which are new material. All of which are Victors best work. The newest installment of this remarkable comeback is consistent with the past two releases. Prong X – No Absolutes is a brilliantly balanced heavy metal album. Of course it’s thrashy and groovy, a traditional Prong staple. However, now Tommy Victor and crew have seem to come full circle by adding melody. Tommy’s singing now balances the band even more in the center. There are many pieces, especially on the new album, that maybe someone who doesn’t listen to metal would really appreciate and dig. The title track and ‘Ice Runs Through My Veins’ are perfect examples of Tommy Victor stretching his ability to write melody without sacrificing the Prong sound. The track ‘Do Nothing’ is the first Prong ballad and Tommy hits it out of the fucking ballpark. Personally I think it would be a good move to release the final song on the album, ‘With Dignity’ as a single. Maybe they could finally start getting the radio play and due that they deserve. Even though there is a lot of melody on this album, which I love, there are still plenty of amazing, heavy and traditional sounding Prong songs. Stand outs include: ‘Ultimate Authority’, ‘Sense of Ease’, ‘Cut and Dry’, and my personal favorite song on the album and the centerpiece, ‘Belief System’; which may be the most brutal riff Tommy Victor has ever written.
Overall this is one hell of a metal album. Of course, what else do you expect from Prong? All of their work has a remarkable consistency and quality to it. However, since their return in 2012 they have been topping themselves significantly in quality and product. Tommy refuses to stop learning and it shows. That’s the mark of a great artist, one who is always learning and applying it to their product. This definitely will be on my list of best heavy metal albums of 2016.
