Currently enjoying “Invaders Must Die” by the Prodigy

I know, but hear me out. It’s been nearly thirteen years since The Fat of the Land hit the shelves, and to say that the Prodigy never quite managed to repeat their success is an obvious, generous understatement. It took them five years to follow up with the frankly weird and disappointing Baby’s Got a Temper, and the subsequent full-length Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, on which producer Liam Howlett was the only core member to appear, was as star-studded as it was bland and forgettable.

Invaders Must Die isn’t a return to form, but it’s the closest we’ve come to the band at its peak since the nineties. It’s a welcome blend of the uptempo rave elements of Experience and the grittier sound of the group’s next two albums. The band returns as a trio, and we can all be thankful that there’s no sign of the Gallaghers or Juliette Lewis (though some might balk at seeing Dave Grohl listed in the liner notes). The kick-off combination of the title track, “Omen” and “Thunder” hits all the high points of the early days, and “Warrior’s Dance” is the closest the band has come to replicating “No Good (Start the Dance)” in many years.

Admittedly, and unfortunately, the album peaks pretty early. There’s a fine line between classic and dated, and it’s tough to hear Keith Flint wail his way through “Colours” without being very aware that you’re no longer in high school and John Major is no longer the UK’s much-hated Prime Minister. “Omen” didn’t really need a reprise, and even without it the growling rave overtones that drive the early tracks would still have sounded repetitive by the album’s second half. Indeed, the closing track “Stand Up” sounds an awful lot like the Prodigy ran out of gas and had to ask Fatboy Slim or Bentley Rhythm Ace to finish up for them.

Like I say, it’s not a return to form. It’s promising at best, and a last gasp at its worst. It’s not contemporary enough to win any new fans, and it doesn’t live up to the back catalog enough to recapture all the old fans. But damned if there aren’t some pretty great tracks on there, you know?

Posted in Currently Enjoying