Prophets Of Rage

Prophets Of Rage (2017)

Ricky Frankel

If you remember my review of Prophets Of Rage’s The Party’s Over EP, you’d recall my prediction that based on what was (and wasn’t) on that release that this band, despite it’s remarkable line up, would be a major flop — think the Hindenburg in 1937. And with their release of their self-titled full-length it is clear that the band has doubled down now on a project that is not working out well to say the least.

The opening track “Radical Eyes,” which if you haven't noticed yet, is based on a pun in the title. But this track is a perfect example really where guitarist Tom Morello is either being held back or just phoning it in when to comes to his contributions to the album overall. During the verses he plays a very funky and an overly repetitive riff that just goes on way too long. What made Morello’s career was his amazing ability to use guitar effects pedals while still showing off his technical playing ( i.e. “Know Your Enemy” and “Township Rebellion”) and all of that has gone out the window here. The guitar solo is very reliant on the use of a wah pedal along with some experimentation of changing the notes’ pitches, and the end result sounds very disjointed from the rest of the track.

Prophets Of Rage really doesn’t get better after “Radical Eyes.” The song “Legalize Me” is one of the calmer tracks, which focuses on the theme of marijuana legalization. You’ll probably be hit with a hard cringe not only by the lyrics, but also by the blatant use of auto tune and other effects on B-Real’s voice while Chuck D sort of acts as the hype man by emphasizing certain phrases.

“The Counter Offensive” begins with this repetitive, forty-second intro that is absolutely pointless. This is one of the tracks where Chuck D takes most of the lead vocals. During the choruses he yells “All hail to the chief” with a lot of power and it is pretty catchy. The song takes quite the nosedive when B-Real raps over Morello’s tedious and echo-y riff. One of the aspects of this track (and also throughout the album) is that Tim Commerford’s bass lines are consistently remarkable .

Prophet Of Rage is a perfect example of when there is a ton of hype (and money) behind a record that completely falls flat when it is released. Many saw passed the illusion and saw that this would be the case especially after The Party’s Over EP came out. This album and The Party’s Over share many of the same problems that the band can't seem to shake off. Whether you were fan of Public Enemy, Cypress Hill, or Rage Against The Machine first, I think you’ll agree that this whole project just comes off as clumsy.