Prong – Zero Days

by

Groove Metal was the subgenre in the 1990s that gave Metal a bad name. Inbetween the rise and fall of Pantera, many bands decided to follow their path. Thrash has always been a little groovy since the beginning. Thrashy guitars allowed some groves in rhythm sections. It got even heavier and strengthful. So did the almost spoken vocals. Adding more groove to the songs, some bands tried a new path. It went well for some time, but most bands simply repeated exhaustly a formula that was not really welcomed by most metalheads. Let’s agree with that, groove metal has never been well-accepted among metalheads. That’s why this subgenre is almost dead these days.

But there are always some honorable exceptions. And Prong are one of them. Groove in Prong was something a bit different, it was a way to add some more technilities to the guitar playing instead than the flat rhythm of the guitars. In “Zero Days,” “Prong” is more thrash than groove, more modern metal than thrash sometimes. The way Prong persued was the one to write different songs in different styles, very Prongly style, I must say. The thirteen tracks of “Zero Days” are of different identities. They are standard thrash with a punkish dash, groove metal, and modern metal. For Prong that work just fine. It’s Prong’s identity to do that. And that’s what fans expect from them.

So “Zero Days” is an album that never tires you off. Prong deal what the unexpected. When you expected a thrashier song, Prong come with groove; when you expected groove, Prong give you modern, and life goes on. Musicians have to be very versatile to do that. To the chord section it’s no big deal, but vocals have to go further. Drummers are not in the same page. As usual. They can be very groovy, which would highlights some songs, or they can be hard, flat playing, which adds more heavyness to songs. Both options are acceptable. Art Cruz chose the second. It’s style nothing else.

In my opinion, Prong “Zero Days” won’t let diehard fans down. There’s no disappointment in “Zero Days.” So listen up and enjoy.

Prong “Zero Days” was released on July 28th via SteamHammer / SPV.

Track Listing:

  1. However It May End
  2. Zero Days
  3. Off the Grid
  4. Divide and Conquer
  5. Forced Into Tolerance
  6. Interbeing
  7. Blood Out of Stone
  8. Operation of the Moral Law
  9. The Whispers
  10. Self Righteous Indignation
  11. Rulers of the Collective
  12. Compulsive Future Projection
  13. Wasting of the Dawn

Watch “Divide and Conquer” official video here: