I have to agree that now that I have the FLAC versions of all the tracks, I have crystal clear sound with my old Sennheiser HD570.

I don't know if it's me, but I have the impression that some of the new tracks (TDIME and WOD at least) suffer more from degradation due to compression. Lots of small details get lost it seems, which can be annoying. Maybe it's due to the fact that those tracks have massive distortion and things get squashed, I don't know... I'm really no expert on the subject.

Generally I'd like to think that The Prodigy's strongest suits have never particularly been rooted in a necessity of "variety" in their tracks, or even lyrics. Take Me To The Hospital and Poison are two of my favorite tracks the band has come out with, and neither tracks are what I'd call particularly intuitive in lyrics or general variation. Repetition has never exactly been a negative in terms of The Prodigy because what defined them most for me was Liam's talent for sheer dynamic virtuosity and the sonic precision imbued in just the production he's been involved in. This is where I kinda felt IMD fell flat to me as in terms of songwriting it felt solid while production-wise it was just kind of weak.

I feel like with the tracks so far on The Day Is My Enemy, Liam's having his dues paid for the missteps the band went down into after first releasing Always Outnumbered while simultaneously also making up for the fact that IMD could have been a lot more punchier in presentation. Nasty left me lukewarm at first, but it legitimately grew on me more than Omen ever did. The title track is where I started to express a lot more excitement over where the band was headed with their grand return. My first thought was literally "this is what AONO should have been in the first place". Wild Frontier had me equally interested since it simultaneously went back on rectifying some of IMD's flaws while treading newer ground.

Wall of Death? I can't say I even particularly mind the vocals not being as violent because the sounds are already doing such a killer job that the vocals ironically serve as a subtle dynamic enhancer. But I can't imagine the live rendition being anything less than an audience vaporizer, and this is from a band that already puts enough people at medical risk from playing Smack My Bitch Up (which is sonically far more conservative). In general, part of me wishes I'd have waited to hear it until the context of the album but this is an absolute banger, and if TDIME is going to reach anywhere near the promising qualities it's exhibiting so far I feel like this is on track to be The Prodigy striking back with a vengeance, and finally putting out an album that deserves to be considered a worthy successor to TFOTL.

I might be overstating that depending on who you ask of course. Truthfully though, as much as I love Jilted more than any other album by the band, that doesn't mean I want them to keep putting out material that sounds just like that. It feels like a misguided thing to ask for, partially because what made Jilted such a great album in the first place was the context of it's existence in that particular era of music. The Prodigy didn't just put out a great album, they basically redefined what we were to expect of the genre in a time when synthesizer-fueled music was still evolving. And when the band put out FOTL, it wasn't really particularly like Jilted, it was amazing in it's own right and was a great evolution.

I think in the grand scheme of things that's the one thing I love the most about The Prodigy. I don't love them because they put out some great albums, I love them because they never let themselves be held back by their successes. They keep pushing the envelope and provide only what they are able to provide. Wall of Death, to me, is another claim to victory on that. Even if it's occasionally been to the band's disservice (AONO in particular), they're still providing the thrills. It's still exciting to listen to. And most importantly, the "soul" of the band feels as intact as ever. The latest couple of tracks bear the telltale signs of a band that is screaming for world domination and is ready to grab it's listeners by the lapels and fling them across the Atlantic.

Well said, awesome first post.

I especially agree on the soul part. It's THE thing that some people around here don't seem to get, although they think they do. And even the music evolves from album to ablum, you can still recognize it as the unique The Prodigy sound. Nothing compares, even after 20 years.

Welcome to board. Great 1st post.

Sounds like Martin James there.

Nasty is fucking amazing compared to Omen, but that's not saying much really since Omen is annoying as fuck.

Regarding world domination and soul, we'll see about that once the album is out. I'm skeptical. I wonder if releasing an album that is a worthy successor to TFOTL might be a little too late?

Plus, I'm not a big fan of Liam rehashing some really obvious samples such as the Firestarter drum roll and the SMBU beats. I mean, if he never wanted to make TFOTL Pt.2, then why is he making it now?

Anyway, just some thoughts on that post of yours, Colbox.

All I see are black and white lines

Great post! Agree with a lot of it.
Welcome to the boards!!!

Fucking spot on. You'll fit in here just fine. Welcome to BK

Yeah I noticed it with The Prodigy the most... MP3 compression really kills their production.
I think you're right about the distortion, plus being very in your face production.
MP3 compression makes it sound too squashed while many elements of squeezed out.
There's lots of little details in Wall Of Death that get lost in the MP3 version.
When you start losing elements of a track, you're not experiencing the full picture.
Certain sounds or effects that get lost are what help back up other parts and keep it interesting and full.

Pre-ordered from WB, got my e-mail just now. The subject read:

"The Prodigy // Your "Destroy" Digital Single Download"

Got excited for a bit but it was wall of death....
Put my headphones on, turned up the bass and forgot all about it

hahaha same here! i was literally just writing to someone else about this happening to me

i was like WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!
but it was just Wall Of Death... still awesome though

Check this amazing comment in the Wall of Death youtube page:



This is the dumbest, most stereotypical CHAV thing i've read in a long time. Caps lock + homophobia + "keeping it real eh lads!" shit... lol. I wonder if he cried into his hoody after writing it.

fucking bruce springsteen pearl drums! hahahhaa. Love how he slags the band for having lost their "british sound" then wants them to abandon the influences of other british rockers...

Wall of death is some "meat loaf" shite. lol.

He's had too many bad trips man. I bet he looks like this

just.. wow. nice post.
welcome!

EDIT:
dammit, stuie.
almost spat coffee on my laptop.

Cheers for the flac tip! Enjoying Wall of Death but as usual, it'll probably go to elite status after a few more listens. The best music is always harder to crack into rather than easy cheesy listening which wins you over immediately but ultimately bores you because there's no hidden depth.