Prong - Carved Into Stone

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“Carved Into Stone” is PRONG’s 9^th release, yet the band excels in producing an album that successfully carried their veteran Rock Star energy into a fresh new record that will truly excite your inner rocker. “Carved Into Stone” showcases this band’s ability to marry modern melodic Hard Rock to Thrash Metal, a quality balance that they achieve, despite how difficult it may sound to accomplish. The first track “Eternal Heat” sets an impressionable tone for the rest of the album as the savage riffing of Tommy Victor and the relentless rhythms delivered by bassist Tony Campos and drummer Alexi Rodriguez team up to bring Metalheads back to the good old-school mosh days.

After hearing this first track and the equally Thrash-worthy “List of Grievances”, I thought that this album was going to come close to sounding like ANTHRAX’s “Worship Music.”  But the album takes some surprise turns by slowly piecing in melodic hard rock riffs that, while taking down mosh energy slightly, do not detract any power or artistry from the album whatsoever.  The title track “Carved Into Stone” digs deep into beast-like riffing while Tommy Victor’s vocals take on a dramatically wholesome tone that one can’t help but sing along with.  While NINE INCH NAILS and KORN have cited PRONG as inspirational, hearing “Revenge Served Cold” left me wondering if the members of CHEVELLE and JANE’S ADDICATION also idolized these veterans of Rock; the atmospheric riffing was reminiscent of the former while the shout-from-the-rooftop style of vocals reminded me of the latter. Now don’t get me wrong, these are positive associations because it demonstrates PRONG’s skillful ability to innovate their sound without losing their identity as the hard and aggressive musicians we know them to be.

In their newest album, PRONG takes their veteran musical identity and polishes it, creating some new and fascinating material that you won’t be able to put down. No matter in which direction the band steers the current song you listen to, the album is still a coherent and compelling piece of work.