PRONG

It is to PRONG's eternal credit that after 40 years of active service, any and all attempts to shove the New Yorkers into an easily defined pigeonhole continue to fall flat. PRONG sound like PRONG and no one else, and the number of bands that have been heavily influenced by their taut, tight and turbulent sound along the way has become incredibly hard to quantify. There have been prolonged pauses, calculated reunions and a dizzying array of lineup changes over the years, but guitarist Tommy Victor's musical vision remains unsullied and non-negotiable. As they proved on recent albums like the superb "Zero Days" (2017) and the equally incendiary "State Of Emergency" (2023),PRONG have such a cast-iron, convincing and endlessly flexible formula that their reputation remains spotless and undeniable. PRONG sound like PRONG, and that should be enough for anyone.

And so to 2026 and a self-titled PRONG album that may only be a casual attempt to define the band's sound once again. The album thrives on their best instincts and that unmistakable crunch and punch of a ferocious power trio playing at full pelt. Here, Victor is joined by a new lineup — bassist Christopher Dean and drummer Tyler Joseph — for another exhilarating splurge of gnarly riffs, post-thrash grooves and rousing melodies, all of which seem to emanate from the weathered concrete of New York's gritty streets. Some bands repeat themselves until fatigue and boredom set in, but PRONG would be kidding themselves if they thought that wild deviations from the norm were required. As this album proves time and time again, PRONG's sound is still as fresh and invigorating as it was back in the late '80s.

Lean, lithe and vital, the opening clatter of "The Banner" encapsulates much of what has made PRONG such a reliable source of adrenalin over the last four decades. Rooted in primitive, crossover thrash, but imbued with a sense of melody and groove that transcend multiple eras, it is a brutish rush of sound and fury. The same can be said for "New Commission": a pummeling punisher with super-fast kicks and a neck-snapping, thrashed out gait, with not even the merest hint of compromise or late career fatigue. On "The Uprising", PRONG nod knowingly at their '90s, "Cleansing" commercial peak, with strong shades of the industrial grind that loomed large during that decade. On "Uncertain Truth", they bask in more deeply melodic waters, relishing the contrast but still retaining those rugged undercurrents. Elsewhere, "Commonsense Resolution" breathes new life into Victor's breathless punk rock origins; "Proportionate Response" spits hardcore fire at a crazed tempo; and the closing "Our Continuance" conjures the brooding spite that once made PRONG such natural comrades of KILLING JOKE. As ever, there is no fat on these bones, just pure, sinewy flesh with great fortitude and creative resolve. PRONG still sound like PRONG, and "Prong" is one of their finest albums yet.