I’m not sure if this is the most “violent” sounding The Prodigy record that it’s being billed as but it’s definitely the most aggressive one. Since the return of Keith Flint and Maxim Reality, The Prodigy have been a force to be reckoned with live and now they finally have a recorded body of work to match their stage presence with The Day Is My Enemy.
First off, any song that can make Martina Topley-Bird sound anything but an angel is an accomplishment so opener “The Day Is My Enemy” is already a step in the right direction. Her sweet, soulful approach greets listeners amidst the drumline until a barrage of synthesizers mess up the joint. Flint makes his grand entrance on the dance heavy “Nasty” next and The Prodigy is off and running yet again on a record that is so fantastically solid you’ll swear you were back in 1997.
The mechanical eccentricities of “Rebel Radio” follows and features an anthemic chorus despite the cacophony of beats and bleeps while “Wild Frontier” is just gorgeous with a simple synth line which is quickly littered with percussive beats and bombastic Keith Flint word bombs.
You know what? I don’t get Sleaford Mods. I’ve tried and I just don’t get it. But here, on the filthy “Ibiza”, they work for me. And that’s another appeal of The Prodigy: bringing to light young and upcoming talent (Remember that Juliette Lewis person who dominated Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned? Whatever happened to her?). Flux Pavilion is another featured guest who leads electro romp “Rhythm Bomb” which would’ve worked great in John Wick during the club fight/massacre scene.
Like most of The Prodigy output, The Day Is My Enemy is equally brilliant and brutal but in this case, it’s easily a step above the rest of their recent releases to give fans one of their most solid sounding records to date.
The Day Is My Enemy is out now. Pre-order packages are available through The Prodigy’s official website here.