CD review PRONG "Songs from the black hole"

(8/10) Almost a year after their latest studio release Prong surprises us with a new longplayer. This time it's not about new songs from the groove metal institution from New York. It is more a kind of journey into the personal record collection of the Tommy Victor and band mates.

Prong recorded an album that contains ten songs from bands that influenced New York-based Tomme Victor and by that also the sound of Prong. And it's a great birthday present too, since Prong can celebrate their 30st anniversary pretty soon.

It starts with a heavy version of Discharge's "Doomsday" which sounds excellent in the way Prong interprets the song from UK punk band. Unfortunately the Sisters Of Mercy hit "Vision thing" from the album of the same name doesn't reach the perfection of the original. It's good, but the other covers are better.

Going futher to Butthole Surfer's cover of "Goofy's concern" means leaving 'gothic' and going back to punk and hardcore again. And especially "Bars" from Blag Flag, that became an excellent interpretation, is one of the highlights on the disc.

Also the rest of the songs covers a lot of hardcore bands of distinction like Fugazi and Husker Du.

A tune that stands out is the Neil Young cover of "Cortez the killer". The slow and melancholic song is a kind of counterpart to the other tracks on the album. The rocker that is originally from Young's "Zuma" album from 1975 begins with a great guitar part and is about Hernán Cortés, a conquistador the conquered Mexico. Prong's version reflects the original very well by still being an authentic Prong interpretation. Together with Zodiac's version of the track one of the best covers of the calssic so far. And it is, in my humble opinion, the best track on the album.

Sometimes those cover albums feel like 'a need for money'. Not this one. Tommy Victor has a passion for those songs he put on the longplayer. They obviously mean a lot to him. And that is what you can hear on each of the ten tracks. 

"Songs from the black hole" is a good album that gives also younger fans a good overview about the 80's hardcore/punk heroes and is a real bridge till we can welcome the next Prong studio release. Thumbs up.

(8/10) 

Tracklist:

1. Doomsday (Discharge cover)
2. Vision thing (Sisters Of Mercy cover)
3. Goofy's concern (Butthole Surfers cover)
4. Kids of the black hole ( Adolescent cover)
5. Bars (Black Flag cover)
6. Seeing red (Killing Joke cover)
7. Don't want to know if you are lonely (Husker Du cover)
8. Give me the cure (Fugazi cover)
9. Banned in D.C. (Bad Brains cover)
10. Cortez the killer (Neil Young cover)

Label: SPV/ Steamhammer

Genre: Groove Metal