Rating: 
The Prodigy, those pioneers of big beat electronic, struck it internationally with a handful of mainstream releases in the late ‘90s. Firestarter, Smack My Bitch Up, and Breathe were monstrous hits from Fat Of The Land, which made The Prodigy (briefly just “Prodigy”) a household name. Then they just sort of faded from view, returning only twice with album releases (2004’s so-so Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned and the compilation, and Their Law; The Singles 1999-2005.) And here they are again with Invaders Must Die, their fifth studio release, which finds Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, and Maxim Reality back in prime form.
I’ll admit up front that The Prodigy make me a little crazy in a good way. They are all over my iPod, and wake me up faster than mainlined coffee. There are no bad tracks on Invaders Must Die, and I’m not just saying that because I would give Little Rat Bastard’s left nut to see them live (apparently they put on a show that’ll blow your mind). Invaders Must Die, the opening and title track, is a joyful return to form – minimal, psychotic vocals, fast drums and layers of manic synth. This is The Prodigy at their electronic best; Invaders is destined for a movie fight scene. Remember Charlie’s Angels? That wire-fighting scene with the Angels vs Crispin Glover’s Thin Man – set entirely to Prodigy; specifically, the controversial Smack My Bitch Up. Invaders has the same sort of crazed energy. Listen to it and you will want to kick things hard.
Other high-energy standouts include the ominous Thunder and Take Me To The Hospital. Perhaps the best track on the album is Stand Up. Slow to start, Stand Up fades in, only to erupt into an unexpected fanfare of horns. It’s an instrumental anthem track, heavy on drums and brass, intermixed with The Prodigy’s signature electronic sound. Expect to hear this one at football (soccer, you fools) games. Also, listen for Dave Grohl drumming on Run With The Wolves.
Invaders Must Die is not for anyone with a low tolerance for redundancy. The foundation of Prodigy’s formula is club music; ideally, you would be listening to this while partying hard with a large number of strangers. Why not five stars? Frankly, the album feels a little short (even with the bonus material), and the tracks aren’t quite as mind blowing as Breathe or Smack My Bitch Up. But, for fans of electronic music, especially big beat, you must acquire this album.
The Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Track listing:
- Invaders Must Die
- Omen
- Thunder
- Colours
- Take Me To The Hospital
- Warrior’s Dance (Album Version)
- Run With The Wolves
- Omen (Reprise)
- World’s On Fire
- Piranha
- Stand Up
March 3, 2009 – R.E.D. Distribution
Official Site / MySpace / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
Get It Now: iTunes (Bonus Track Version) / Amazon (CD)
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Jenypher enjoys writing, listening to music, drinking, sleeping, and sometimes likes to mix those activities. Most frequently, it's writing while listening to music and drinking, but sleeping and any combination of those other things works just as well. Her new favorite activity is going to the movies by herself, which sounds (and is) dorky, but is really the only way to achieve a quality, interruption-free movie experience. Jenypher's favorite book is Good Omens, her favorite movie is Pulp Fiction, she's receptive to gifts and bribes, is still waiting to be magically famous, and enjoys writing about herself in the third person (because second person would be too weird). 
