UMUR "Ruining Lives" is the 10th full-length studio album by US groove metal act Prong. The album was released through Steamhammer Records in April 2014. The three-piece lineup on the album consists of band founder and only constant member Tommy Victor on vocals and guitars, Tony Campos (Static-X, Soulfly, Fear Factory) on bass, and Alexei Rodriguez (3 Inches of Blood, Walls of Jericho) on drums. For many years Prong was a second priority for Tommy Victor while he was working for Ministry and Danzig, but since the release of "Carved Into Stone (2012)", he has made Prong a priority again (although he is still heavily involved in Danzig).

The music on the album is a groove oriented type of metal with the occasional nods toward hardcore and post-punk. Especially Killing Joke is a clear influence on the music, and it´s definitely not a coincidence that legendary late bassist Paul Raven worked with both acts. Compared to the band´s early releases Tommy Victor sings far more clean vocals today, and he only occasionally uses his more raw voice. While there are groove oriented riffs and rhythms throughout the album, there are just as many atmospheric riffs, and at times the music is even relatively melodic.

The material is generally well written and relatively catchy although it might take a few spins before the tracks stick. It´s not a wildy innovative or adventurous release, but it´s solid and delivered with conviction. "Ruining Lives" also features a powerful and well sounding production, and all in all it´s a quality release by Prong. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is warranted.

Time Signature Absence of light...

Genre: crossover / groove

Admittedly, I have not really been the biggest Prong-fan in the world, and the only prong-album that I have really listened to extensively is their 90's classic "Cleansing". With accusations of Prong now really just being a hobby project of Tommy Victor's, one may not necessarily feel compelled to check out their output at all costs. Always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, I nonetheless decided to give their latest album "Ruining Lives" a listen.

And, well, I was positively surprised. The album is characterized by a combination of crunchy thrashy riffs and Prong's minimalistic industrial-groove style. While elements from both orientations appear side by side in some songs, as is the case of 'Come to Realize', a number of songs fall either on the thrash-side or the industrial-groove side. Tracks which are more oriented towards that latter include 'Absence of light', 'Self Will Run Riot', and 'Windows Shut'. In contrast, tracks like 'The Book of Change', 'Chamber of Thought', and 'The Barriers' embrace a fierce and aggressive crossover thrash metal style. The strongest track on the album is the title track which even ventures into extreme metal territory. What ties the entire album together is the use of relatively melodic choruses, performed in Tommy Victor's characteristically one-dimensional vocal style, which does seem a bit more flexible on this release than usual.

The songs on the album are generally straightforward, but, compared to the band's 1990s releases, the drumming is considerably more dynamic. Still, there are stylistic overlaps between "Ruining Lives" and "Beg To Differ" (which is an album I definitely need to listen more to), and I think that fans of the band's pre-"Cleansing" output might like "Ruining Lives" too.

"Ruining Lives" is a fine album which neatly captures Prong's trademark aesthetics and ultimately appeals to both fans of thrash metal and alternative industrial-groove metal.