Review by DjBatman
3½ stars out of 4
Rock is dead; or maybe not. Rock lives as an electronically mutated thing
in which traditional instruments like drums and guitars are melted with
samplers and drum machines. Liam Howlett's creature has been around for
years but with "Firestarter" the Prodigy have topped charts
worldwide, leading a bunch of other electronic acts in an invasion of
areas traditionally devoted to rock and all its derivations, including
Billboard charts and MTV. Sampling everything from Skunk Anansie to
the Breeders, from Beastie Boys to John Barry, Howlett & c. take a
look at the next decade of music, paying also tribute to the past and
present, and showing admiration for some of the pioneers of electronic
music ("Firestarter" features a small but significant sample
from Art of Noise).
Here's what others reviewers have to say:
"...maybe the best fusion of pseudo-rap and pseudo-punk
since Rage Against The Machine..." 7 (out of 10) Spin
9/97, p.155
"...packs all the visceral punch of rock at its incendiary best ....
populist electro punk that serves as a perfect Brit counterpart to the
industrial noir of Trent Reznor or the jittery soundscapes of Wu-Tang
Clan's RZA..." 3.5 Stars (out of 5) Rolling Stone
8/7/97, pp.59-60
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