The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die (2009)

Producer: Liam Howlett, James Rushent

Invaders Must Die
Omen
Thunder
Colours
Take Me to the Hospital
Warrior's Dance
Run with the Wolves
Omen (Reprise)
World's on Fire
Piranha
Stand Up

Invaders Must Die is the fifth studio album by The Prodigy and was released in 2009. It had been 5 years since the last Prodigy album, Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, which seems to indicate that Liam Howlett had been suffering from writer's block; he also made the decision to allow Keith Flint and Maxim back into the band, something which I was initially dubious of, as they seemed to take away more than had added on previous records.

2005's singles compilation, Their Law, reminded everyone why The Prodigy had previously been so vital to the electronica scene, but the public still needed new material to prove that The Prodigy were still relevant. And as ever, the proof is in the pudding, as Invaders Must Die is one of the band's greatest albums. It's blatantly obvious that Invaders Must Die lacks the depth which can be found on Music for the Jilted Generation, but as a tightly edited set of songs which have the sole interest of making you take to the dance floor, this album is pretty hard to beat.

There is very little evolution to be found on this record, in actual fact in The Prodigy timeline Invaders Must Die would have fitted in comfortably between Experience and Music for the Jilted Generation, for this is an old-school raver's album through and through. The only thing which sets it apart from the two aforementioned albums is the thoroughly modern production (which is where the only signs of progression have crept in).

The opening track and first single released from Invaders Must Die was the title-track. You know that The Prodigy is back in action when you have their trade-mark bass and drums assaulting you with their brutal strength. The production methods seem heavily indebted to some of the newer electronica acts of the moment, such as The Knife. The album version of Invaders Must Die is significantly longer than the radio edit, which is a good thing in my book as it allows it time to sink in.

Thunder is as old-school as they come; a track which would have slotted onto Music for the Jilted Generation with no problems at all. While it brings to mind memories of Speedway from said album, the sampled Rastafarian lyrics take you back to one of The Prodigy's very first singles, Out of Space from Experience. Oh, but people, Thunder is such an exciting occurrence, as it manages to not only match, but better both of the abovementioned tracks.

Take Me to the Hospital is named after The Prodigy's own record label and is planned to be a future single from the album. Again, Liam is still living in the 1990s, with a track which doesn't so much stir your waning interest in the rave scene, but rather encourages you to jump head first into the misshapen rhythms which the track launches and persistently projects in your general direction.

Warrior's Dance is my favourite track from the album and I know that a lot of people feel the same way about this. The sampled vocals are very No Good (Start the Dance), but whereas that was an epic complete with a comedown and a rebirth of fury, Warrior's Dance doesn't let the pace drop for an instant. The bass is so heavy my speakers are almost crying, indeed, the entire song turns everything up to 11. There's very little else that can be said other than it is a classic.

If I was forced to make a shortlist, then World's on Fire is my second favourite track from Invaders Must Die. I declare that Liam Howlett is bringing sexy back when the crazy piano work is brought in at the 1 minute 40 seconds mark. At the end of the day, it is yet another song which takes you right back to the days of old, when the electronica scene was just taking hold. But the song isn't entirely looking backwards, as the production manages to kick start it into the year 2009.

As a final word, the album doesn't get away completely blemish free. The reprise of Omen seems entirely unnecessary; it would have made for an excellent introduction to the original Omen, but seems out of place as 2 minutes of atmosphere slapped right into the final moments of the album.

Likewise, Piranha is also pointless, but for very different reasons. It is an absolutely detestable thing and is without a doubt one of the worst things The prodigy have ever recorded. Imagine the ghastly Fuel My Fire from The Fat of the Land combined with the grinding of Hadouken! and you will be halfway towards imagining the horror which lies within (and yes - Keith "I'm a punking instigator" Flint contributes the vocals). The song is basically a note-for-note repeat of Troubled Mind by The Buff Medways, and yet it ends up unavoidably inferior.

To conclude, Invaders Must Die is the second greatest Prodigy record, second to only Music for the Jilted Generation. Sure, a lot of you will not agree with this, but the album is too much damn fun to deny it its rightful place as one of Liam Howlett's greatest achievements.

So, while Liam Howlett and The Prodigy haven't learnt any new tricks in the year 2009, they have become the ultimate masters of the scene they so enthusiastically pioneered in the 1990s.

8.5/10

Daniel Kemp

Read more reviews at www.danielkempreviews.co.uk