Prong, a band that flirted with success in the mid 1990's with their album Cleansing behind the strength of the single "Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck." Or at least, that is how I look at it. That was when I first discovered them, so started a brief love affair with the band. I picked up the earlier album, Prove You Wrong, and the following album, Rude Awakening. I did find my interest wane after awhile. But, despite my not following them, they have carved out quite a career in the hardcore scene.
This DVD collects some live performances during the years of 2002 and 2003. There is a lot of footage here, some good and some not so good. Let's take a look at this by disk (there are 2 here).
Disk 1 contains two full shows. First up was a headliner from Melkweg, The Netherlands in 2002. This is a full concert with 20 songs, this is the real substance of the set. It is a tight performance, Tommy Victor and crew churning out the riffs. They cover all the bases from "Beg to Differ" through a hefty chunk of selections from Cleansing such as "Another Worldly Device," Whose Fist Is This Anyway," and "Broken Peace." Also mainstays "Rude Awakening" and "Prove You Wrong" before closing with "Unconditional." This is an excellent concert, I an only imagine what it was like to have been there. They show why they have had such longevity. Many bands come and go, but those with the ability find a way to stick around.
Next up was their performance from the With Full Force concert in 2003. This a big outdoor metal festival in Germany, this show was headlined by Soulfly, as mentioned by Tommy during the set. They played a six song set, closing with "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck." This was not quite as intense as the Melkweg show, but it still has a lot of energy and displays Tommy's ability to get the crowd going.
That finishes up the first disk. Technically, the disk is decent. I don't believe that this was recorded with the intention of a DVD release, the video is a bit soft, but the PCM audio does a good job of capturing the thick and chunky sound of the band.
The second disk is top lined by their performance at the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden in 2003. This is a festival which has roots dating back to 1981. This Prong performance is an hour long assault of 13 Prong cuts. This is the least polished of the three sets featured in the set, but it is still a good showing. Heaviness is the order of the day. Again, proof to the popularity and staying power of the Cleansing album, the set is thick with songs from the album.
There is also another section here, called the Surprise Section. This has some interesting contents, but not as much as I had hoped. There are two sections comprised of bootleg quality footage from behind the scenes and on stage, they are Buffalo, NY, and Board Stage. They are worth one watch, but nothing terribly exciting. There is also a brief interview from the With Full Force Festival. Lastly, there is a lengthy segment from a Japanese music show, which features an interview with Tommy, the "Rude Awakening" video, and clips of their other videos. This is the most interesting section here, but there is one big problem, no subtitles, I have no idea what the hosts are saying.
Overall, this is an excellent set, if all you want is concert footage. Just don't expect any insight into the band or their thoughts on their music or anything like that. Perhaps they will release another disk with their videos and in depth interviews in the future. As far as concert disks go, this has a ton of footage, three concerts worth. The footage captures their onstage aggression and that incredible heavy, churning riffs. This set has reawakened my fandom of the band, I am now going to have to track down some of their other releases.
Bottomline. This is a must for Prong fans, and definitely worth checking out by fans of heavy music who may not be familiar with the band. The A/V quality of the set may not be top notch, buy the quantity makes up for it. Prove Me Wrong.
Recommended.
Setlists:
Live At The Melkweg, Netherlands 2002.
01. Dark Signs
02. Beg To Differ
03. Out Of This Misery
04. Close To The Door
05. Broken Peace
06. Rude Awakening
07. Caprice
08. Embrace The Depth
09. 3rd From The Sun
10. The Outmentioned
11. Lost & Found
12. Prove You Wrong
13. Disbelieve
14. Another Worldly Device
15. Whose Fist Is This Anyway
16. Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
17. Test
18. Controller
19. Freezer Burn
20. Unconditional
With Full Force 2003
01. Beg To Differ
02. Embrace The Depth
03. Disbelieve
04. Another Worldly Device
05. Whose Fist Is This Anyway
06. Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck.
Live At The Hultsfred Festival 2003
01. Cutrate
02. For Dear Life
03. Prove You Wrong
04. 3rd From The Sun
05. Beg To Differ
06. Avoid Promises
07. Disbelieve
08. Inner Truth
09. Another Wordly Device
10. Whose Fist Is This Anyway
11. Rude Awakening
12. Test
13. Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
Also at Blogcritics.
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