Prophets Of Rage Are All Bark And No Bite In Their Self-Titled Debut

90s rockers went into a frenzy when Prophets Of Rage announced their formation last year. The Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, Cypress Hill, and Public Enemy supergroup had a clear purpose: to tackle the 2016 election with a profound musical anger that only they knew how to emulate best. Their music was blast to the past of their era of punk rock and rap flair, and their message felt pretty substantial at the dawn of their formation. Now, however, it feels like the Prophets Of Rage are all bark and no bite in their self-titled debut Prophets Of Rage.

Given that the 2016 election didn't go in their favor (though it seems no matter which way it went they wouldn't have been very happy), it probably wasn't much of a shock that the Prophets Of Rage had a new fiery fuel burning inside of them. Much of Prophets Of Rage is filled with political fervor, songs like 'Who Owns Who' with its big angry riffs and drive questioning authority. Sometimes it gets a bit too edgy, though, especially in 'Hail To The Chief,' which is just a bit too angry to be taken seriously.

That's exactly the problem with Prophets Of Rage. On the surface, it's a politically angry album with punk riffs and loud delivery on all ends - the very definition of an angsty punk rock album tired of the political climate back in the 90s. That was almost three decades ago. Digging deeper into it, the album just feels like a cheap knockoff of these artists' primes in an attempt to raise some revolution. 'Radical Eyes' brings classic groove, but there's only so many times you can repeat "radical eyes" before you ruin the already clichéd wordplay, and there's just not enough character in 'Unfuck The World' to justify the subpar lyrics.

The instrumentals are pretty solid on the album, though the lyrics often times end up dragging songs down. 'Strength In Numbers' is one of the only songs that comes of as they wish they did throughout the entire album. The guitars in the choruses add a real sense of urgency and panic, and the gang vocals add a big element to the track. This track really makes you feel oppressed, whereas every other track just comes off lackluster. 

Prophets Of Rage are all bark and no bite in their self-titled debut Prophets Of Rage, trying to make revolution out of their past careers. They've got the nostalgia factor running for them, but as far as relevancy and quality goes... there's a bit of a gap.

Favorite Track: Strength In Numbers

Least Favorite Track: Hail To The Chief

Rating: 70 / 100

Stream or buy Prophets Of Rage on Apple Music: