After months of speculation, rumors, website countdowns, grainy videos and comment thread wars we finally have a studio single from the newest rap-rock super-group Prophets Of Rage.
Made up of members from Public Enemy, Cypress Hill and Rage Against The Machine, POR is described by original RATM guitarist Tom Morello as “An elite task force of revolutionary musicians ready to confront this mountain of election year bullshit.”
The single itself is self-titled and a re-imagination of the Public Enemy song of the same name, with an additional verse from B-Real included.
But does the song itself live up to the massive hype the band themselves have given it?
Yeah…we guess so?
The song launches straight into a classic Rage Against The Machine riff that could have come straight off The Battle For Los Angeles , with Morello’s bluesy riffage coupled with the rhythmical assault of one of his Rage counterparts in drummer Brad Wilk. It then proceeds to follow a fairly standard structure for any classic rap-rock song, alternating between funky, rapped verses and big riffing choruses.
A drop, an air horn, a build up and a final riff-fest sees out a song that is infused with protest lyrics, yet always returning to the defining line and the group’s introduction to the rest of the world, “clear the way for the Prophets Of Rage.”
It will tick all the boxes for the Rage Against The Machine faithful, but as a whole collective effort it just feels a bit forced, cheesy and lame and doesn’t quite walk the walk along with all the talking of the talk it does. You can listen and judge for yourself below.
All sonic opinions aside, the band themselves seem to have captured the imagination of the American public, with the hashtags #MakeAmericaRAGEAgain and #TakeThePowerBack going viral, as well as Prophets Of Rage selling out a string of shows in LA. The band are also set to perform on Jimmy Kimmel this Monday.
Image: Supplied