Rude Awakening is the fifth studio album by American metal band Prong. It is an enhanced CD but was also released as a special limited edition on 12" red vinyl. The album was reissued in 2008 as a digipak version, featuring four remixes of the "Rude Awakening" single and a new booklet.[1]
| Rude Awakening | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 14, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:50 | |||
| Label | Epic | |||
| Producer | Terry Date, Tommy Victor | |||
| Prong chronology | ||||
| ||||
Rude Awakening entered the Billboard charts at No. 107[2] and sold 10,000 units in the United States in its first week.[3] It is the last Prong album to feature Ted Parsons and Paul Raven, as well as the band's last album on Epic Records.
Background and musical style
editContinuing from the developments on 1994's Cleansing, Rude Awakening sees a further pursuit of the industrial style. Following the departure of keyboardist John Bechdel in 1995, electronic contributions would be managed by Charlie Clouser of Nine Inch Nails. The tracks are also comparitively slower than what could be found on prior releases by the band. The album's opener, "Controller", contains an identical riff to the song "Doomsayer" by Argyle Park. Frontman/guitarist Tommy Victor had contributed to the latter song and reused the guitar part for the former.
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Chronicles of Chaos | 8/10[5] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 6/10[6] |
| Kerrang! | [7] |
| Ox-Fanzine | [8] |
| Rock Hard | 9.5/10[9] |
Reviewing the title track, Billboard wrote that the single's "assaulting, deviant style" shows why Prong is popular.[10] Jenni Glenn of CMJ New Music Monthly wrote that the album is heavier and angrier than Cleansing, blending thrash metal and industrial music.[11]
Track listing
editAll tracks written by Prong except "Controller" (Prong and Scott Albert) and "Slicing" (Prong and Joe Bishara Kebbe).[12]
- "Controller" – 3:39
- "Caprice" – 2:47
- "Rude Awakening" – 4:18
- "Unfortunately" – 3:08
- "Face Value" – 4:09
- "Avenue of the Finest" – 3:37
- "Slicing" – 3:29
- "Without Hope" – 3:13
- "Mansruin" – 3:29
- "Innocence Gone" – 3:11
- "Dark Signs" – 3:22
- "Close the Door" – 4:05
- "Proud Division" – 5:46
Personnel
edit- Tommy Victor - guitars, vocals
- Paul Raven - bass
- Ted Parsons - drums
Additional personnel
- Charlie Clouser - drum programming, keyboards
Chart positions
edit| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[2] | 107 |
References
edit- ^ "SPV/Steamhammer Reissues METAL CHURCH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, PRONG, BONHAM Titles In Europe". Blabbermouth.net. November 12, 2008. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ a b "Prong". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ "Interview with Tommy Victor of Prong | The Midlands Rocks". themidlandsrocks.com. April 22, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Rude Awakening - Prong". AllMusic.
- ^ Bromley, Adrian (June 9, 1996). "CoC : Prong - Rude Awakening : Review". www.chroniclesofchaos.com. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
- ^ Brannigan, Paul (June 15, 1996). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 601. EMAP. p. 47.
- ^ Hiller, Joachim (August–September 2015). "Review - Prong - Rude Awakening". Ox-Fanzine (in German). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ Stratmann, Holger (1996). "Rude Awakening". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ^ "Reviews & Previews: Singles: Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 20. May 18, 1996. p. 70.
- ^ Glenn, Jenni (April 1996). "Metal: Prong, Rude Awakening". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 32. p. 28.
- ^ "Images for Prong - Rude Awakening". Discogs.