Prong

Remix albums from industrial metal bands were common occurrences in the '90s, and fans came to expect them from the likes of Fear Factory, Godflesh, Pitchshifter and Ministry. Prong are no strangers to the concept, having released the Whose Fist Is It Anyway? remixes back in 1992. A decade and many weak attempts later, however, remixes have lost their efficacy. Power of the Damn MiXXXer is essentially Prong's superior 2007 album, Power of the Damager, remixed by mostly unknown hands, and the result is ultimately confusing. Xris Flam and Kourtney Klien add too much techno to "Can't Stop the Bleeding" and "3rd Option," respectively. "Pure Ether" is rendered mechanically sterile by AK1200 & GENR8, as is "Messages Inside of Me" by Seismologist. Pitchshifter's Jon Clayden scores points by augmenting the gravity of "Worst of It" without going overboard with the electronic applications but other name players don't fare so well. Dillinger Escape Plan's Greg Puciato completely emasculates "Bad Fall" into a useless heap of looped noise, and Anthrax's Rob Caggiano ruins "The Banishment" with nauseatingly danceable beats. Since Prong main man Tommy Victor has assembled the best line-up since the Raven/Parsons era, hopefully he'll focus on new studio material instead of spinning his wheels with futile remixes.