Not too shabby

Despite the genre, this is an album that will appeal to just about everyone. Throughout these 10 tracks lies an array of audio genius, attention grabbing tracks and an overall addictive quality. Now, to say this is an album that just misses the classic status would be fair to say; ‘Fuel My Fire’ does fall short of the mark, and both ‘Serial Thrilla’ and ‘Mindfields’ don’t hold up as well as the rest, but this is an album that everyone needs to hear. Forget any assumptions you may have about the whole ‘electronic’ scene, this is a bona fide rock album masquerading as something more. It’s sinister, brooding and full in atmosphere, and to say that you need to hear this; well if that doesn’t justify a “classic” album, then what does?

It's great that Kool Keith got another opportunity to lay down so nice rhymes. The record, I'm unenthusiastic about.

Few good tracks.

Diesel Power! No better title summed up an album like that! Strangely it is not the title 'The Fat of The Land' is. Taken from something a Nazi said, it does certainly prove itself... unfamily friendly from the word go. No such Nazi's here though, these are inclusive and friendly people who record dance and... well very very violent dance. 'Serial Thrilla' perfectly encapsulates the horror of this album, a horror that is quite welcome as you are a pause button away from it. "Serial Thrilla Serial Killa" are good fella shrieks over the processed beats of a smut film gone worse. The album holds onto it's attitude throughout and if you expect an acoustic song or the soft keyboards Moby finds just leave... leave right now. This album could kill you. Cardiac arrest can come from shock right? I don't know, I'm not a doctor. All I know is this album is loud, volatile and unsuitable for children. "Breath the pressure, come play my game I'll test" sounds like a challenge. Probably won't take it but I am entertained. That is a song which can definitely get me on my feet! Samples abound on many tracks but there are some organic beasts amongst this lot. 'Narayan' is a lot more down tempo and nice breather before the disco inferno that is 'Firestarter'. More like something that would have appeared on 'Music For The Jilted Generation' where every thing was so much longer. Nothing like 'Poison' or 'Out Of Space though... can be both a good or bad thing.depending on what you want. This is black diesel fuel all the way. And when it is poured onto 'Firestarter' and 'Fuel My Fire' watch that rage go sky high.

The cutesyness of their debut album is gone, replaced by a gritty toughness first displayed on music for the jilted generation but perfected here. The first 4 songs are the best contiguous 4 in the prodigy catalog. These are ass-kickers where you shout the word "ass" outside a rave with the confidence of any predominant movie villain. "smack my bitch up" recontextualized kool keith wonderfully. "breathe" is heavy in synth and for the "psychosomatic, addict insane" in all of us. "diesel power" starts soft then HITS with its android march. "funky shit" is funky shit all the way down to the beasties sample. Looking this up online, i found that there are at least 3 songs each sampling a james bond theme song or movie clip. (Other movies / tv shows lifted or inspired by include SWAT and The Shining.) "serial thrilla" and "mindfields" also kick arse. "narayan" temporarily stifles momentum with its unnecessary length before the over-the-top "firestarter", vocalist declaring "I'm the trouble starter, punkin' instigator!" The song smashes your face. "fuel my fire" is a good "middle finger at the world" type of closer.

The singles certainly do stand above the rest of the album.

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