For a band who have been together for almost two decades, The Prodigy haven't had the most impressive release ratio. 'Invaders Must Die', only the Essex lads' fifth studio album, is the follow-up to 2004's patchy 'Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned', but their first as a trio (vocalist Maxim Reality didn't contribute to that album) since their last decent outing, 1997's 'The Fat of the Land'.
Expectations are high, then, for this new record's impact. The musical landscape has shifted drastically over the past five years, with dance making a significant crossover into the mainstream. It's not at all surprising, then, to discover a niggling feeling throughout 'Invaders Must Die' that these one-time masters of invention are struggling to keep up with the changes. The majority of these eleven tracks are laden with grime, menace and a heavy undercurrent of electronica, and are undeniably catchy - especially the synth hook on the title track, the kick-in-the-face techno-riff on 'Omen', the surf rock-meets-sci-fi doodle of 'World on Fire' - but in reality, they could have been created by anyone.
Foo Fighters man Dave Grohl provides an impressive display of his drumming talents on the tinny 'Run with the Wolves', and Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s James Rushent co-produced a brace of tracks - but there are no blasts of outside influence, which makes Keith Flint and Maxim's half-baked contributions all the more lacking. It's a satisfactory album, but for a group of The Prodigy's stature, and with their amazing back catalogue, it should be a lot better.
