The Party’s Over (2016) with Prophets of Rage – or are we just getting started?
Prophets of Rage released their very first musical effort “The Party’s Over” EP on August 26, 2016. The band consists of bassist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk of Rage Against The Machine, rapper Chuck D and DJ Lord of Public Enemy, and rapper B-Real of Cypress Hill.
The formation of the supergroup in the spring of 2016 was received with both enthusiasm and animosity. The same emotions can be found in the reviews of this EP, which is said to include only one real new original song, the title-track “The Party’s Over”. Furthermore, it contains the song “Prophets of Rage”, which apparently is based upon the Public Enemy 1988 classic album “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”. I am not familiar with that album. Hence, to me, the song is as good as an original. The rest of the EP includes three live tracks, which prove the greatness of this band’s live performances.
I agree with Stephen Charlton, who argued in Soundreview.org, ““The Party’s Over” is a mid-tempo rocker with a thick groove courtesy of the Rage rhythm section. B-Real shines in the first verse with lines about street violence and big pharma profiteering, while Chuck D unloads in the second. The song is a good summary of the Prophets of Rage sound. The band is hard rock, funk and groove-based and the lyrics are all about the political message. It’s definitely a change from the hard-edged sound of early Rage Against the Machine and also moves away from the extensive sonic experimentation of the band’s later years.”
Also, gerrod2015 raised a good point in The Heavy Press saying that “The Party’s Over is as much an introduction to a new band as it is a tribute to careers of each of the past members; an interesting direction taken by few.”
A more negative view was given by Daniel Dias in Sputnikmusic.com: “It’s not as if it does a big disservice to fans of any of the bands involved, it’s just really rushed, generic and unnecessary.”
For me, this EP feels refreshing and makes me want to hear more Prophets of Rage originals. Maybe it is intended as an introduction to the band. Maybe the supergroup is cooking up a full-length album, I have no idea, but this is definitely a great and enjoyable introduction.