Are you a fan of Rock and Roll? If so, you’ll love the energy running through these boys. They are pretty much a one-man show right now, but soon they’ll be a trio: Prophets of Rage! The group is comprised of lead vocalist Brad Sperling, guitarist Dan Sperling and bassist Billy Grant. With their debut album opus ‘Mountains Of Madness’ out this past May, the band is making sure you know what they are all about. From classic rock anthems like ‘My Heart Will Go On’ to stripped back ballads like ‘Ladies First,’ ‘Rock And Roll Is Here Again’ and more than a few tracks with little or no guitar parts, there’s something for everyone on these 11-song LP. So bring on the party!
What’s the story with Prophets of Rage?
The group is based out of Los Angeles, but their live shows are scattered throughout the world. They’re best known for their club-based music, but the band also released two albums straight on the indie label Nuclear Blast. ‘No Remorse’ is the most successful album in the band’s history, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide. After ‘No Remorse,’ the group released two more albums on the same label, but their live performances have always been a more immediate and emotional side to the work. ‘Mountains Of Madness’ is their first studio album since 2006’s ‘Bloodshot,’ and it follows in the same direction, with full-fledged rock n’ roll.
How are they doing right now?
After selling more than a million copies, ‘No Remorse’ was the group’s breakthrough album, selling more than 1 million copies worldwide. Lead single ‘My Heart Will Go On’ has sold over a million digital and track-plus-one sales on the group’s current tour, while ‘Ladies First’ has spent over five million digital sales and charted on the Hot 100. ‘No Remorse’ and ‘Bloodshot’ were also major hits on the charts, topping the charts in more than 40 countries.
What can we expect from their album ‘Mountains Of Madness’?
While the album title does a lot to set the record for how great ‘Mountains Of Madness’ is, the rest of the album is more of the same. ‘Animal Kingdom’ is the album’s biggest hit, selling more than 1 million digital sales and drawing comparisons to The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ album. The title track is also a fun send-up of rock and roll, while the ballad ‘Equality’ is a gem, blending rock, pop and R&B elements. ‘Ain’t No Peace, Ain’t No Love’ is another rocker, but it makes a spectacular solo, and the group also samples the civil war era “My Country, My Master’s Land” while ‘On The Other Side’ is an up-tempo track that might be the group’s most popular song.
‘Ladies First’
‘Ladies First’ is the group’s biggest selling album, selling more than a million copies worldwide, which bodes well for the solo careers of the lead vocalists. It’s also the first album in the Prophets of Rage series, which marks the group’s return to the studio after a long absence due to various health issues. ‘The Life Before Washington’ is a collection of ranging moods, while ‘Maiden Voyage’ and ‘Shattered Mirror’ are ballads that capture the group’s emotions. ‘Second Nature’ is a slow burner that circles back to the main topic of ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ and ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ comes to mind as the only song on the record that can be described as political.
Rock And Roll Is Here Again
The album’s only other big release, ‘Rock And Roll Is Here Again’ is a collection of slower numbers, with ‘No Remorse’ being the leadoff tune. Like ‘No Remorse’, it’s also the first Prophets of Rage album to hit the charts, and it was a big hit, selling over a million copies worldwide. ‘Money, Power and Control’ is another ballad, this one with Drop Mercury/Funkadelic/KRS-One-style lyrics. ‘Monolith’ is a jazzy track with a synth-heavy production, while ‘You Are Not The Boss’ is another memorable trackset.
‘Rock And Roll Is Here Again’
Although it doesn’t feature any Prophets of Rage members on the cover, the group’s latest album ‘Rock And Roll Is Here Again’ is another crowd-pleasing anthem, with the group’s celebrity guests including Taylor Swift, U2, Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson. The album also features hit singles ‘Berkshire Bebop’ and ‘It’s All New, It’s Allapped Up,’ which are also available on the band’s upcoming album ‘The Last Resort’ (Nuclear Blast).
‘No Remorse’
‘No Remorse’ is the group’s most classic rock number, with the lead vocalist wearing an old-fashioned, railroad-era hat with a train on it. The track also appears on the group’s 2003 album ‘The New Scene’ and was released as the second single from the album. The song was written and recorded in a single day, and although it didn’t sell as well as ‘My Heart Will Go On’ or ‘Equality,’ it received a warm response and sparked a few tracks on the album.
Final Words: Should you buy Prophets of Rage?
While the group’s latest record doesn’t feature the group on the cover, its soundtrack finds the group performing live and in their best moods. If you love rock and roll, the CD or vinyl should be a no-brainer. Although the group will be missed, this doesn’t mean that they won’t be a factor in the music industry for the foreseeable future. Moreover, the Pioneers are based on the west coast and will be touring heavily in the near future. So, if you love rock and roll, and you love prog-metal as well, you definitely need to pick up a copy of ‘Mountains Of Madness.’