The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die

Rating:

* * *

Remember how songs like

Smack My Bitch up

and

Firestarter

from 1997 made you wanna to get a mohawk, shove a safety pin through your nose and leap around like a lunatic? Whether

Invaders Must Die

- The Prodigy's fifth album, first in four years, and first whole band album since mega-selling

The Fat of the Land

- will incite the same bulletproof tendencies is doubtful. But there's enough here to make you want to get your ear pierced again at least.

And the chaotic temper tantrum of

Take Me to the Hospital

might even extend to you getting a nipple ring. It's easily the album highlight with its yabbering beginnings giving way to the trademark swaggering and swinging beats unique to Prodigy's leader Liam Howlett.

Elsewhere

Warriors Dance

has a wonky, paranoid pulse; Dave Grohl's lucid pounding gives

Run With The Wolves

teeth; and

Omen

is a strobing creep show. But bleepy filler, like

Colours and Piranha

, mean it is not some of their best work.

It's fair to say Prodigy's best years are behind them but laid-back final track

Stand Up

- like Primal Screams

Movin' On Up

- is a cocky way to go out.

Scott Kara