The Prodigy - Fat of the Land (Music CD)

Among the most anticipated releases of 1997, the Prodigy's third full-length is a bulldozing rock-techno hybrid. But while the guitar/samples/hyper-beats mosaic that made "Firestarter" an MTV breakout are found in every nook and cranny of this album, the overall building blocks are far more diverse, making it a tangible melting pot of pre-millennium pop styles. "Diesel Power," which features quality mike control by Kool Keith, is new-style hip-hop sculpture, applying techno and acid house textures to apocalyptic ends. Both "Funky Shit" and "Smack My Bitch Up" are throbbing dancefloor ejaculations wrapped around, respectively, Beastie Boys and De La Soul refrains. All this adds up to proof positive that The Fat of the Land is just the tip of the iceberg.