The Prodigy

The Prodigy came of age when big pants and bigger beats reigned supreme in England, but the band became known to most Americans in 1997 with the sadistic metal twang of “Firestarter.” Outgunned is the group’s first proper studio album since then (and its first without spiky-haired singer Keith Flint), but things haven’t changed much from the electroshocked rock that first brought Prodigy crossover success. Most of Outgunned is dated grimetronica, with metal riffs clunking over tired samples and arena-techno clichés. Particularly loathsome is “Hot Ride,” a horrendous attempt at hard rock featuring Juliette Lewis delivering a little-girl-gone-satanic reading of the Fifth Dimension’s “Up, Up and Away.” The highlights are few and far between. What stands out is how devoid of vibrancy it all is.