Editing Cleansing (album)

{{For|other albums|The Cleansing (disambiguation)}}{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}{{Infobox album
| name       = Cleansing
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Prong (band)|Prong]]
| cover      = Prong_cleansing_cover.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = January 25, 1994
| recorded   = 1993
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Groove metal]]|[[alternative metal]]|[[industrial metal]]}}<!-- Musical syle section -->
| length     = 58:02
| label      = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Terry Date]]|Prong}}
| prev_title = [[Whose Fist Is This Anyway?]]
| prev_year  = 1992
| next_title = [[Rude Awakening (Prong album)|Rude Awakening]]
| next_year  = 1996
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Prong
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
 | single1date = 1994
 | single2     = Whose Fist Is This Anyway?
 | single2date = 1994
 | single3     = Broken Peace
 | single3date = 1994
 }}
}}

'''''Cleansing''''' is the fourth album by the American [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Prong (band)|Prong]], released on January 25, 1994, by [[Epic Records]]. It was produced by [[Terry Date]], whereas Prong's previous two albums had been produced by [[Mark Dodson (record producer)|Mark Dodson]]. The album features ex-[[Killing Joke]] members [[Paul Raven (musician)|Paul Raven]] on bass guitar and John Bechdel on keyboards and programming. Featuring an [[industrial music|industrial]]-influenced sound, the record received moderate commercial success.<ref name="allmusic-bio"/>

The single "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" received a commercial interest;<ref name="allmusic-bestof"/> its music video received heavy rotation on [[MTV]] and was featured on an episode of ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]''.<ref name="kerrang-victor"/> As a part of the album's promotion, the band toured with [[Sepultura]] and [[Pantera]] as an opener for their ''[[Chaos A.D.]]'' and ''[[Far Beyond Driven]]'' tours, respectively.<ref name="yourlastrites"/>

The record was reissued by [[SPV GmbH|SPV/Steamhammer]] in 2008.<ref name="reissue"/>

==Background and style==
Prong's vocalist and guitarist [[Tommy Victor]] has stated that the record was largely written in the bathroom of his [[Williamsburg, Brooklyn|Williamsburg]] apartment on an [[acoustic guitar]] at night.<ref name="kerrang-victor"/> Despite the label's opposition, the band chose [[Terry Date]] as the producer, recording the tracks at Bad Animals and [[Magic Shop (recording studio)|Magic Shop]] recording studios. The album was mixed at [[Electric Lady Studios]].<ref name="kerrang-victor"/>

Compared to band's [[New York hardcore]]-infused 1980s work, ''Cleansing'' incorporates [[Pantera]]-influenced guitar [[Groove (music)|grooves]] and [[industrial metal]] sounds;<ref name="village-voice"/> the album's style was also described as [[alternative metal]].<ref name=record-collector/> According to Victor, the band "really went in the direction of anything that wasn't [[thrash metal]], because we were sick of the whole thing," with [[The Sisters of Mercy]]'s 1990 album ''[[Vision Thing (album)|Vision Thing]]'' being an influence on the record.<ref name="newnoise-interview"/>

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic-review"/>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score = 8/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |year=2007 |location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], [[Canada]] |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=351}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="EOPM">{{cite book|editor-last=Larkin|editor-first=Colin|editor-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2006|publisher=[[MUZE]] |volume=6 |edition=4th|isbn=978-0-19-531373-4|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpo0006unse/page/672 672] |chapter=Prong}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Goldstein |first=Gordon |date=January 15, 1994 |title=Rekordz |magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |issue=477 |page=47}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
| rev5score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |last=Graff |first=Gary |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=903 |chapter=Prong}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Ox-Fanzine]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirsch |first=Jens |date=October 2013 |title=Review - Prong - Cleansing |url=https://www.ox-fanzine.de/review/prong-cleansing-89794 |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=[[Ox-Fanzine]] |language=de}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Record Collector]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=record-collector/>
| rev8 = ''[[Record-Journal]]''
| rev8score = A+<ref>{{Cite news |last=Atkinson |first=Peter |date=January 28, 1994 |title=Off the Record |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gMhHAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA17 |newspaper=[[Record-Journal]] |page=33}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]]''
| rev9score = 9/10<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stratmann |first=Holger |date=January 27, 1994 |title=Cleansing |url=https://www.rockhard.de/reviews/prong-cleansing |access-date=2024-01-26 |website=[[Rock Hard (magazine)|Rock Hard]] |language=de-DE |type=Vol. 81}}</ref>
}}
[[AllMusic]] critic [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] described the record as "the band's most varied and best record yet," remarking that the record "tightens up their trademark drilling guitars while adding some slight [[techno]] and [[industrial music|industrial]] touches." Erlewine further noted that the new elements "heightens the tension" but also "strengthens their already muscular metallic roar."<ref name="allmusic-review"/> ''[[Record Collector]]''{{'}}s Joel McIver described the record as "a respectable seller rather than a monster" and wrote: "although the album sounds great to this day, all slablike, [[Noise gate|noisegated]] riffs and pulsating beats, it wasn't to be." McIver also compared the [[staccato]] guitar sound to the more commercial works of [[Fear Factory]].<ref name=record-collector/>
 
Jason Roche of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' included ''Cleansing'' on his list of Top 20 New York Hardcore and Metals Albums, saying that it "proved to be as catchy as it was heavy".<ref name="village-voice"/> [[Tommy Victor]] has ranked it as the second best Prong album.<ref name="kerrang-victor"/>

==Track listing==
{{track listing
| all_writing = Prong
| title1 = Another Worldly Device
| length1 = 3:23
| title2 = Whose Fist Is This Anyway?
| length2 = 4:42
| title3 = Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
| length3 = 4:11
| title4 = Cut-Rate
| length4 = 4:52
| title5 = Broken Peace
| length5 = 6:11
| title6 = One Outnumbered
| length6 = 4:58
| title7 = Out of This Misery
| length7 = 4:25
| title8 = No Question
| length8 = 4:17
| title9 = Not of This Earth
| length9 = 6:25
| title10 = Home Rule
| length10 = 3:57
| title11 = Sublime
| length11 = 3:53
| title12 = Test
| length12 = 6:40
| total_length = 58:02
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Limited edition bonus tracks<ref>{{Cite web|title=Prong - Cleansing (back cover)|url=https://img.discogs.com/wZid5y8jPTXXgEqtXeLSWWbFG3s=/fit-in/600x522/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-700439-1623855213-5140.jpeg.jpg|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Discogs}}</ref>
| title13 = Corpus Delicti
| length13 = 3:33
| title14 = No Souls Rising
| length14 = 3:50
| title15 = Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
| note15 = live
| length15 = 4:32
}}

==Personnel==
Album credits as adapted from the liner notes.<ref name="liner-notes"/>

;Prong
*[[Tommy Victor]] — vocals, guitar
*[[Paul Raven (musician)|Paul Raven]] — bass guitar
*[[Ted Parsons]] — drums
*John Bechdel — keyboards, programming

;Technical credits
*[[Terry Date]] — producer, engineer
*Prong — producer
*[[Ted Jensen]] — [[Mastering (audio)|mastering]]

==Chart positions==

{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Chart (1994)
! Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| [[Billboard 200]]<ref name="billboard200"/>
| 126
|}

==Cover versions==
"Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" has been covered by several artists:
*[[Dry Kill Logic]] on their ''Rot EP'', which was only available from [[Roadrunner Records]] metal radio mail list
*[[Demon Hunter (band)|Demon Hunter]] on their album, ''[[The Triptych]]''
*[[Six Feet Under (band)|Six Feet Under]] on their third cover album ''[[Graveyard Classics 3]]''
*[[Grinspoon]] on their EP ''[[Pushing Buttons]]''

==References==
{{reflist|40em|refs=
<ref name="allmusic-bestof">{{cite web|first= Gregory |last= Heaney |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/playlist-the-very-best-of-prong-mw0002355528|title= Prong - Playlist: The Very Best of Prong |publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="allmusic-bio">{{cite web|first= Eduardo |last=Rivadavia |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/prong-mn0000363100/biography|title= Prong biography|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="allmusic-review">{{cite web|first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |author-link= Stephen Thomas Erlewine |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r191424|pure_url=yes}}|title=Cleansing - Prong|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="billboard200">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/352640/prong/chart|title=Prong|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=June 5, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="kerrang-victor">{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Krovatin|url=https://www.kerrang.com/features/every-prong-album-ranked-from-worst-to-best-by-tommy-victor/|title=Every Prong Album Ranked From Worst to Best by Tommy Victor|publisher=[[Kerrang!]]|date= November 27, 2019|access-date=March 20, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="liner-notes">{{Cite AV media notes |title= Cleansing |others= Prong |year=1994 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[Epic Records]] }}</ref>

<ref name="newnoise-interview">{{cite web|url=http://newnoisemagazine.com/interview-prong-frontman-tommy-victor-walks-album/|title=Interview: Prong Frontman Tommy Victor Walks Us Through The New Album|last=Nunnally|first=Doug|work=New Noise Magazine|date=April 1, 2015|accessdate=June 5, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name=record-collector>{{Cite web |url=http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/cleansing |title=Cleansing |publisher=[[Record Collector]] |last=McIver |first=Joel |date=September 2008 |accessdate=10 December 2017}}</ref>

<ref name="reissue">{{cite web|url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/spv-steamhammer-reissues-metal-church-suicidal-tendencies-prong-bonham-titles-in-europe/|title=SPV/Steamhammer Reissues Metal Church, Suicidal Tendencies, Prong, Bonham Titles in Europe|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date= November 12, 2008|accessdate=March 21, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name="village-voice">{{cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/the-top-20-new-york-hardcore-and-metal-albums-of-all-time-6601520|title=The Top 20 New York Hardcore and Metal Albums of All Time|last=Roche|first=Jason|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=July 8, 2013|accessdate=June 5, 2016}}</ref>

<ref name="yourlastrites">{{cite web|url=https://yourlastrites.com/2014/03/22/whose-fist-is-this-anyway-20-years-of-prongs-cleansing/|title= Whose Fist Is This Anyway? – 20 Years of Prong's Cleansing |last=Pirtle|first=Dave |work=Last Rites|date= March 22, 2014|accessdate=March 21, 2020}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs master|37492|type=album|name=Cleansing}}

{{Prong}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleansing (Album)}}
[[Category:Prong (band) albums]]
[[Category:1994 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Terry Date]]
[[Category:Epic Records albums]]