The Prodigy, one of the most iconic EDM acts of the past 30 years, just released their brand new seventh album several days ago, No Tourists. It peaked number one on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100.

The English group consists of multi-instrumentalist Liam Howlett, vocalist Keith Flint and MC Maxim. No Tourists, much like their previous record, The Day Is My Enemy, is a testament to their consistently solid career.

No Tourists was written, produced and mixed over the last year by Howlett in his studio in London’s Kings Cross. While Howlett is almost always the principal songwriter, Flint and Maxim’s vocal abilities and contributions are present throughout the entire album.

This album sounds like a mishmash of their previous outings, but especially The Fat of the Land. While the Prodigy have never tinkered too much with their sound, Howlett noted that No Tourists draws on the best elements of the band. An element of almost every album they have released has appeared in some form here.

“EDM is like looking at a classical orchestra and taking out all the individual instruments and replacing them with beats and synths,” said Kyle Kraemer, an EDM radio dj at 90.7 WCLH. “It is a composition but in the digital age.”

That is exactly what the Prodigy do – bringing their over-the-top, riotous sound to audiences around the world.

The Prodigy’s music has always centralized around crushing beats and layered, shouted vocals. The layers upon layers of roaring synths, shattering beats and black hole-esque bass drops on tracks such as “Need Some1” or “Timebomb Zone” can be too much for the ears of mere mortals to handle.

With regard to No Tourists, Howlett said, “This album is as equally aggressive as the last records – but in a different way. [The new songs] are built to play live. That’s the one thing that brings everything together. I couldn’t write this music unless it has that outlet on stage. That helps write the music. This is what I do it for: the live thing. And until we feel like we can’t do it, or the buzz goes, we won’t stop.”

This is the perfect album for live performances and to dance to. However, good luck dancing to some of these songs. Songs like “Light Up the Sky” and “We Live Forever” have frantic tempos, and the monstrous bass drops create tremors that reach the Earth’s core. If heavy metal were a synth album, this would be it.

“To us, No Tourists is ultimately about escapism and the want and need to be derailed. Don’t be a tourist – there is always more danger and excitement to be found if you stray from the set path,” said Howlett.

This is yet another fantastic cog in the Prodigy wheel that keeps on turning. Howlett and company haven’t reinvented said wheel, but they don’t need to. No Tourists has just enough originality, as well as inspiration from previous work, to sound fresh whilst remaining consistent with the rest of their discography.

It’s a good listen. If you do give it a spin, make sure to learn how to dance.

Parker’s Picks: “Light Up the Sky,” “Champions of London,” “We Live Forever,” “Need Some1”