Prong was founded in 1986 by singer/guitarist Tommy Victor (then a soundman at New York City's renowned CBGB's). With bassist Mike Kirkland (formely of NYHC band Damage and doorman at CBGB’s) and ex-Swans drummer Ted Parsons, Prong released two independent CDs that were noted for their brutal hardcore sound.
Epic Records saw the band's potential and signed them in 1989. Prong's major label debut album Beg to Differ, was released in 1990.
In the following year, Kirkland left the band and was replaced by Ex-Flotsam and Jetsam bassist Troy Gregory. Prong issued their fourth release Prove You Wrong which saw the band experiment with programming and electronic samples while still retaining an aggressive yet melodic sensibility.
By 1994, Troy Gregory was out of the band and was replaced by Paul Raven (bassist) and John Bechdel (keyboard), both from Killing Joke and Murder, Inc. The new line up released Cleansing (Prong’s 5th major release). With a strong industrial sound that still managed to be hard and heavy, Cleansing contained songs that are still considered Prong classics ("Broken Peace" and "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck") and is Prong’s most successful release to date. The videos for these two songs became staples of MTV’s legendary Headbangers Ball.
Prong's sixth album Rude Awakening was released in 1996. The album was not as successful as the last three albums. Shortly thereafter Parsons left the band to join Godflesh. Tommy Victor left New York and moved to Los Angeles. As the band Prong sat idle, Tommy Victor worked with legends of the rock world, including Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, celldweller and Glenn Danzig.
In 2002, Victor re-formed Prong with bassist Brian Perry, drummer Dan Laudo and guitarist Monte Pittman (Madonna). In 2002, after a 42-show American tour that was recorded for a live CD (100% Live, Locomotive Music) Prong entered the studio and recorded a new CD titled Scorpio Rising which was received with mixed responses.
Victor played on and off again with Glen Danzig from 1998 -2005 in between time with Prong. His final goal of playing and writing on a Danzig record was met with Circle of Snakes in 2004.
Prong released a live 2-disc DVD in 2005 entitled "The Vault" which features performances from the Hulstsfred and With Full Force festivals and a full show in Amsterdam. This disc has Mike Longworth on bass as well, who later replaced Perry. As a result of the drum performance on Scorpio Rising , band members Tommy Victor and Monte Pittman decided a change needed to be made. This resulted in the firing of Dan Laudo and the enlistment Aaron Rossi, who used to be in the bands Strife (Victory Records), Shelter (Century Media Records), John 5 (Shrapnel Records), and Ankla (Bieler Bros. Records)
Victor and Raven joined Ministry in 2005 to write and tour in support of their album Rio Grande Blood (2006). They were nominated for a Grammy in 2007 for the song Senior Peligro in the "Best Metal Performance" category. The two also appear on Ministry's follow up album The Last Sucker (2007), although in a more limited capacity.
On June 4th, 2007, Prong posted a MySpace bulletin stating that they were recording in El Paso, Texas. The band left Locomotive Music, and were signed to Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records, who released their latest album Power of the Damager on October 2, 2007.
The band embarked on the "Slicing Across America" and "Slicing Across Europe" tours supporting Power of the Damager in 2007 and early 2008. Joining Tommy Victor in the current live membership of the band is bassist Monte Pittman and drummer Aaron Rossi.
Paul Raven died of an apparent heart attack in his sleep on October 20, 2007 at the age of 46. He was recording with French recording artists Treponem Pal on their new album with Ted Parsons at the time of his death.
Aaron Rossi was joining Ministry as their new drummer on the "C U LaTour" which started in March 2008.
In February 2008, Headbanger's Ball premiered the video "Power Of The Damager".
11. Dark Signs
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Careful of yourself, you may just kill yourself.
Watch out for all the ruin that you ask for.
Being trapped below, is that what you need
Careful what you get, it may just get you back.
How much more?
Relive the nightmares of the past.
Still ignoring all the warnings you see?
A lifetime wronged you.
Dark Signs warned you.
Feel me self destruct
You're gonna get exactly what you're gonna get.
You suffer more and more and then you blame yourself.
Those signposts that point to disaster
Ignore the signals, you get what you see.
The lyrics of Prong's song 11. Dark Signs explore the idea of consequences and how our desires and actions can lead to a dangerous path. The opening lines of the song, "Be careful what you want, it may be what you get. Careful of yourself, you may just kill yourself" suggest that our desires and ambitions can have unintended consequences especially if we don't evaluate them before attempting to achieve them. The lyrics also caution us to be careful of the ruin that we ask for as it may lead to being trapped below, suggesting that chasing some desires can lead us down a dangerous path that we might find difficult to get out of.
The next verse "Careful what you get, it may just get you back. How much more? Relive the nightmares of the past. Think twice about the ruin that you ask for" emphasizes the idea that getting what we want doesn't always lead to happiness and can also come with a heavy price to pay. It encourages us to evaluate our choices carefully and to think about the consequences of our actions, so we do not end up experiencing the nightmares of the past repeatedly.
The line "Still ignoring all the warnings you see?" suggests that even when we are given warning signs, we might choose to ignore them, blinded by our desires, and that can lead to our self-destruction.
Overall, the lyrics of Prong's song 11. Dark Signs are a cautionary tale to be mindful of our desires and to consider the potential consequences before taking action.
Line by Line Meaning
Be careful what you want, it may be what you get.
Be cautious of your desires as they might lead you towards undesired outcomes.
Careful of yourself, you may just kill yourself.
Be mindful of your actions as they might harm you severely.
Watch out for all the ruin that you ask for.
Be cautious about the destructions you seek as they might end up backfiring.
Being trapped below, is that what you need
Are you seeking to be stuck in an undesirable situation?
Careful what you get, it may just get you back.
Be aware that your actions have consequences and may come back to haunt you.
How much more?
Is the current situation not enough for you to realize the negative outcomes of your actions?
Relive the nightmares of the past.
Experience the horrors of the past once again due to your repeated mistakes.
Think twice about the ruin that you ask for.
Reflect on the destruction you desire as it may have severe consequences.
Still ignoring all the warnings you see?
Despite the clear indications of danger, are you still ignoring them?
A lifetime wronged you.
Your life has been plagued by misfortune and negative consequences.
Dark Signs warned you.
The dark and ominous events warned you of the dangers but you disregarded them.
Feel me self-destruct
My own actions are my undoing and destruction.
You're gonna get exactly what you're gonna get.
The outcomes of your actions are inevitable.
You suffer more and more and then you blame yourself.
The repercussions of your actions intensify and eventually, you hold yourself accountable.
Those signposts that point to disaster
The warning signs that predict devastating consequences.
Ignore the signals, you get what you see.
If you choose to ignore the warnings, you must bear the consequences.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind