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".
Broken Peace
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell you something real
But you tell me nothing
You never do nothing real
Your kind it keeps on cutting
Division you create now its all exploding soon
Nothing left to break no hope in complaining
Gathering of the wounds
The lyrics of Prong's song Broken Peace are filled with frustration and anger towards someone who appears to be disingenuous and untruthful. The singer is trying to communicate clearly and honestly, but the other person is being evasive and refusing to engage in a genuine conversation. The repeated phrase "you never do nothing real" emphasizes the singer's frustration and highlights the other person's lack of authenticity.
As the song progresses, the tension and anger build, and the singer begins to describe the destructive consequences of the other person's behavior. The "division you create" is causing things to explode, and there is "nothing left to break" because everything is in ruins. However, the song ends on a note of hope, with the lyrics "it's a time for mending/gathering of the wounds." Despite the damage that has been caused, there is still a possibility for healing and reconciliation.
Overall, the lyrics of Broken Peace are a powerful commentary on the importance of honesty and authenticity in communication. The frustration and anger expressed in the song are a reminder of the damage that can be caused by disingenuous behavior and the importance of seeking genuine connections with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell you something clearly
I want to communicate something to you with complete transparency
Tell you something real
I want to express sincere sentiments to you
But you tell me nothing
You provide me with no information or insight
You never do nothing real
You refrain from performing any authentic actions
Your kind it keeps on cutting
Your behavior continually causes harm and promotes division
Division you create now its all exploding soon
Your actions are causing increased unrest and may lead to catastrophic outcomes
Nothing left to break no hope in complaining
There is nothing left to damage and attempting to voice grievances is futile
All this lay in ruin its a time for mending
The current state of chaos needs to be addressed and repaired
Gathering of the wounds
The process of healing and repairing the damage caused by your actions must begin
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PARSONS, VICTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Yvan SEMENIC
Monstruous riffs, Groovy bass, convincing singer and a talended drummer is what made Cleansing a timeless rock album. Definitly ahead of its time...
Ted Tosterone
fuck yeah!
Luke Gray
RIP Paul Craven
hahasimp
Helmet would like to have a word with you..
jesusrocknroller
One of the most heavy Bands ever. But every time I listen to their music, they add such a good and positive mood to my heart & soul!
Noneya Business
This sums up exactly how I feel about PRONG. Thanks for putting it into words for me!
Joseph Waychoff Jr.
This guy is one of the coolest peeps to chill with✌
Alexis Gonzáles
Underrated band!
Tommy Victor very talented guy.
Matty W.
this is so hardcore...one of the most underrated bands ever
Rob W
Prong's Cleansing CD has a permanent home in my car's CD changer...... Prong's music never gets old.....you're not a true metal fan unless you have Cleansing in your rotation of music.....just sayin