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".
Chamber of Thought
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a chamber of thought
It's something
you know nothing about
The dust settles a vacuum is packed
Getting filled for a silent attack
I am speechless I utter no word
In a society where no one understands
A separate reality
with it's own demands
Incapable of humanity
Can no longer provide
In this mentality
Don't look inside
These hostilities
Inescapable
Don't look inside
This soul has been tarnished
with hard driven facts
Has entered a realm, forever in doubt
The floor that is beneath me
is moving very fast
But I am standing still,
dead in my tracks
Incapable of humanity
Can no longer provide
In this mentality
Don't look inside
These hostilities
Inescapable
Don't look inside
You throw your life away
With triviality
Enter liabilities
You shut your mind to stay
In unreality
Suffer indignities
You throw your life away
With triviality
Enter liabilities
You shut your mind to stay
In unreality
Suffer indignities
My mind has entered
a chamber of thought
It's something
you know nothing about
The dust settles a vacuum is packed
Getting filled for a silent attack
Incapable of humanity
Can no longer provide
In this mentality
Don't look inside
These hostilities
Inescapable
Don't look inside
You throw your life away
With triviality
Enter liabilities
You shut your mind to stay
In unreality
Suffer indignities
You throw your life away
With triviality
Enter liabilities
You shut your mind to stay
In unreality
Suffer indignities
The song "Chamber of Thought" by Prong evokes themes of isolation and confusion. The lyrics provide a description of a mental and emotional inner world that is veiled from others. The opening lines of the song introduce the listener to the concept of the "chamber of thought," a place where one can feel lost in their own mind. The use of the phrase "something you know nothing about" emphasizes the idea that this inner world is completely personal and cannot be understood by others.
The following lines describe a sense of vulnerability and the presence of a potential danger. The dust settling and the vacuum being packed create a sense of an impending silence -- one that is almost a prelude to a non-expressed attack. The singer's fear of false judgements and lack of understanding from society creates a sense of isolation - this separate reality has its own demands, and without the capability of being understood, no hope can be found.
The final lines of the song refer to throwing life away with triviality and sufferings - this suggests that our hostilities and inability to express our inner truths can lead to repression and suffering. Overall, "Chamber of Thought" is a commentary on the struggles of an inner life that is misinterpreted or silenced, leading to feelings of isolation, confusion, and frustration.
Interesting facts about the song "Chamber of Thought":
* "Chamber of Thought" was released in Prong's fourth album "Cleansing" in 1994.
* The album's lead vocalist and guitarist, Tommy Victor, played with Danzig before joining Prong.
* The album "Cleansing" was produced by Terry Date, who has worked with Deftones, Slipknot and other prominent rock bands.
* The album was Prong's most commercially successful album, featuring the hit single "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck."
* The band's name "Prong" is derived from a drumming technique that involves striking the side of the drumstick against the snare drum.
* Some critics have pointed out that the song's themes reflect Tommy Victor's own struggle with depression and addiction.
* "Chamber of Thought" is one of Prong's most popular songs and is often played at their live shows.
* The music video for "Chamber of Thought" features live footage of the band's concerts mixed with black and white footage of industrial landscapes.
* Prong's music is often classified as crossover thrash, blending elements of punk, metal, and industrial.
* The chords for "Chamber of Thought" are not widely available, but it features a distinctive heavy riff in the main chorus and verses, featuring power chords in drop-D tuning.
The chords are:
Verse: D | G | C | F
Chorus: F | C | G | F | C | E
Line by Line Meaning
My mind has entered
The singer's mind has started to explore deep thoughts and new ideas
a chamber of thought
This chamber represents a space in one's mind where they can contemplate and think freely without interruptions or distractions
It's something you know nothing about
The singer implies that others are unaware of the depth and complexity of their thoughts
The dust settles a vacuum is packed
As the artist analyzes their thoughts and ideas, they need to create space in their mind by getting rid of unnecessary thoughts and distractions
Getting filled for a silent attack
The artist is preparing to act on their ideas in a strategic and calculated manner, without making their intentions known to others
I am speechless I utter no word
The singer is hesitant to share their thoughts with others and prefers to keep them to themselves
Otherwise opinions are falsely formed
The singer believes that if they were to express their thoughts openly, others might form opinions based on limited and incorrect information
A separate reality with its own demands
The artist's thoughts have created a new reality for themselves, with unique demands and expectations
Incapable of humanity
The artist feels disconnected from others and their emotions
Can no longer provide
The artist is unable to fulfill the expectations and demands of others because of their separate reality
Don't look inside
The singer advises others not to delve too deeply into their own thoughts or feelings because it may lead to discomfort or distress
These hostilities inescapable
The artist's feelings of alienation and disconnection are unavoidable and difficult to overcome
This soul has been tarnished with hard driven facts
The singer's knowledge and experiences have had a negative impact on their psyche or spirit
Has entered a realm, forever in doubt
The singer's exploration of deep thoughts has left them questioning everything and in a state of perpetual uncertainty
The floor that is beneath me is moving very fast
The singer feels overwhelmed and unsteady, like the ground beneath them is shifting quickly
But I am standing still, dead in my tracks
Despite feeling overwhelmed, the artist feels trapped and unable to move forward
You throw your life away with triviality
The artist believes that others waste their lives on unimportant, superficial things
Enter liabilities
Others put themselves in vulnerable positions by choosing to focus on trivial matters
You shut your mind to stay in unreality
Others avoid facing the truth by closing their minds to new ideas and perspectives
Suffer indignities
Others experience negative consequences as a result of their unwillingness to explore new ideas or face reality
Contributed by Sarah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.