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".
Hell If I Could
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I'd give you hell if I could
Still I try so hard not to care
Sold on the excess, chasing the tail to the cage
Joke's on you, you're sliding, of not far to go
You want to know something
I'd give you hell if I could
You've not far to go
I swear you've know far to go
Some are so sad
They pray the bad go away
I itch and sore and still I can't complain
Singing have gun will travel
If all looks so stupid to me
Seconds stutter backward
And not far to go
The lyrics to "Hell If I Could" by Prong describe a feeling of frustration and apathy towards someone who is inquiring about the singer's emotions. The line "Well I'd give you hell if I could" represents the singer's desire to respond negatively, but also the acknowledgment that this would not solve anything. The singer then goes on to express their disillusionment with chasing material possessions and the realization that it only leads to confinement. The lines "Joke's on you, you're sliding, of not far to go" suggest that the person asking about the singer's emotions may be on a similar downward spiral. The repetition of the phrase "You've not far to go" emphasizes this point.
The following lines introduce a sense of despair and resignation, as the singer acknowledges that some people are just sad and cannot escape their pain. The line "Singing have gun will travel" could be interpreted as a reference to a Western TV show from the 1950s, in which a cowboy would travel from town to town solving problems. However, in the context of the song, it may represent a feeling of helplessness or a desire to escape from reality. The final line "Seconds stutter backward and not far to go" adds to the theme of time running out and the inevitability of one's fate.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of hopelessness and frustration with the status quo. The singer recognizes the futility of their actions and the fact that some things cannot be changed. The repeated refrain of "I'd give you hell if I could" suggests that the singer is not entirely apathetic, but is simply powerless to make a difference.
Line by Line Meaning
You want to know something
There's something important that you want to ask me
Well I'd give you hell if I could
I would make it extremely difficult for you if I revealed the truth to you
Still I try so hard not to care
Despite my desire to protect myself, I'm struggling to suppress my emotions
Sold on the excess, chasing the tail to the cage
I'm addicted to materialism and am trapped in a cycle of pursuing superficial things
Joke's on you, you're sliding, of not far to go
You're making a mistake and don't realize how close you are to a negative outcome
You've not far to go
You're close to experiencing the consequences of your actions
I'd give you hell if I could
I would want to make it difficult for you to continue making mistakes
I swear you've know far to go
I promise that you're not far from facing the consequences of your actions
Some are so sad
There are people who are extremely unhappy
They pray the bad go away
These individuals hope that their troubles will disappear
I itch and sore and still I can't complain
Even though I'm going through a difficult time, I don't want to be seen as complaining
Singing have gun will travel
I express my tough exterior through this expression
If all looks so stupid to me
I find everything to be trivial and nonsensical
Seconds stutter backward
Time seems to move slowly or not at all
And not far to go
The end result is near or impending
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREGORY, VICTOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind