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".
Rude Awakening (Detrimental Mix
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hard life that's been our school
More of a cruel day's reckonings
Our prime time used up too soon
There is no kindness to waste
Why help those crying for more?
It spins you around, takes you for a ride
Somehow got to learn to accept the rejection
The tired thoughts from troubling
A weary mind from worrying
Your constant fears upon wakening
Your real life left in your dreams
There is no kindness to waste
Why help those crying for more?
It spins you around, takes you for a ride
What is the point to even try?
Somehow got to learn to accept the rejection
Accept the rejection
Accept the rejection
(Yeah)
Another
Another
Another rude awakening
The hard life that's been our school
More of a cruel day's reckonings
Our prime time used up too soon
There is no kindness to waste
Why help those crying for more?
It spins you around, takes you for a ride
What is the point to even try?
Somehow, some way, got to learn to accept the rejection
Accept the rejection
The song Rude Awakening (Detrimental Mix) by Prong is a heavy metal song that explores the challenges of life. The first verse opens with the lyrics "Another rude awakening, the hard life that's been our school," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singers are acknowledging that life is difficult and that they have become accustomed to it being that way. They describe their prime time as being used up too soon, meaning that they feel as though the best years of their lives have already passed them by.
The chorus emphasizes the idea that there is no kindness to waste and that helping those who are still struggling is pointless. They believe that it will only spin them around and take them for a ride, causing them to question the point of even trying to help. The second verse describes the exhaustion and fatigue that comes from constantly worrying and dealing with fear. The singers suggest that it is important to learn to accept rejection if they want to move forward in life.
Overall, the song Rude Awakening (Detrimental Mix) by Prong is a reflection on life's difficulties and the frustration that comes from trying to make things better. It suggests that acceptance is the key to moving forward and that there is no point in trying to be kind if it is only going to be wasted.
Line by Line Meaning
Another rude awakening
We are never done with having to confront harsh realities in life.
The hard life that's been our school
Life has been our teacher, and it has taught us harsh lessons about its difficulties.
More of a cruel day's reckonings
The tolls that life's challenges have taken on us keep piling up.
Our prime time used up too soon
The peak of our ability and potential has slipped away too quickly, leaving us with regret.
There is no kindness to waste
There is no benefit to extending sympathy to those who constantly want more.
Why help those crying for more?
Why show kindness to those who can only think of their own gain?
It spins you around, takes you for a ride
Perplexity and confusion are the only things that come from trying to please everyone.
What is the point to even try?
Trying in vain brings no results, so why make the effort?
Somehow got to learn to accept the rejection
We'll never overcome these challenges by avoiding them, so we might as well learn to endure them.
The tired thoughts from troubling
Thoughts of our problems exhaust and sap us of energy.
A weary mind from worrying
The consistent anxieties of life have drained us of our mental capacity.
Your constant fears upon wakening
The fears and worries never cease, even in our sleep.
Your real life left in your dreams
Our ideal life only exists in our imagination and not in our reality.
Accept the rejection
We must endure and persevere through the challenges we face.
Another
Another difficult trial to overcome.
Yeah
An expression of weary acceptance of life's struggles.
Contributed by Mackenzie T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.