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".
Self Will Run Riot
Prong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See them not get drowned
I tend to see their perfect life
Squeaky clean and proud
No pain, no flaws,
No cheating wives
Just to hurt my pride
I could not dry
It's a self will
Self will run riot
It's the self will
Self will run riot
Chasing all the good life
Shielding all the bad
Yielding to the allergy
Clinging to a dead life
Shaking is your hand
Yield to the extremities
Since it's pending an update
It's impossible to wait
Pushed ahead for it's too late
A leap of faith
Examining the futile
The progression of the vile
Destination the line of fire
A change of life
It's a self will
Self will run riot
It's the self will
Self will run riot
Chasing all the good life
Shielding all the bad
Yielding to the allergy
Clinging to a dead life
Shaking is your hand
Yield to the extremities
Then I paused a second
To contemplate upon this life
Regulation, redesigned
To find my guide
Chasing all the good life
Shielding all the bad
Yielding to the allergy
Clinging to a dead life
Shaking is your hand
Yield to the extremities
It's a self will
Self will run riot
It's the self will
Self will run riot
It's a self will
Self will run riot
It's the self will
Self will run riot
In the song "Self Will Run Riot" by Prong, the lyrics speak to several themes including individualism, self-perception and the power of the mind. The first verse, "See them walk through the raindrops, see them not get drowned, I tend to see their perfect life, squeaky clean and proud" depicts the singer's envy of others and their perceived perfect lives. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels constantly surrounded by people who have it all together, while they struggle to keep up. The chorus, "It's a self-will, self-will run riot," implies that the singer is solely responsible for their own successes and failures and that they have allowed their own will to control their life.
The second verse, "Chasing all the good life, shielding all the bad, yielding to the allergy, clinging to a dead life, shaking is your hand, yield to the extremities," speaks to the idea that the singer is trying to live their best life but is held back by self-doubt and fear. The lyrics suggest that they are aware of their own flaws and weaknesses, but they continue to try to reach for the good while avoid the bad. However, the irony is that they are holding onto a life that is already dead, hindering any progress or change. The last verse, "Then I paused a second, to contemplate upon this life, regulation, redesigned, to find my guide," implies that the singer is reflecting on their circumstances and trying to find direction. They are taking control of their own life and seeking guidance to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
See them walk through the raindrops
Observing people easily navigate through troubles without getting affected.
See them not get drowned
Seeing people effortlessly succeed in life without facing any obstacles.
I tend to see their perfect life
I often think their life is flawless and mistake-free.
Squeaky clean and proud
They appear to be morally upright and satisfied.
No pain, no flaws,
They seem to have a perfect life without any troubles or imperfections.
No cheating wives
Their relationships don't involve any infidelity by their partner.
Just to hurt my pride
Their success unintentionally hurts my ego and self-esteem.
All that time so liquefied
All the time seems to pass like water with nothing significant happening.
I could not dry
I couldn't hold onto anything as everything seemed fleeting and impermanent.
It's a self will
My stubbornness is causing my downfall.
Self will run riot
My obstinate behavior is getting out of control and leading me astray.
Chasing all the good life
Pursuing an ideal life filled with success, happiness, and accomplishment.
Shielding all the bad
Trying to avoid facing any negativity or hardships in life.
Yielding to the allergy
Giving in to my weaknesses and temptations even if they may not be good for me.
Clinging to a dead life
Holding onto something that is no longer alive or meaningful.
Shaking is your hand
Feeling uncertain and unsteady about the future.
Yield to the extremities
Giving up control to the extreme situations and circumstances.
Since it's pending an update
Waiting for a change or update to happen in my life.
It's impossible to wait
It's unbearable to wait any longer for something to happen.
Pushed ahead for it's too late
Trying to move forward because it's too late to go back.
A leap of faith
Taking a risk without any certainty of the outcome.
Examining the futile
Dissecting things that are pointless or useless to understand them better.
The progression of the vile
How bad things can get worse over time if we don't do anything about them.
Destination the line of fire
Heading towards a situation that is dangerous and could be harmful.
A change of life
Making a significant adjustment to one's life for the better.
Then I paused a second
Taking a moment to stop and reflect on one's life and situation.
To contemplate upon this life
Reflecting on the purpose and meaning of life.
Regulation, redesigned
Creating new rules or systems to improve one's life.
To find my guide
Searching for guidance and direction in life.
Contributed by Owen R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.