Prong is a metal band from New York City, New York, US, formed in 1986. Pro… Read Full Bio ↴Prong is a metal band from New York City, New York, US, formed in 1986. Prong had two independent releases, Primitive Origins and Force Fed. The albums attracted the attention of Epic Records, which signed the trio in 1989. The group disbanded in 1997 after the Rude Awakening tour, but re-formed in 2003. A pioneer of the urban scene, Prong is fronted by Tommy Victor.
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".

Take It In Hand
Prong Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Watch out!
The part you play is a cop-out.
Shut out!
Authority's been shut down.
Clamped down!
Conditioned so you're held down.
Chill out let rule again to lash out.

Take it in hand
Go for the throat
Shit hits the fan
You're at the end of the rope.

Hands down!
Sudden order wins out.
Lose out!
A crazed attack will come 'round.
Sit down!
And think about your next round.
Bail out!
You're seriously in doubt.

Take it in hand.
Go for the throat.
Shit hits the fan.
You're at the end of the rope.

Take it in hand.
It's beyond hope.
The smoke will clear.
But the pain won't

Beneath that shell.
In the temple's your god
All alone
All at once

The truth emerged.
But now there's none

Overall Meaning

The song "Take It In Hand" by Prong is a hard-hitting track with powerful lyrics that encourage listeners to take control of their own lives and reject the grip of authority. The opening lyrics warn the listener to be wary of the "part you play," suggesting that society may be conditioning them to follow a path that is not true to their individual desires or passions. The following lines "Shut out! Authority's been shut down. Clamped down! Conditioned so you're held down" further emphasize this idea, making it clear that conforming to authority figures and societal norms can be limiting and oppressive.

The chorus of the song, "Take it in hand. Go for the throat. Shit hits the fan. You're at the end of the rope," is a call to action, urging the listener to seize control of their lives before it's too late. The message is clear: fight for what you want and don't let anyone hold you back. The lyrics suggest that there may be risks involved in this pursuit, but it is still worth taking the chance.

The final verse of the song takes a darker turn, describing a world devoid of truth and faith. The lines "Beneath that shell. In the temple's your god. All alone. All at once. The truth emerged. But now there's none" suggest that even when we do take control of our lives, we may find ourselves lost and alone, struggling to navigate a world without clear values or guiding principles.

Overall, "Take It In Hand" is an anthem for self-empowerment and rebellion, encouraging listeners to reject societal limitations and pursue their own dreams and desires.

Line by Line Meaning

Watch out!
Be careful and stay alert!

The part you play is a cop-out.
The role you portray is evasive and not taking responsibility.

Shut out!
The power and authority have been withdrawn.

Authority's been shut down.
The system that upholds the law and order has been closed off.

Clamped down!
The situation has become restricted and oppressive.

Conditioned so you're held down.
The conditioning has caused a state of subjugation and control.

Chill out let rule again to lash out.
Don't worry, the ruling authorities will eventually act harshly.

Take it in hand
Take control and responsibility.

Go for the throat
Go all out and confront the threat head-on.

Shit hits the fan
A sudden catastrophic event occurs.

You're at the end of the rope.
You're out of options and time.