METALLIAN - Prong

Force Fed -1989 – In-Effect
Beg To Differ – 1990 – Epic
Prove You Wrong - 1991 - Epic
Cleansing – 1994 – Epic
Rude Awakening – 1996 – Epic
100% Live – 2002 - Locomotive
Scorpio Rising – 2003 – Locomotive
Power Of The Damager – 2007 – 13th Planet
Carved Into Stone – 2012 – Long Branch
Ruining Lives – 2014 – Steamhammer
X – No Absolutes – 2016 –Steamhammer
Zero Days – 2017 - Steamhammer
State Of Emergency - 2023 - Steamhammer

Members

Vocals

TOMMY VICTOR

Guitar

Danzig, Ministry, Tapeworm>>TOMMY VICTOR>>Danzig, Ministry, Tapeworm – Madonna>>Monte Pittman>>Madonna, Ministry

Bass

Damage>>Mike Kirkland – Criminal, Wasted Youth, Flotsam & Jetsam, Swans>>Troy Gregory>>Swans, Killing Joke, The Dirtbombs, Crime & The City Solution, The Witches, Solo, Super Birthday – Neon Hearts, Turbo, Killing Joke, Murder Inc., Sons Of Damnation>>Paul Raven>>Zilch, Killing Joke, Sons Of Damnation, Godflesh, Ministry, Society 1, Mob Research – Dirty Looks, Bubble, Flood, Lizzy Borden, Jake E. Lee, Lunatics On Parole>>Brian Perry>>Lunatics On Parole, Rumbledog – Static-X, Brujeria, Asesino, Attika 7, Dia De Los Muertos, Possessed, Ministry, Soulfly>>Tony Campos>>Static-X, Asesino, Attika 7, Possessed, Ministry, Fear Factory, Soulfly, Max & Iggor Cavalera, Hail The Horns, DRI, The Monarch – Black President, Sebastian Bach>>Jason Christopher>>Black President, Sebastian Bach, Ministry – Ritual Sacrifice>>Mike Longworth - Black President, Sebastian Bach, Ministry>>JASON CHRISTOPHER>>Black President

Drum

Swans, Of Cabbages And Kings>>Ted Parsons>>Swans, Of Cabbages And Kings, Godflesh, Killing Joke, Teledubgnosis – Eleventh Hour>>Dan Laudo>>Subsonic, Scum Of The Earth, Alligator Blood – Aaron Rossi>>Ministry, Taipan, K.P. Riot Brigade – Catharsis, Walls Of Jericho, 3 Inches Of Blood, Hail The Night>>Alexei Rodriguez>>Cortez, Hail The Night – Azusa, Winds Of Plague, Enthral>>Arturo Cruz>>Winds Of Plague, Lamb Of God - Ministry, Taipan, K.P. Riot Brigade>>Aaron Rossi>>K.P. Riot Brigade

Keyboard

John Bechdel>>Ministry, Fear Factory, Ascension Of The Watchers – Nine Inch Nails, Tapeworm>>Charlie Clouser>>Nine Inch Nails, Tapeworm - Despyre>>GRIFFIN MCCARTHY>>Despyre

History & Biography

Prong was founded as a thrash metal band with crossover appeal in 1986. Legend has it that mainstay Tommy Victor was the soundman at New York City’s CBGB and befriended bassist Mike Kirkland (gorilla at CBGB) and former Swans drummer Ted Parsons. The last man had jammed with Victor before. Victor is the sole constant with members coming and members going. The band dissolved in 1997 when the sales for Rude Awakening were, well, a rude awakening and, like all bands, eventually returned, in this case in 2002. The band’s sound has been toned down over the years to incorporate alternative, industrial, synthesizers and hard rock. The sole rule of membership in Prong remains that a musician has to either have come from Ministry or promise to soon join that band.

The band had a 1986 demo and a Demo ’87. Prong was heard on the Speed Metal Hell III sampler of New Renaissance Records in 1987. The band packaged its songs into a 1987 demo called Primitive Origins on its own Spigot imprint. The same imprint issued the band’s debut full-length Force Fed in 1988 before In-Effect/Relativity reissued it a year later. The band appeared on a couple of samplers and a Peel Sessions’ EP before Beg To Differ. A European tour with Faith No More did the band many favours and cemented its reputation. The band had signed with major label Epic Records. The trio was seen as an avant-garde force with a powerful bass guitar and strong shows.

Prove You Wrong featured a new member, namely Troy Gregory on bass. He stayed in Prong for two years after having spent the years 1988 to 1991 in Flotsam And Jetsam. The group had snatched the coveted Ozzy Osbourne opening slot. The band shot videos for the songs Prove You Wrong and Unconditional. The group participated in the soundtrack for the Airheads and Strange Days’ films in 1994 and 1995, but first a poster of the band appeared on a bedroom wall in the film Terminator 2. The band played Dynamo Festival in Europe and introduced its new keyboard man John Bechdel. The band opened for Sepultura and Pantera separately across the USA. European live shows were with Life Of Agony. Live And Illegal In Baltimore – March ’94 was a promotional video that was shot when the band was opening for Danzig. The band was dropped by Epic when Rude Awakening did not satisfy commercially. Paul Raven left and Ron Nicholson joined for a tour with Type O Negative. Mike Riggs was recruited on guitar so Victor can focus on singing. The group disbanded and Victor relocated to Los Angeles.

The band’s comeback was marked with 100% Live in 2002, which featured Brian Perry on bass and was recorded in Michigan and Illinois. The reformation line-up was Victor, Pat Lachman, of Halford fame who would not last and instead go to sing for Damageplan, Monte Pittman (a guitarist for Madonna) and drummer Dan Laudo. The return studio album Scorpio Rising was seen as an attempt to sound modern a la mallcore. The band toured with Beyond The Embrace. Power Of The Damager was out on 13th Planet Records, which was owned by Al Jourgensen of Ministry. Paul Vincent Raven died of a heart attack in 2007. Carved Into Stone was supported through a tour with Crowbar. The band headlined a show with Brazil’s Eminence opening in NYC in 2012. A further live record, Unleashed In The West from 2014, was an independent release recorded live at the studio. Prong and Overkill toured together in 2014. Songs From The Black Hole was a 2015 covers’ album through Steamhammer. Exodus, Obituary, Prong and King Parrot were touring as the Battle Of The Bays European edition in 2016. Bassist Mike Longworth had to leave the European tour due to a “family emergency” in 2017. He was replaced by his predecessor Jason Christopher in a jiffy. The band was supporting Zero Days. Prong and Dew-scented were touring Europe in 2018. The band announced a series of “intimate” shows and festivals to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Cleansing album in Europe in 2019. The 2019 Age Of Defiance EP featured both studio and live tracks. The band, Armored Saint and Black Label Society announced a late 2021 tour of the USA. This followed the announcement of a tour with Black Label Society and Obituary. Overkill and Prong announced a tour of the USA for March 2022. The band visited Latin America next. Prong recruited Jason Bittner (Overkill and Shadows Fall) as a replacement for Griffin McCarthy to play drums on the European tour 2023 as openers for Life Of Agony. The 30 Years Of River Runs Red tour also featured Madball as openers in the UK.

Prong had a new album, called State Of Emergency, through Steamhammer/SPV in October 2023. There was a video for the song Non-Existence. The act performed in the parking lot of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA before a Metallica concert in the summer. Overkill had done the same. Voivod and Prong announced a USA tour for February and March 2024. There was a Canadian date in Vancouver, Canada as well.

The band has always maintained a cult status, but never superseded that partly due to having a foot in different genres and partly due to the constant change in members. The band’s monicker was chosen to be abstract and to go with it the group’s symbol was a trident.

Reviews

PRONG - 100% LIVE - LOCOMOTIVE
Prong's comeback album is called 100% Live and it sounds like a genuinely live representation of the returning band. The band, actually singer/guitarist/founder Tommy Victor and collaborators, has chosen to mark its re-entry into the scene with this live set featuring sixty minutes of by-the-numbers Prong focusing on the later-era Prong. A couple of harder songs, like Disbelief, do make an appearance, but this is more the hard rock Prong than the 'In My Veins' offbeat/industrial/metalcore Prong. The sound is good and the presentation flawless. As mentioned, this reincarnation does a good job of representing the tunes, allowing the songs and the ability to play them do the talking. Having chosen to return with a non-studio album, all eyes will now be on what form the band's studio material may take. The band has already lost bassist Brian Perry from this session. It's wait-and-see period again from here on. - Ali "The Metallian"

Interviews

Prong