Prong (band)
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist
Prong is an American heavy metal band formed in New York City in 1986. The band is fronted by guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor, Prong's sole constant member. To date, they have released 13 studio albums (including a covers album), one live album, four EPs, one DVD and one remix album.
Prong had two independent releases, Primitive Origins (1987) and Force Fed (1989), which attracted the attention of Epic Records, who signed the band in 1989. Their first two albums on Epic, Beg to Differ (1990) and Prove You Wrong (1991), were released to critical acclaim and garnered attention on MTV's Headbangers Ball.<ref name=":0" /> The band's 1994 album Cleansing was also successful,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and included their best-known song, "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck". After releasing one more album (Rude Awakening in 1996), Prong disbanded in 1997, but reformed in 2002 and has continued to tour and record since then.
History
[edit]Early days (1986–1989)
[edit]The band was founded in 1986 by singer/guitarist Tommy Victor (then a sound engineer for the New York City music club CBGB) and bassist Mike Kirkland (doorman at CBGB), who recruited ex-Swans drummer Ted Parsons shortly after.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Prong independently released an EP, Primitive Origins (1987), and a studio album, Force Fed (1989), both of which were noted for their very raw sound.<ref name=":0" />
Major label signing and underground success (1989–1995)
[edit]Prong signed with Epic Records in 1989.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> Their major label debut album, Beg to Differ, was released in 1990.
In the following year, Kirkland left the band and was replaced by bassist Troy Gregory.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> Prong issued their fourth release, Prove You Wrong,<ref name="LarkinHR">Template:Cite book</ref> which saw the band experiment with programming and electronic samples while still retaining an aggressive yet melodic sensibility.
By 1993, Troy Gregory was out of the band and was replaced by Paul Raven and John Bechdel, both from Killing Joke and Murder, Inc.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> The new line-up released Cleansing (Prong's fifth major release) in 1994.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> With a slight industrial metal influence, 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 Headbangers Ball.<ref name=":2" /> The band toured America with Sepultura and Pantera as an opener for their respective Chaos A.D. and Far Beyond Driven tours. They also undertook a headlining European tour with Life of Agony and The Obsessed as their support.Template:Cn
Demise (1996–2002)
[edit]Prong's 5th album Rude Awakening was released in 1996.<ref name="LarkinHR"/> It entered the charts at No. 107<ref name=":3">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and sold 10,000 units in the United States in its first week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the good sales, Epic Records released the band from their contract three weeks after the album's release.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly thereafter, Raven left prior to a tour supporting Type O Negative and was replaced by Rob "Blasko" Nicholson. Mike Riggs later joined on guitar so Victor could focus more on vocals. This line-up later disbanded, with Victor joining Danzig as their guitar player,<ref name=":2" /> and Ted Parsons joining Godflesh. Parsons also played with Jesu and toured with Paul Raven in Killing Joke.
Interim (2002–2006)
[edit]In 2002, Victor reformed Prong with bassist Brian Perry (Dirty Looks, Jake E. Lee), drummer Dan Laudo and guitarist Monte Pittman (Madonna). In 2002, after a 42-date American tour that was recorded for a live CD (100% Live, Locomotive Music) Prong entered the studio and recorded their first studio album in seven years, Scorpio Rising (2003), which was received with mixed responses.
Victor played on and off again with Glenn Danzig from 1998 to 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 two-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 Brian Perry and Mike Longworth on bass as Longworth replaced Perry after his departure in 2003. Dan Laudo left the band in 2005 and the band enlisted 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 Rossi joined Ministry in 2005 to write and tour in support of their 2006 album Rio Grande Blood. The two also appear on Ministry's follow-up album The Last Sucker (2007), although in a more limited capacity.
Reformation (2007–present)
[edit]
In 2007, Prong signed to Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records, who released Power of the Damager on October 2, 2007. The band embarked on the "Slicing Across America" and "Slicing Across Europe" tours supporting the album in 2007 and early 2008. Joining Tommy Victor for the tour were Monte Pittman and drummer Aaron Rossi; bassist Paul Raven had died of a heart attack in his sleep on October 20, 2007, at the age of 46.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Rossi joined Ministry as their new drummer on the "C U LaTour" which started in March 2008.
Alexei Rodriguez and Tony Campos from Static-X were on the lineup with Tommy supporting Soulfly on the "Blood Fire War Hate" tour in the fall of 2009. They were replaced by Jason Christopher (bass) in 2011<ref>"OVERKILL And PRONG Live in Cleveland, OH With Photos!" By Geoff Ketler, KNAC September 26, 2014</ref><ref>"Prong – Songs From The Black Hole". Music Mixdowns, May 2, 2015.</ref><ref>"PRONG Live In Dublin, Ireland" By Larry Petro, News Monkey, Friday, August 8, 2014 via KNAC</ref> and Art Cruz (drums) in 2012.
The band supported Fear Factory on their tour which ended on June 6, 2010. Prong released a new album, Carved into Stone, on April 23, 2012, with Long Branch Records/SPV. It was produced by Steve Evetts. The band toured as a headliner and with acts such as Crowbar in the US, and in May 2012 performed Beg to Differ in its entirety during a two-week tour in Europe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the summer of 2013, the band performed an extensive European festival and headline run and also recorded a self-released "Official Bootleg" entitled Unleashed in the West – Live in Berlin via Bandcamp.com.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After spending November and December 2013 in the studio, Prong released their ninth album, Ruining Lives, on Steamhammer/SPV in April 2014 and toured extensively in its support. Blabbermouth.net called the album "Tommy Victor's personal liberation."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The album was produced by Victor and mixed by Steve Evetts.
The band started a second wave of touring behind Ruining Lives in July 2014, with European festivals and headline shows. They also toured in North America, both as headliners and as support to Overkill, followed by a tour in Europe as main support to Overkill in October and November.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>"Ruining lives: It's the name of Prong's latest effort". ABQ Journal, by Rozanna M. Martinez September 12, 2014</ref>
In 2015, the band released the cover album Songs from the Black Hole, followed a year later by their eleventh studio album X – No Absolutes. Another album, Zero Days, was released in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, at the beginning of August, they played a concert in Polish Woodstock Festival. Prong's next release was the EP Age of Defiance, released on November 29, 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The band's thirteenth studio album, State of Emergency, was released on October 6, 2023.<ref name="BM"/>
Musical style, influences and legacy
[edit]Prong has been described as groove metal,<ref name=VH1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref name="UG">Template:Cite web</ref> industrial metal,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and thrash metal,<ref name=EncyclopediaofHeavyMetal>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0" /> while their early work has been characterized as crossover thrash.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="UG"/> Emerging from the New York hardcore scene,<ref name="EncyclopediaofHeavyMetal" /> they, along with bands such as Pantera, Sepultura and Machine Head, are one of the bands of the groove metal movement of the 1990s.<ref name=VH1 /> Prong has cited several bands as influences, including Rush,<ref name=BM>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bad Brains, Killing Joke,<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":5" /> Discharge,<ref name=":4" /> Celtic Frost, Voivod, Kreator, Destruction,<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> Metallica,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Warzone, the Cro-Mags,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Die Kreuzen,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the Sisters of Mercy.<ref name=":3" />
They have influenced many notable musicians such as Korn's Jonathan Davis, Demon Hunter's Ryan Clark and Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as bands such as Pantera and White Zombie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Members
[edit]Current members
[edit]| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:CSS image crop | Tommy Victor | 1986–present | Template:Hlist | all releases |
| Template:CSS image crop | Jason Christopher | Template:Hlist | Template:Hlist | Template:Flatlist |
| Tyler Bogliole | Template:Hlist | Template:Hlist | none |
Former members
[edit]Live musicians
[edit]| Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Bishara | 1994 | keyboards | Bishara briefly toured with the band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Vince Dennis | 1996 | bass | Dennis covered for Paul Raven when the bassist injured himself.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Template:CSS image crop | Matthew Brunson | 2012 | Brunson and Pybus covered for Tony Campos who was touring with Soulfly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Template:CSS image crop | Dave Pybus | |||
| Fred Ziomek | 2019–2020 | Template:Hlist | Ziomek toured with the band in 2019 and 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |
| Template:CSS image crop | Jason Bittner | 2023 Template:Small | drums | Bittner covered for Griffin McCarthy who had other commitments in 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
Timeline
[edit]<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:110 bottom:80 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1986 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:4 start:1986 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1986
Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars id:Keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:Lines2 value:gray(0.7) legend:Live_album id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars
LineData =
layer:back color:Lines2 at:10/29/2002 at:03/14/2014 color:Lines at:01/01/1989 at:03/12/1990 at:09/24/1991 at:01/01/1994 at:05/14/1996 at:11/04/2003 at:10/02/2007 at:04/24/2012 at:05/24/2014 at:03/31/2015 at:01/29/2016 at:07/28/2017 at:10/06/2023
BarData =
bar:Victor text:"Tommy Victor" bar:Riggs text:"Mike Riggs" bar:Pittman text:"Monte Pittman" bar:Kirkland text:"Mike Kirkland" bar:Gregory text:"Troy Gregory" bar:Raven text:"Paul Raven" bar:Blasko text:"Rob Blasko" bar:Cavanagh text:"Frank Cavanagh" bar:Perry text:"Brian Perry" bar:Longworth text:"Mike Longworth" bar:Campos text:"Tony Campos" bar:Christopher text:"Jason Christopher" bar:Parsons text:"Ted Parsons" bar:Tempesta text:"John Tempesta" bar:Laudo text:"Dan Laudo" bar:Rossi text:"Aaron Rossi" bar:Rodriguez text:"Alexei Rodriguez" bar:Cruz text:"Art Cruz" bar:McCarthy text:"Griffin McCarthy" bar:Bogliole text:"Tyler Bogliole" bar:Bechdel text:"John Bechdel" bar:Clouser text:"Charlie Clouser"
PlotData=
width:11 color:Vocals bar:Victor from:start till:12/01/1997 bar:Victor from:01/01/2002 till:end
color:Guitar bar:Victor from:start till:12/01/1997 width:3 bar:Victor from:01/01/2002 till:end width:3 bar:Riggs from:01/01/1997 till:12/01/1997 bar:Pittman from:01/01/2002 till:11/01/2002 bar:Pittman from:01/01/2002 till:10/06/2006
color:bass bar:Kirkland from:start till:12/31/1990 bar:Gregory from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1993 bar:Raven from:01/01/1993 till:10/01/1996 bar:Blasko from:10/06/1996 till:12/30/1996 bar:Cavanagh from:01/01/1997 till:12/01/1997 bar:Perry from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2003 bar:Longworth from:01/01/2003 till:10/01/2006 bar:Pittman from:10/06/2006 till:09/01/2009 bar:Campos from:09/01/2009 till:08/01/2012 bar:Christopher from:08/01/2012 till:08/01/2016 bar:Longworth from:08/01/2016 till:08/01/2017 bar:Christopher from:08/01/2017 till:end
color:Drums bar:Parsons from:start till:12/31/1996 bar:Tempesta from:01/01/1997 till:12/01/1997 bar:Laudo from:01/01/2002 till:01/01/2005 bar:Rossi from:01/01/2005 till:09/01/2009 bar:Rodriguez from:09/01/2009 till:12/31/2013 bar:Cruz from:01/01/2014 till:05/26/2018 bar:Rossi from:08/24/2018 till:01/01/2022 bar:McCarthy from:01/01/2022 till:10/08/2023 bar:Bogliole from:10/08/2023 till:end
color:Keys bar:Bechdel from:01/01/1993 till:01/01/1995 bar:Clouser from:01/01/1995 till:12/01/1996
color:Backing width:3 bar:Kirkland from:start till:12/31/1990 bar:Parsons from:start till:12/31/1996 bar:Gregory from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1993 bar:Longworth from:01/01/2003 till:10/01/2006 bar:Pittman from:01/01/2002 till:09/01/2009 bar:Campos from:09/01/2009 till:08/01/2012 bar:Christopher from:08/01/2012 till:08/01/2016 bar:Longworth from:08/01/2016 till:08/01/2017 bar:Christopher from:08/01/2017 till:end
</timeline>
Discography
[edit]- Force Fed (1989)
- Beg to Differ (1990)
- Prove You Wrong (1991)
- Cleansing (1994)
- Rude Awakening (1996)
- Scorpio Rising (2003)
- Power of the Damager (2007)
- Carved into Stone (2012)
- Ruining Lives (2014)
- Songs from the Black Hole (2015)
- X – No Absolutes (2016)
- Zero Days (2017)
- State of Emergency (2023)
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Pages with broken file links
- 1986 establishments in New York City
- Musical groups from New York City
- American groove metal musical groups
- American industrial metal musical groups
- American thrash metal musical groups
- Crossover thrash groups
- Heavy metal musical groups from New York (state)
- Musical groups established in 1986
- Musical groups disestablished in 1997
- Musical groups reestablished in 2002
- Musical trios from New York (state)
- Locomotive Music artists
- Epic Records artists
- Steamhammer Records artists