Metal Riot

American Power Trio PRONG is getting ready to release an album of cover versions, putting their distinct spin on an array of tracks originally recorded by artists such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Adolescents, The Sisters Of Mercy, Killing Joke, Hüsker Dü and Neil Young.

Tommy Victor: “Prong is very excited about the upcoming release of our new record, Songs From The Black Hole, and equally excited about the artwork and packaging! Since the record explores Prong’s roots musically and geographically, this needed to be expressed visually and this was attained. With the help of our art director Mike Lopez, the theme of urban decay, desolation, insecurity and ultimate change that prevails in the music has been brought to the surface in images. Since much of Prong’s origins come from a place of abandonment, we feel our new album artwork fully reflects this sentiment. I think one can get a grip of the hard hitting, dangerous sounds inside from a glimpse of the packaging of  Songs From The Black Hole. We certainly hope you enjoy this latest release, inside and out.“

Nothing lasts forever. Making a record has a stage where it is a sense of duty in a lot of ways. If I’m doing something purposeful, it’s rewarding rather than “liking”. There’s quality actions and lowerquality actions. I like to sit in front of a television set for hours and watch old espisodes of the Sopranos. Is that helping me or anybody else? – Tommy Victor

Prong have been on fire ever since they came back strong with the awesome Power of the Damager. Tommy Victor is known for his work in Danzig, Ministry and of course Prong as well, but his first baby is the most important, I’d say. Prong just have a unique sound that no one can match and the legacy is intact on the colossal new Ruining Lives. From the sonic attack of the catchy but ballistic “Turnover” to the thrashy “The Barriers” or the industrial metal riffing of the groove heavy “Absence of Light”, Runing Lives shows that Victor is still one of the most interesting innovators in metal and hardcore. There’s a little bit of everything you’ve ever loved about prong on here, but it isn’t forced or gimmicky. This is just pure 100% Prong and thank fucking God.

Every time Prong release an album it pushes the shitty dial of the scene back towards goodness for a much needed respite.Bands like Slipknot, NIN, Korn, Rob Zombie and more give heavy props to Victor’s contributions to metal and you should too. Shit, with the exception of NIN, Victor blows away most of those other bands in his sleep. Dude is just a natural for severe and “true life” metal. I didn’t think they could follow up our 5 star rated Carved Into Stone release with something as powerful, but the new record really kicks ass as well.

Click HERE to read this Metal Riot chat with a metal legend.

Wow. What just happened? Talk about an album handing your ass to you and leaving you with two black eyes to boot.

Prong is back with Carved Into Stone, an album that is almost like Prong’s version of Slayer. Hard charge and no bullshit from “Eternal Heat” all the way through to the caveman power stomp of “Reinvestigate”, this one is a must have. Power Of The Damager was an amazing release for Prong, really setting the band back on its’ feet, but Carved Into Stone is an even more serious blessing for fans. If this is the last Prong album ever (hopefully not, but…) it would be a capstone that distills Prong to the raw essence, inarguably showing all the skill Victor wields as a guitarist and aggressive songwriter.

Prong’s Tommy Victor has been a metal lifer for ages, a pioneering veteran with calloused fingertips, a grim look in his eye and countless shows under his belt. As the driving force behind his classic Industrial/Thrash/Hardcore/Alternative crossover act, he has inspired everyone from Korn to Demon Hunter to Ministry (the last of which Victor actually plays in now). But while Tommy has kicked ass of late on the latest Ministry releases, collaborating on a Soulfly song or the crucial recent Danzig release Deth Red Sabaoth, it is Prong which will always be the most “Tommy” (not a Who reference) of anything Victor plays on.

I recently wrote a piece for another site on Mindless Self Indulgence and mentioned how they had made a huge dent on pop culture even though no one gives them credit. Some keyboard jockey on a Facebook thread snarked at that claim that they are “underground” and no one knows them so they aren’t influential. Way to miss the point! Get this…Prong (or Crowbar) will always be underground, for example, and yet the world musical landscape would be so much different without their contributions. You don’t have to be the one who gets all the glory to be the one ripped off a lot by successors.

Click HERE to read the whole review.