Prong for me were the great post-thrash band of the late 80s, who skillfully blended New York Hardcore (a scene that they worked for, band members being the soundman and bouncer for the world famous CBGB’s club) with the soaring guitar solos and fast fretwork of Thrash Metal. Throw into the bowl lyrics based on reality rather than Undergraduate Politics or D&D Satanism and you’ve got a winning blend (for me at least).

A power trio in the most literal of senses, generally upbeat (in a growly sort of way), aggressive in a stompy, Prong’s anthems have pulled me through a couple of choke points in my life. Dark Signs off the album Rude Awakening was a particular favorite of mine when I was lost in my early 20s

“Be careful what you want, it may be what you get
Be careful of yourself, you may just kill yourself
Watch out for all the ruin that you ask for
Being trapped below, is that what you need?”

1st verse of Dark Signs by Prong

Thank goodness I’m waaaaaaaaaay less heavy these days and I’ve learnt how to use the Attraction Principle to only bring in good things. But it was this song that helped me make that crucial link 🙂

Its nice to see them still going on with this year’s Ruining Lives LP being around their eighth. This album is a nice mix of the various styles they’ve deployed over years, metal, punk, thrash and even a bit of pop.

My favourite is the following, a riff heavy, punch the air anthem called “Chamber of Thought”