Founded in 1986 around the door's of the infamous C.B.G.B., Prong, with original members Tommy Victor (guitarist / vocalist) and Ted Parsons (drummer, formerly of the Swans), and new addition, bassist Paul Raven (ex-Killing Joke), have headed hard and fast into the new project, Cleansing.

The inner strength of Prong with core evidence in Cleansing is the incredibly powerful rhythm section. The guitars flow in heavy groove-laden riffs that can swirl, slow, and take off while remaining smooth throughout tone and tempo changes. Parson's double bass drums and Raven's bass lines allow the band to roll like an earthquake; and you get to feel the aftershocks.

With song titles like "Whose Fist is This Anyway" and "Snap You Fingers Snap Your Neck," Prong sounds like an angry militant creature. Rolling Stone calls them "Sherman Tanks." And despite a big difference in vocal style, they sound instrumentally close to Rage Against the Machine, our militant heroes.

To make the blitzkrieg complete, Prong needs to work on vocal strength. Victor sings close to death styles of bands like Richmond's After Life, but on Cleansing, he just doesn't sound capable of matching the instrumental power. His voice is often manipulated with effects and some of the melody lines are a little weak, too. Victor's guitars more than make up for a little vocal weakness. And like "Test," several songs are strong in all dimensions. There is one thing for sure; each cut on Cleansing offers easily recognizable difference in structure. Prong is the pick for the DJ's final set of the night at ChiChos, just before the peak of mayhem when everybody is shaking their heads.

Prong kicks anal-retentive butt.

Reviewer:  Bonn Garrett, courtesy of Flash Magazine.