Artist: PRONG
Album: PROVE YOU WRONG REISSUE (CD)

Release date: 1991/ 2008
EAN/UPS: 8718627230817
Media type: CD

Apart from the music, another interesting adjunct to the album was the presence of Pushead, an artist who was regarded with considerable respect on the underground metal scene. Born Brian Schroeder, he had worked for ‘Thrasher’ magazine and Zorlac Skateboards, been in a band called Septic Death at the start of the 1980s, and had already worked with the likes of Metallica and Misfits on album sleeves. Now, he had the chance to be involved with Prong who’s potential he had spotted almost immediately, long before it was obvious to most others; he worked with them on both ‘Beg To Differ’ and ‘Prove You Wrong’. Victor explains:

“Pushead was THE first journalist to ever respond to our debut demo in 1986, when he was writing for ‘Thrasher’ magazine. I knew of his work before sending him the demo. We couldn’t get him (to work on the covers for) the first record, ‘Primitive Origins’, nor ‘Force Fed’. But when we had the budget we finally got him to do ‘Beg To Differ’ and then ‘Prove You Wrong’”.

But this wasn’t the end of the saga for ‘Prove You Wrong’. Because in 1992, an EP was released called ‘Whose Fist Is This Anyway’, which featured re-mixes of five tracks from the record, plus new recording ‘Talk Talk’. It was the band’s attempt to persuade Epic to make up for what they believed to be mistakes the latter made with ‘Prove You Wrong’.

“Yes, that was our idea,” confirms Victor. “You see ‘Prove You Wrong’ came out at a bad time. We missed out on one of the label’s ‘windows of opportunity’, and consequently didn’t get the promotion we believed we deserved. So we demanded the re-mix record. Ted had a good relationship with Jim Thirwell, so that was a no brainer. His re-mix of the song ‘Prove You Wrong’ is amazing. I thought the mix of ‘Irrelevant Thoughts’ on the album was below par - not heavy enough. It didn’t capture its Killing Joke element. So who would do this Killing Joke tip justice? No one better than the late, great Paul Raven (who would later join Prong), along with one of Ministry’s engineers, Lee Popa.”

All told there were two re-mixes here of ‘Prove You Wrong’, plus one each of ‘Irrelevant Thoughts’, ‘Get A Grip (On Yourself)’ and ‘Hell If I Could’. There was also ‘Talk Talk’, a cover many erroneously believe to be of an original Alice Cooper track, from the 1980 album ‘Flush The Fashion’. In fact, the song was written by Sean Bonniwell!

“Well, ‘Talk Talk’ is a Music Machine cover, not an Alice Cooper one,” explains Victor. The Music Machine were the 1960s garage band started by Bonniwell in California; this song was released as a single by them in 1966. The Prong version was recorded during the sessions for ‘Prove You Wrong’, but held back.

So, in 2008, how does Victor believe this album has held up? Is it a classic, or perhaps misguided? The man has no doubts: “I think it’s a good record. Teddy’s drumming stands out as the best thing about it, apart from some good lyrics and catchy songs. I still feel it holds up against any thrash records out there now.
“I only wish the guitars had been heavier. I believe that was accomplished on our next album, ‘Cleansing’ (released in 1994). I don’t think this is as good as the latest Prong release, ‘Power Of The Damager’ (2007), though”.

As for innovative use of electronic samples within a more aggressive framework, the guitarist/vocalist is very precise about its place in Prong history. “ For those who don’t realize it, nor haven’t noticed, each of Prong’s records have been turning points. They are all different. In fact, we changed up a bit too much on every record looking back”.

But whatever the problems and circumstances, ‘Prove You Wrong’ was – and indeed still is – a perceptive, confrontational album, challenging the mores and parameters of the time. It remains a bold, brave, belligerent album – of its genre and generation, yet also removed from such restraints. A masterclass in individuality.

TRACKLIST:

01 Irrelevent Thoughts
02 Unconditional
03 Positively Blind
04 Prove You Wrong
05 Hell If I Could
06 Pointless
07 Contradictions
08 Torn Between
09 Brainwave
10 Territorial Rites
11 Get A Grip (On Yourself)
12 Shouldn`t Have Bothered
13 No Way To Deny It