TOMMY VICTOR: WAYNE STATIC 'Got Mad At Me' When I Called Him Out For Not Acknowledging PRONG's Influence

In a new interview with Heavy Galaxy, PRONG leader Tommy Victor was asked about Dino Cazares's recent comment that FEAR FACTORY not belonging to any subgenre ultimately hurt the band and whether the same could be said about PRONG. Tommy responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I agree with what Dino said, but I don't know if it really applies to him that much because they've been committed to this industrial metal thing ever since I can remember, so I don't know what he's talking about on that. I think he's probably talking about PRONG, really, because we're the ones who had to dig all these trenches for these bands. And now that's I sound like I'm blowing my horn but it's true. I mean, FEAR FACTORY wouldn't exist if it wasn't for HELMET, GODFLESH, and PRONG. I could say that STATIC-X wouldn't exist without PRONG and MINISTRY, and the list goes on. The whole nu metal scene, I don't know if they would have been brave enough or the labels would have been able to sign these bands if it wasn't for [PRONG's song] 'Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck' [from 1994's 'Cleansing' album]. This sounds like I'm bragging, but it's true."

He continued: "I'm not that happy with where I am now, because of that. And the fact that I had to… God rest his soul, with [STATIC-X frontman] Wayne Static, they went to the fact of really stealing our logo and that much, and then taking so much. And it's just, like, 'Dude, I've never seen you say one thing about PRONG in any interviews,' and he got all mad at me. So that kind of stuff would always annoy the hell out of me. Now I'm old and I'm just trying to get through life and I have a bunch of kids, so I don't really worry about it that much.

"But, yeah, that's been the story of the band from the beginning," Tommy added. "We did all this stuff and everyone was just, like, 'What are these guys doing?' And then later on bands were picking up on what we were doing and then capitalizing on it."

Victor previously talked about PRONG's influence on other bands last month in an interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Asked if he thought a lot of other groups owed a debt of gratitude toward PRONG, Tommy said: "It was a little frustrating later on. I wasn't really listening to that much stuff, but I remember when LIMP BIZKIT came out. People said it was rap music with PRONG guitar parts. I listened and said, 'I don't get it.' But when STATIC-X came out, I thought, 'Okay. Jesus.' I won't say it's plagiarism, but it got very close."

"Unfortunately, [STATIC-X] never paid too much homage to us," Victor added. "It was a little bit aggravating. When [Wayne] was alive, I called him on it several times. He got very annoyed with me. Rest his soul. I know [STATIC-X bassist] Tony Campos very well and he said the 'Rude Awakening' record was one of their standards. Tony acknowledged us later on. The time I mentioned it to Wayne, he got very annoyed. [Laughs]"

PRONG's thirteenth studio album, "State Of Emergency", will arrive on October 6 via Steamhammer/SPV.

Photo credit: Nathaniel Shannon