Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions: song, EP/album | Suggest an artist

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Eroded Pride - Short Attention-span Theatre |Elicit Music, 2013|

01. Cemetery Dance, 02. Alone, 03. March, 04. Pathology, 05. Death of SYNOD, 06. Bang, 07. Castigame, 08. Declaration, 09. Gallows, 10. Testosterone Conspiracy, 11. Flatline

Eroded Pride makes music on their own terms that should be appreciated by listeners who enjoy the conservative style of 90's industrial metal. The band, a musical initiative of Jimmie Jones, was founded as a quartet in 2001. After releasing Surviving Reno: the Biggest Little Headache debut, the line-up shrunk to a solo project 12 years later. However, for the purpose of recording the follow-up Short Attention-span Theatre album, Jimmie invited an L.A. guitar player — Todd Szklennik.

The opening track, "Cemetery Dance" refers to vampire mythos and as such was tuned to sound creepy. It brings almost spoken, neglectful and slightly distorted vocals supported by guitar riffs and a mechanical set of samples.

"Alone" sounds almost the same, but it is enriched with individual guitar riffs and matching sampling. The vocals are performed with some kind of disdain. Lyrically, it is a dark love story about a possessive, psychotic boy who falls in love with a girl. He locks her in a basement like a plastic doll, so he'll never feel alone again.

"March", accompanied by a recently released music video may be highly appreciated by die-hard Ministry fans. In addition, it refers to the politics in a way which lets listeners project their own political beliefs. Since we're talking about both Ministry and the US, there are speeches of G.W. Bush. He earned musicians interest due to his ridiculous sense of humor and frequent faux pas. Simple, march-friendly arrangements written for bass and guitar are surrounded by a cloud of industrial sampling.

The tale behind the next song, "Pathology" could perfectly suit a horror movie storyline. Imagine a mortician who works in a hospital. He passes by a junkie hooker on his way to work every night. She draws his interest but he's a shy guy. He's even more inspired to learn what was her story when she disappears one night. How will it end? A hint - on a steel morgue table. The track sounds memorable thanks to a dominating bass line, basic drum machine beats and synthesizers supported by vocals.

"Death of SYNOD" is accented by a catchy beat, additionally amplified by looped metal guitar riffs. Listeners may enjoy the shouted and spoken vocals layered with a slight distortion effect. A gentle touch of techno essentials plays a big part in this composition. SYNOD was planned to be another of Jimmie’s projects. Since the music sounded like Eroded Pride, he stuck to the original band, resulting in the death of the SYNOD idea.

"Bang" sounds quite frolicsome, like the music you may have heard from Revolting Cocks or MLWTTKK with the belligerent punk spirit of The Sex Pistols. Musically, there's less of electronica but more of a rock sound based on bass, guitar and drums. The overall atmosphere of the track is quite heavy, mainly thanks to the guitar riffs. A sentimental harmonica sound (as recognisable and standing out as a saxophone’s), gives the song an organic vibe. Should you also think about the Wild West? Sounds correct. In this track, Jimmie takes on the role of a demon telling the tale of Billy the Kid’s afterlife showdown with the devil.

A guitar driven roller-caster underlined by the bass line opens "Castigame". It is then replaced with dense rap vocals skillfully performed by guest vocalist Esko of Illaborate Minds. Intensified guitar riffs return in the chorus. Yet, when it seems that all hell will break loose, the whole anger is squeezed back into controlled boundaries and prolonged to last a few more minutes.

Speaking of anger, "Declaration" is a song about releasing strong emotions. The composition is solid and lacks improvisation or any softer moments as if it was to create a raw, rebellious mood. Screamed vocals match the bass, guitar and drum very well.

"Gallows" sounds both heavy and depressing. The atmosphere is supported by lyrics speaking of a man on death row who comes to terms with his life, actions and fate. The bleakness of the situation is expressed also through piano chords and shouted vocals.

The following "Testosterone Conspiracy" is characterized by a simple drum beat, looped guitar riffs and screamed vocals. The lyrics refer to working women who want to be respected and financially successful equally to men, especially in the same jobs. Sadly, all they experience is a devaluation of their skills due to sexism. There's even a suggestion that engaging in a manly fist fight, instead of relying on beauty, may help women break though 'the glass ceiling'.

The last track, "Flatline" refers to revenge. Looped guitar riffs bring the temperature to a boil, while gentle synth tunes introduce a bit of coolness at the same time. There are shooting sounds as well as beeping of an electrocardiograph with its typical, terminal sound.

Nevada-based Eroded Pride provides a lot of rough and repetitive tunes wrapped up in swift compositions on Short Attention-span Theatre. Sometimes though, a surprising moment springs forth — for example, a new diverged bass line creates a breakthrough along all the repetitions. The subjects of the songs could easily inspire the horror movie industry, while the sound will stimulate industrial metal fans. Assuming you're familiar with the genre, you may discover a few similarities to the music of bands such as Ministry, Treponem Pal or KMFDM, but developed further with Eroded Pride's very own conceptual ideas.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Magazine, October 21st, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

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