Eroded Pride hails from Carson City, Nevada. The page is backgrounded with a picture of the universe, stars & distant galaxies. Their photos are a various assortment of professional photos, personal photos, studio pics, live show pics, fliers and logos. Most of the photos are of an EPK or RPK quality, both black & white and color shots. Some of the pictures they pose with instruments, others are the members themselves, in the typical industrial/metal attire, black, leather, spikes. The imagery is effective, and consistent with the styles presented, and maintain the industrial edge.
At the time of this blog, there are 4 songs and 3 videos. Interestingly, 3 of the 4 songs are a live recording, 2 practice sets and 1 show. The playlist begins with the song called, "Join the Chant (Live)". This song may be a Nitzer Ebb cover, but Eroded Pride makes it their own. As with all home-made recordings, the sound quality could be better. This is not saying anything negative about the act itself. By listening, one can tell the band was in it's top performance, and the drummer and guitarist were significant in this recording. The vocalist belts out the lyrics like an electrical madman, and the song is a good piece, in my opinion. I anticipate hearing a studio mix of Eroded Pride's version. The next song, "Pathology", is labeled as a live practice recording. I like the keyboards in this song particularly, and the guitar work is significant as well. The vocals in this song sound like a mix between Kevorkian Death Cycle and the more angrier side of Front 242. Whatever the effects being used on the vocals, they work well for the song, and seem especially effective. The next tune, "Flatline" is also listed as a live practice. The guitar in this tune is top notch, as industrial tunes go. The singer carries this song on his shoulders like Atlas holds the world. The keys float in & out of the song like a room full of smoke, and the band pushes this song with strength & tenacity. The final song, "Annasong Eroded Dance Mix", bounces with that stomp/ride dance roll we all have come to know. The vocals in this tune are the clearest, and cleanest, compared to their other recordings. The programming and the sampling are key in this song, and the true industrial edge comes forward here. The keyboards are interesting, moving from simple synth glides to slight piano rolls, blended well.
According to their Reverbnation bio, it appears that this act has switched members several times, and there are only 2 core members. Jimmie Jones currently plays bass, guitar, and sings vocals. Khristine Hansen-Jones plays keyboards. It is assumed Eroded Pride attempts to land quality musicians, only to have them leave or ditch either unexpectedly or to pursue other objectives. This is unfortunate, industrial bands seem to have a harder time finding members that not only understand the music, but also are interested in playing it. Another difficulty is finding a secure label that'll take the act and it's computer/synth/metal sound seriously. Myself previously having been in 2 industrial acts, sympathize.
Everything about this act is consistent with the genre they've listed themselves as. "Metal/Industrial/Industrial Metal" sounds a bit redundant, but is valid. The guitars are distorted as metal listeners would like. Those who dig industrial will appreciate the computer guided electrolysis and synthesizer. However, in many metal circles, the act may not be "heavy" enough. I find that many true metalheads will always say something like this when giving a critique. Often, I've heard some say, if the song isn't filled with blast-beats from start to finish, it's not metal. Eroded Pride deserves the metal statehood, because there are plenty of industrial acts that do not use guitars at all.
This act deserves a good ear and is worth a listen. There is talent and pride at work here. I hope this band will locate and keep professional and loyal musicians. There appears to be much in store for this act, and a sound like this will only improve as time goes on. Eroded Pride has a perfect blend of live musicianship and computer driven sound, and could certainly open for bands such as Skinny Puppy or Combichrist. I hope this review was helpful, and wish them all the best.
