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23 October, 2013

Interview with Jimmie Jones of Eroded Pride industrial metal 2013

Interview with Jimmie Jones of industrial metal band Eroded Pride (2013)

NINa: You've been making industrial and metal music for the last 12 years. What are 5 major changes you've noticed about the scene: older and newer bands, fans, support, music directions?

Jimmie Jones: Actually it's been longer than that. I started way back when I was in my teens playing bass for metal bands around the San Francisco Bay Area. For lack of better terminology, Eroded Pride is just the girlfriend I've had the longest.

The scene hasn't changed much in my opinion. You sadly have bands no matter where they are...

Read full interview at http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=505

Conducted by Fabryka Music Magazine

Eroded Pride - Short Attention-span Theatre

Eroded Pride - Short Attention-span Theatre |Elicit Music, 2013| 4/5

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)
This review on Fabryka Magazine http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=504



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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine

12 October, 2013

Lord Marius - Modern Warfare

Lord Marius - Modern Warfare (song review)|self-released, 2013| 5/5

Lord Marius, a professional guitarist and composer, played with a variety of famous Greek folk and rock artists in 2005. He began composing his own music based on classical and rock arrangements 4 years later. He's been extensively publishing new songs through social networks to let people discover his musical talent since 2012.

Some listeners pay attention to technical arrangements, while others enjoy the overall moods better. "Modern Warfare", one of Lord Marius’ newest tracks provides a specific type of emotional tension that’s skillfully developed within the composition. You could visualize a dark place with a torn-down wall and a strong warm light coming from the hole. The light would eventually touch, open and uplift your spirit, then turn into a fast-moving spiral, drag you inside and let you feel its inner pulse.

Technically speaking, the composition opens with a cold, vibrating, and then 'wavy' guitar riff. It is then supported by drum beats and joined by a truly rocking mix written for bass and guitar. These two part ways later on to focus on individual lines while giving priority to the guitar.
The vocals work very well. They fill the instrumental arrangements quite tightly and are properly balanced - neither too much in front of the instruments, nor drowned out by the guitars.

After the first 2 minutes, you should be convinced about this song’s genre classification. You may sense some Megadeth, but also 70s hard rock influences. However, there's quite a provoking surprise hidden here. Lord Marius gently utilizes vocals typical for rap music and adjusts the leading arrangements accordingly. If you're a purist, you may think the new element may have killed the initial mood of the song, but you should not rush to conclusions. Indeed, it does make "Modern Warfare" sound less classic than expected. Yet, this part is brilliantly balanced with the original theme and your favourite riffs eventually return with even more power.

The song gives you a taste of Lord Marius' technical and compositional skills. If you like it, you will also cheer the news about his debut album Shout that he's been working on. According to Lord Marius, the songs on the tracklist refer to social and psychological oppression, as well as his personal experience and speculation related to global issues. Such awareness is always crucial - you can find Lord Marius' updates on that matter on his Facebook or YouTube pages. The musician is also looking for a record company in order to release this album.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, October 10th, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine

04 October, 2013

22HERTZ - Detonate

22HERTZ - Detonate |self-released, 2013| 5/5

1. Give Me A Sign, 2. Access Denied, 3. Into This, 4. Is This Real, 5. The Signal In The Noise, 6. Getting Through, 7. Darker Shades Of Black, 8. Everything, 9. Detonate


If you found the last few Nine Inch Nails albums disappointing or think that waiting for the newest release of Gravity Kills takes too long, Detonate by 22Hertz is what will steal your attention whether you dig industrial rock music or not.

22Hertz is a solo project of Ralf Muller, who founded the band in Toronto, Canada in 2011. The debut album released two years later brings a cloud of distorted guitar riffs, gentle piano add-ons, slightly distorted but melodic vocals, brooding yet not depressive moods and tension - all wrapped into a high quality production.

The opening song 'Give Me A Sign' sounds memorable thanks to its hooky choruses and quite simple arrangements, broken up with intriguing sampling and a variety of guitar riffs buzzing in the background. There's surely much more going on here than words could describe, but you'll discover all the gems once you listen to the song.

'Access Denied' is based on a set of noisy guitars, low tuned bass, little exposed drums and almost 90s synths making a good background layer for nihilistic, 'lazy' kind of vocals. The song arrangements may sound basic, but there’s a variety of matching NIN-like samples on top of them, to break through its simplicity.

Now, we're rolling to my favourite track called 'Into This', with its haunting, yet provocative atmosphere. It always sounds better when the song is not overloaded with vocals and the instrumental part is well developed, as it keeps the song safe from falling into the pop genre. Tension, memorable repetitions and a trance-like rhythm are what may make you like the song. There are also gradated rock guitar riffs, pulsing synth effects and great vocals matching the balanced arrangements very well. The riffs, vocals and tempting whispers come in all the right spots. Still, some of the arrangements appear only once, making the song stimulating.

'Is This Real' may be related to what we've heard on both Gravity Kills and Nine Inch Nails albums so far. The song brings edgy and quick guitar riffs along with gentle piano chords. The latter produce brighter accents over heavier themes, while the overall tempo remains moderate. Furthermore, seductive whispers, later replaced with shouts, keep coming back with a catchy (if sinister) line: 'If I can't have you, nobody can'.

The next track is fully instrumental. A cinematic dark atmosphere arranged with synths, a sound of ocean waves and other extended tunes make up for an oneiric mood. The part near the end opens up for two repetitive, collaborating and merging signals, enriched with isolated piano chords. It's a brilliant track that should leave listeners in a state of reverie. 'The Signal in the Noise' should be definitely utilized in an ambitious short movie.

'Getting Through' brings themes which old-school NIN fans should find most attractive. The connection to Pretty Hate Machine is quite recognizable, with the track’s simple arrangements built upon a low tuned synth, distorted vocals, slightly syncopated drums mixed with varying beats and alternating whispers and shouts for vocals. Regardless of the obvious musical heritage, the sampling sounds fresh thanks to a pulsating bass line that bubbles so deep you can imagine its sphericity.

'Darker Shades of Black' sounds haunting with its instrumental intro recalling what Trent Reznor and Adrian Belew did on The Fragile album. The composition is thought out very well. While the tempo remains solid, contrasts occur. They come out from dominating, possessive themes arranged for bass as well as samplers and brighter motifs (thanks to stretched guitar riffs). Both easily grab a listener's attention.

'Everything' begins with a simple, rhythmic drum beat enriched with vocals. References to Nine Inch Nails music are quite clear here, thanks to distorted guitars and repetitive arrangements. Moreover, short moments of silence are mixed with a bit of a piano, enforcing a dark atmosphere.

'Detonate', the last track is divided between moderately melodic verses and aggressive, purely industrial rock choruses. The song may have been inspired by Gravity Kills music, since it involves similarly sounding guitar riffs as well as sampling. Ralf knows how to create and develop tension in music very well. There's an instrumental bridge after a pure guitar fueled drive which puts a new theme into the composition, yet perfectly fits all other arrangements.

To sum up, most of these songs have quite the potential to be genre hits. Not only does Detonate offer high quality production but also catchy and dark themes, edgy guitar riffage and industrial distortions. The vocals, drums and sampling are accented in the majority of compositions, while instruments such as guitars, piano and bass have been used to enrich the arrangements. The album is very memorable and perfectly represents industrial rock.
If you like trying out new things, you can buy Detonate for a few bitcoins - the revolutionary new virtual currency (more standard currencies are accepted as well). A note to the buyers: the CD version contains a bonus track entitled 'White Dove', not present in the digital download.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, October 3rd, 2013. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)


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Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine