Pride Parade – Dose

Nice to hear a reversion to the Chicago post-punk sound on this release from Pride Parade. There’s definitely a Jesus Lizard vibe to this stuff: heavy but not too metal, Yow-like vocals, Denison guitars, pounding rhythm section. The tracks can hit on grunge, too, with a bluesy Mudhoney feel to certain cuts. The best ones, though, rock straight out.

“Always Wanted One” – a slower, more controlled, grunge dirge – shows what happens when the band takes its meds. It has some Freebird moments. Another of this type is “Just As God Made Me”, whose powerful snare hits pierce the guitars even when things get loud. The verses have Duane Denison’s hallmark guitar-note choices floating around and giving into the kind of power chords that constitute many of the choruses on Dose. “If You See Her Say Hello” is, well, Mudhoney.

Come to think of it, maybe Pride Parade does favor Seattle to Chicago, or at least splits the difference between the two. “Catch and Release” certainly melds the two scenes deftly. And then there’s “Pretty”, where the music pummels without resorting to speed to make its point. Even with the distorted, beer-bottle slides on guitar, this music celebrates its heroes.

If you long for the well-made, industrial-strength post-punk that kept blurring the lines between indie, sludge, and metal, you could do worse than give Pride Parade a chance. The band definitely plays to its convictions. Looks like you can download the album for free from the band’s website, so if you’re even a little curious, you can grab yourself a copy and see.