PridelandsLight Bends

Realistically Pridelands should already be a massive act. Over the last few years metalcore has taken much more of a progressive turn, with bands like Deadlights; Thornhill and Diamond Construct all adding layers of industrial; djent and prog to their sound, and audiences have adorned it.

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Pridelands, on the other hand, have always been doing that sound, just seemingly in the background, with less recognition. Now six years down the track, their unique style is more ‘in’ and the anticipated release of their debut album Light Bends, will hopefully see the group’s gain the popularity they have always deserved. 

If you were ever a naysayer, you won’t be. From the opening of I Reach Into Your Heart, it’s evident how tight Pridelands have become as an act; especially Joshua Cory and Mason Bunt , whose vocals are now performed so cohesively that at times it feels as if they are the same singer. The Walls adds a bit more aggression, ramping it up by adding a driving synth soundscape akin to the early 90’s era of The Prodigy. A powerful addition balanced perfectly alongside Joshua’s soaring cleans, which have graduated into a powerful range of tones as his voice has matured with age. Parallel Lines adds winding and chuggy basslines that will have the crowd going mental in two weeks when the group steps out at Unify Forever; as will the high-stakes Parted Time, which highlights a really unique song structure. 

After Light Bends drops the Melbourne based group will no longer be referred to as ‘up and comers’, instead they’ll quickly turn into the point of reference, with people recommending bands by saying, ‘hey, have you heard this group, they are kind of like Pridelands’. Why? Because Pridelands just raised the bar for Australian metalcore.

Although, whilst Light Bends shines for many intricate reasons, its standout quality comes in its meticulous use of synths and programming, which quite often give the songs a very cinematic feeling. For instance, the ambience created by the group merging keys and guitar harmonics on Safer Here, at times feels reminiscent to the elegantly poised soundtracks of Popol Vuh or Jean-Michel Jarre. Evergrow’s slowed percussions provides a 90’s trip hop style akin to that channelled in Deadmau5’s Polar soundtrack; and Antipathy, (which features a jaw-dropping final breakdown) brings back the trance tones by adding hard-hitting synths reminiscent of Paul Van Dyke’s score for Swordfish. Sure, a lot of metalcore bands have used synths and programming before, but it hasn’t been executed like this. It’s a powerful inclusion that makes many Light Bends at times feel as emotive as a film. It also goes to show how influential and forward-thinking Pridelands are as a group, even if the world hasn’t quite caught onto them yet. But that’s about to change. After Light Bends drops the Melbourne based group will no longer be referred to as ‘up and comers’, instead they’ll quickly turn into the point of reference, with people recommending bands by saying, ‘hey, have you heard this group, they are kind of like Pridelands’. Why? Because Pridelands just raised the bar for Australian metalcore.

STANDOUT TRACKS: Parallel Lines , Safer Here, Antipathy
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Thornhill, Diamond Construct, Deadlights