Don’t Go Losing Your Mind

It’s beyond depressing to see amazing albums go unnoticed especially with the band being unkown. For example, Temple of the Dog‘s self-titled record would be nonexistent if it wasn’t for “Hunger Strike“. Sadly, Zakk Wylde‘s little known side-project Pride and Glory suffers from this same fate.

During 1994, Zakk Wylde was on top of the world. His guitar work on Ozzy Osbourne‘s landmark album No More Tears proved to be a success and the equally gigantic tour had him rising on a musical high. With a new found love for southern rock, Wylde created an unknown band and a very underrated album entitled Pride and Glory.

From the very beginning to the very end this record is astounding. Wylde‘s guitar prowess knows no bounds and having a backing band of James LoMenzo on bass and Brian Tichy on drums created an unstoppable power house. With the opening track “Losing Your Mind“, this line up proves to be a force to be reckoned with. The track starts off as laid back with a seemingly innocent banjo plucking away on a simple catchy riff. Once the booming drums come in though, you soon realize it’s not your average back country group. The following track “Horse Called War” just keeps coming at you. The record grabs you and refuses to let go.

By the time “Shine On” comes around, the roller coaster ride is far from over. The energy keeps building and building. When you’re just about to fall of the edge of this adrenaline fueled cliff, they hit you with the porch written acoustic jamboree “Lovin’ Woman“. That’s exactly what this album does. It keeps hitting you and hitting you and once you feel like you’re about to go down, it lets up and pulls you right back in.

If there is one complaint I have, it would be how the original record ends. The finale of the original release is the beautifully over-the-top ballad “Fadin’ Away“, but it creates a melancholic and depressing atmosphere. The improvement came in the re-release where the once Japanese bonus-track “Hate Your Guts” is added on as the new finish. With that the listener is brought into a tongue-in-cheek backyard jam. It creates an uplifting atmosphere that encompasses what the album felt the whole time; fun!

Pride and Glory is an amazing record. It’s such a shame to see that this album continuously falls by the wayside. It’s highly underrated and highly underappreciated. If you can find this at any record store, pick it up immediately. You will not regret it!

You can check out the full re-release below: