Given a genre identity of Acid Doom and packaged in hypnotic artwork that may or may not have hidden meaning (I’m not pointing fingers, but within two minutes of viewing the packaging, I had to raid the fridge), Pressor was formed in 2008, In Kostroma, Russia, by guitarist / vocalist Stanislav “Zoiner” Vasiliev. Initially taking the name of Leaden Sky, Pressor dealt in death metal-infused funeral doom, peeling out sludge riffs and endeavouring to create the perfect soundtrack to a slow-motion apocalypse. However, following a 2010 name change, new elements started to creep in, and the band’s style diversified to become something more progressive and otherworldly. The use of eerie synths emerged, and whilst the riffs are still heavier than a ton of lead-encrusted bricks, they’re now augmented by oddball drones and shimmering noise, making for a unique, darkly trippy listen.
Mixed and mastered by Maxim Selyugin, the first thing to note with Weird Things is the sheer weight of the production. Astonishingly clear when you consider that the amps must have been fizzing as the tubes started to blaze, the synth elements cut through the elemental sludge, as if Sabbath were being remixed on the fly by Steve Hillage. A relatively short piece, Heavy State sets the scene with elemental riffing, primal drums and arcing feedback. There’s no question that Heavy State is aptly-titled. A brutal, minimalist introduction, it paves the way for the gargantuan, seven-minute long title track. With vocals reminiscent of Neurosis, the agitated synth elements add unsettling industrial elements to the band’s Neolithic approach, the result being a truly mesmerising sound that draws much from its doom antecedents, whilst adding its own spin to proceedings. Such retro-futurism is to be applauded and, at a time when so many bands seem to be content to follow only in the footsteps of others, it is heartening to see a band pushing beyond their comfort zone to actually place their own mark on a genre so well-populated.
Without pausing for breath, Pressor plunge straight into the black and foaming waters of Tripping Deep, a nine-minute sonic exploration of doom’s darkest recesses, all surging riffs and stuttering synth noise. Overwhelming, and yet with a psychedelic edge that serves to ensnare rather than repel the listener, Tripping Deep is a masterclass in how to weld monumental riffola to mind-expanding ambience and the multi-tracked vocals only serve to heighten the sense of being sucked down in to the very heart of the band’s swirling sonic miasma. It leaves Hexadecimal Unified Insanity to bring the EP to a close and, in many ways it’s a relief because, although the band’s song-writing is nothing short of awe-inspiring, the record is so utterly dense that to allow it to continue any longer would be to lessen its undoubted impact. As it is, Hexadecimal Unified Insanity brings the EP to a perfect close, its low-slung riff threatening the speaker cones as huge slabs of rumbling bass hit home with near-physical force. Reminiscent of early Arabrot, with its sneering, echo-laden vocals and oxygen-stealing riffs, Hexadecimal… does not so much bring the curtain down on the record, as bring the whole foundation down upon the listener.
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of placing a CD from a hitherto unfamiliar band in the player and having your socks resolutely blown off. With just four songs, Pressor have managed to embody the spirit of doom, taking the sludge riffs of Neurosis and the Melvins, the dark atmosphere of Sabbath and the psychedelic meanderings of early Floyd and stirred it all into a treacle-thick sonic stew that is as addictive as it is tasty. Given the production weight it deserves and suitably trippy artwork, Weird Things is a masterclass in how to bring the heavy, and it deserves a place in any self-respecting doom fan’s collection. 9.5
Available now from Addicted (check out their awesome bandcamp page here), Weird Things is available as CD and download.
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