We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Weird Things

by Pressor

supported by
resurgam2716
resurgam2716 thumbnail
resurgam2716 Свинцовые тяжелые волны поднимает PRESSOR, и роняет эти волны на чугунный песок, методично обрисовывая место, где вам придется внимать откровениям этой думовой бригады. Письма получились исключительно внятными, весьма аудиально сПРЕССОваными, с небольшим синтезаторным вкладышем, который, как слышится, применен в качестве специфического наполнителя, раздражителя и тестера. Синты цементируют пространство, которое осталось неохваченным полностью www.mastersland.com/index.php?release=15097
Leonid Kravchenko
Leonid Kravchenko thumbnail
Leonid Kravchenko Musicians thoroughly "pumped" the psychedelic component of their sound: now the gloomy acidic hum of synthesizers plays no less important role than guitars, with the help of such an exotic instrument as theremin. But the deepest sludge / stoner / doom-metal riffs still lie at the core, and they rock properly
Full review (in Russian): headbanger.ru/reviews/album-4506 Favorite track: Heavy State.
David López
David López thumbnail
David López El disco se abre con cinco minutos titulados “Heavy State“, que recuerdan a los pesados y alucinógenos Ufomammut -los recordaremos durante todo el viaje-. Contundentes del primer instante con unas guitarras que desafían tu estabilidad mental y una batería con la que no parar de disfrutar (menuda manera de marcar y aporrear los parches y platillos). Durante sus minutos de machacamiento cervical, presenciamos también, un fondo ácido triposo del que cuesta salir. Favorite track: Weird Things.
more...
/
  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      €4 EUR  or more

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    4 panel digipak by 3 labels — Bad Road Records, Voron NEST & Addicted Label
    weight ~51g

    Includes unlimited streaming of Weird Things via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    edition of 50  8 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      €12 EUR or more 

     

1.
Heavy State 05:08
2.
Weird Things 07:42
You know that’s feeling It’s a long expected pain It’s melt down your brain Like sun melt’s everything Get boost perception And gain your madness now Discard all private stuff It’s time to disappear It’s time to Be disappeared in waves of doom It’s time to Disintegrate in froth of gloom It’s time, It’s time To make a touch to form constant It’s time, It’s time For everything, that’s all you want You know that feeling It’s a long awaited bain This brings a high vibes Which should help you break the chain Get boost perception Overgain your sickness now Discard all what you know It’s time to disappear It’s time to Be disappeared in waves of doom It’s time to Disintegrate in froth of gloom It’s time, It’s time To make a touch to form constant It’s time, It’s time For everything, that’s all you want So this is it, is what you waiting for You drop the shield to come in this sense door Now you can see, now you can feel, you can take But my advice is watch out and beware Some of this ways are cruel So this is it, is what you waiting for Now you and me in same place behind that door Now there is no, is no way to return But my advice is go straight ahead Some of this ways are cruel On the screen of my eyelids happen weird things Weird things in my head On the screen of my eyelids happen bad things Sick and disgusting On the screen of my eyelids happen weird things Weird things in my head On the screen of my eyelids, On the screen of my eyelids… So what are you see? So what are you feel? There is melting darkness And you’ll stay here
3.
We are sail to obscure Transcendental sea Weirdy and tall Altered reality Our craft is so old Like a birth of a sense We are psychic sailors And we are prepared To discover the mindscapes To direct, guide and lead Through your trembling fears And anxiety We are prepared for Each of all psy-disease For massive of waves And for doom, yes indeed There is lighting sky With a sparky reflections Kaleidoscopic Massive ejections The sea makes me sick And a water has calling I’m starting to drifting Away From spreading the range To a spatial dimension Near fractalic rose Through electric tension I’m keeping my way Across the waves of decay Do you think it madness? Full speed ahead I say! Crushing, knockdown and skating psy-storm Has strike back Down falling down My mind blended out From his stable form And starts to floating around Specters and wraith Come to our disgrace Abyss devoted Weird, creep and bloated So this is the end Or may be beginning We merge our minds And starts to believing Now we a part Of sea, storm and waves Now we a part Of your mind disgrace We so huge above And gaint below We coming so soon From thousand years ago We know real and true Taste of latitude Greatness of immensity
4.
There are million faces that i’ve never seen There are floating eyes that are staring at me There are million fates that i have never lived So many whispering voices call us to convene So let’s meld up to twisted flesh We unify ourselves in viscous mesh Now we’re born as new essence And each of us is cells in this weird concrescence A painful pleasure it’s thing, we want to share With all who know how beauty, sick’n’madness there We pull our bounded arms, so nasty and obscene Whispering voices call us to convene So let’s meld up to twisted flesh We unify ourselves in viscous mesh Now we’re born as new essence And each of us is cells in this weird concrescence

about

s t o n e r d o o m with s y n t h s cut down by l u m b e r j a c k s from K o s t r o m a

This is the ticket to the endless ride^:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBJR7pvEgS0
(full album, awesome visuals by .noa)

iTunes/SpotifyGoogle/Yandex/... — goo.gl/JBgm3v

Review by Samir Asfahani from Super Dank Metal Jams:
"Pressor plays burly sounding synth driven Stoner/Sludge/Doom, with the riffs that move like lava, and a ferociousness of a bear with a face full of bees. These Russian heavyweights are big on stoner grove riffage, and make great use of it throughout the 4 tracks for "Weird Things". There's nothing too distinctly weird about this album, outside all of the added space sounds by the synth. No, I think the weird is in reference to weird fiction and the authors that write such literature. This seems like it would pair well with Lovecraft, Tolkien, Robert E. Howard, or even Philip K. Dick. Although I can't imagine reading and having this cranked at the same time. Which has me thinking, has anyone ever tried to play an audio book via audible and played it to music? I think that would be fucking sick to listen to this while also listen to someone reading Conan or even some pulpy Sci-Fi Adventure.

I digress, but really the album has the might and heaviness of Conan's sword, the darkness and foreboding doom of Cthulhu, and the alien extraterrestrial sounds of deep space travel. The fuzz from the guitar and bass merge as one to form a plume of volcanic smoke, with the texture of the ash raining down. The drummer always seems to find that doom pocket, regardless of tempo or mood changes, and pounds the shit out of each rhythm to make it that much heavier, to create an even bigger impact. I really dug the ghost trail vocals especially since they were done in a sing/scream style, making it less psychedelic, and more aggressive with that extra bit of gruff. Overall I really liked this EP. Pressor is slightly different and surrounding itself with interesting soundscapes while mercilessly crushing it at the same time. Well done! Cheers!- Samir"
superdankmetaljams.blogspot.in/2018/02/pressor-weird-things-ep-2018.html





Russian vk.com/sludgemusic premiere:
"Изменение местосостояния приводит к доступности новых волн и провоцирует необратимые изменения. Черный портал расширяется и начинает трансляцию. Трансляцию на экраны наших век. Трансляцию странных вещей. Трансляцию странных щей?!

Лесорубы из Костромы наконец высекли нам думчика с синтами^^ Получилась бодрая смесь старого доброго Pressor и старого злого Mastodon (без задротства), заправленная кислотно-индустриальными синтами в духе Ufomammut. Пластинка огонь ^__^"
vk.com/sludgemusic?w=wall-26849781_32124



disagreement.net review by Pascal Thiel:
"One would usually expect a sludge metal band to come from the USA, but that genre has transcended national borders, so that you can come across such bands from all over the world. Take for instance Pressor from Kostroma, a town lying a little over 300 kilometres north-east of Moscow. The quartet has been around for about ten years, and has released in that time an EP, a bootleg and a split. Weird Things is either their first short longplayer, or their second long EP, depending on how you feel like defining the format.

I have to admit that I usually don’t listen so much to that genre, but for the sake of fairness, I put on my objective ears, and must say that I was positively surprised. The Russians started as a funeral doom death metal band, but over the years evolved into a stoned sludge metal band. What sets the quartet apart from other genre bands like Sleep, Eyehategod, Electric Wizard, etc. is that they add a lot of electronic gadgetry which gives their music a rather psychedelic bent.

The opener Heavy State, at five minutes the shortest track, is an instrumental piece starting with weird noises before turning into an abrasive sludge fest with a lava-like down-tempo that makes it sound a little like a funeral march. Up until that moment I thought they might be an instrumental band, but the following nearly eight-minute-long title track has harsh vocals that really fit well with the music. The first few minutes of are actually quite fast and atypical, but soon the band adds a break that takes the speed out of the song, giving it a certain early Type O Negative feeling. Tripping Deep is at nearly ten minutes the record’s longest track and gives its title justice. This is totally freaked out sludge metal with a plodding pace and shared vocals between the two guitarists. The strangely titled Hexadecimal Unified Insanity is at nearly six minutes a shorter piece again, and once again offers some more of the trippy stoner sludge.

What I really like about Weird Things is the powerful yet grating production that is transparent and dirty at the same time. Pressor are definitely still an underground band, and that is a good thing. Unlike many more popular sludge bands that have eyed with blues elements for instance, Pressor perform their own brand of sludge, refined with hypnotic electronic sounds that give them a certain Seventies flair. The more visually inclined among you will find the entire album set to a psychedelic video projection on YouTube. Those who want their sludge black and without sugar should get a sonic equivalent of a caffeine kick with Weird Things."
www.disagreement.net/reviews2015/pressor_weirdthings.html




Russian review by t.me/poisonsmusic channel:
"музыкальная иституция без имени (@addictedlabel) выпустила очередной густой проект под названием Pressor. среди тегов у noname666 проставлены industrial и metal.

и если второй опровергать сложно, то первый вызывает любопытство. врочем, есть же индастриалбилли, так почему бы не быть сладждастриалу? Godflesh еще никто не отменял.

по духу и саунду альбом группы под названием 'Weird Things' - это такой себе грув-сладж с массой хакрактерных для этой сцены элементов. но! в треках присутствует, например, терменвокс.

в общих настроениях шум, ладно - нойз, а по характеру и выдаче - под Pressor невольно начинаешь качать головой в такт. и происходит это сразу с начала второго трека.

а вот вступление может вызвать скепсис из серии - опять очередная команда на тягучей, как смолы, волне. оставшиеся три трека эти сомнения сметают куда-то под колеса своей звуковой махины.

альбом лучше всего слушать в youtube (это не опечатка). художник Sasha .noa сделала видеоряд ко всему релизу. есть, правда, риск в него глубоко нырнуть и оставить задумчивое тело перед экраном.

говорят, некоторым для идеального погружения нужна гидра. а в апреле месяце она чаще может быть лирнейской и реже понической. впрочем, для того, чтобы поймать незримый кач, необязательны осязаемые инструменты. порой достаточно пары кивков черепной коробки с мозгом "
t.me/poisonsmusic/311




Spanish reignsthechaos.com review by David López:
"Ahora que estamos metidos de lleno en la copa del mundo, celebrándose en Rusia la cosa, os traigo una banda del mismo país. Con esto, tanto ustedes como la web, pueden viajar libremente por todos los países buscando su mejor música con la que hacernos deleitar. Y precisamente Rusia, es un país que está lleno de grandes bandas de muchos estilos dentro del rock y el metal. En esta ocasión, nos metemos dentro del sludge/doom con algunos sintetizadores y también una dosis de psicodelia con la que amenizar el día.

Los rusos Pressor, con seis años de carrera, pero con poquito material editado: dos EPs, dos singles y un split, han vuelto después de dos años, cuando editaron su single Tripping Deep (2016), cargados de energía, pesadez, sintetizadores y ritmos machacones made in de un Sludge & doom muy oído -por la cantidad de bandas que hay- en los USA. Pressor ha grabado el trabajo con Danya Kornev a la batería, Kirill Grushkin en el bajo, Tanya Shabanova con el Therminvox (imagino que sea un Theremin), Anton Khmelevsky a las guitarras y Stas Vasilev con la guitarra también, voz y sintetizadores. Y este [EP] con cuatro temas, no tiene nada que envidiar a lo que se hace, dentro de estos estilos musicales, en cualquier otro país. El trabajo está editado por el sello japonés Voron Nest y los rusos [addicted label] (noname666) y Bad Road Records.

El título resaltado en negrita no está puesto así porque sí, pues Pressor cumple a la perfección esa definición en tan solo veinte y ocho minutos que dura su Weird Things. Mezcla que podría salir sin sabor o con uno ya muchas veces catado, y no me equivoco, pero estos rusos de Kostroma, al Noreste de Moscú, lo han hecho para que sepa a algo diferente, para que no sea lo mismo de siempre y no se han equivocado. El disco se abre con cinco minutos titulados “Heavy State“, que recuerdan a los pesados y alucinógenos Ufomammut -los recordaremos durante todo el viaje-. Contundentes del primer instante con unas guitarras que desafían tu estabilidad mental y una batería con la que no parar de disfrutar (menuda manera de marcar y aporrear los parches y platillos). Durante sus minutos de machacamiento cervical, presenciamos también, un fondo ácido triposo del que cuesta salir. Pasamos alterados al segundo de los cortes, el que da nombre al disco, “Weird Things“. En él se aligera considerablemente la velocidad con la que han tocado el anterior tema y se les escucha gritar -con rabia-. Esta es una pista con bastantes ingredientes, pero siempre con la base sludge/doom psyche que les caracteriza. La velocidad comentada la bajan al rato de comenzar para asentarse en ritmos, de idéntica intensidad, pero más marcados para de nuevo, el oyente, engrasar su zona del cuello. Más de siete minutos donde Pressor aprieta su máquina para hacernos ver y probar su paranoicas notas.

Para cerrar el mini trabajo, están “Tripping Deep“, tercer corte y single de 2016, que pasa a formar parte de este nuevo [EP], y “Hexadecimal Unified Insanity“. El primero es la confirmación, para aquel/aquella que no los hubiera escuchado antes, de que estos chicos saben muy bien cómo moverse entre el fango sludgiano, el doom pesaete y la psicodelia mordiente. Cerca de diez minutos de pura travesía alocada con ritmos que no cesan en su afán por destrozarnos corporalmente con una firmeza pulverizante. Y el segundo y último corte de esta recta final, el encargado de insuflar todo la magia de estos chicos, magia, como vengo diciendo, repleta de una simetría musical donde triunfan el cienoso sludge, la matraca doom y el viaje sin retorno de un ácido retorcido."
www.reignsthechaos.com/pressor-weird-things-2018/




German vanbauseneick.de review by Matthias Bosenick:
"Da entlädt sich so einiges. Sludge, Doom, Stoner bilden das Grundgerüst, Synthesizer flirren darüber hinweg. Die vier Tracks dieses Albums sind passend lang und in sich verschachtelt, mit wechselnden Ausrichtungen, von schleppend bis galoppierend und allem dazwischen. Und immer dröhnen die heruntergestimmten Gitarren. Pressor gönnen sich und dem Hörer keine Pausen, es ist unglaublich, wie sie mit dieser Art, die Genres darzubieten, eine permanente Aufmerksamkeit einfordern."
vanbauseneick.de/krautnick/spezial-addicted-label-aus-moskau/




Russian headbanger.ru review by Leonid Kravchenko:
"Костромская группа Pressor – одни из главных поставщиков медленных риффов на территории России. И эта медлительность, как оказалось, распространяется и на их творческий процесс: нового альбома поклонники команды ждали несколько лет и в итоге получили четыре композиции общей длительностью в полчаса, объединенные под названием “Weird Things”. За это время музыканты основательно «прокачали» психоделическую составляющую своего саунда: теперь в нем не меньшую роль, чем гитары, играет мрачный кислотный гул синтезаторов, которым помогает такой совсем уж экзотический для стоунер-дума инструмент, как терменвокс. Но и электронной группой Pressor, разумеется, тоже не стали: в основе по-прежнему лежат жирнейшие сладж/стоунер/дум-металлические риффы, и они «прокачивают» как следует, а варьирование темпа от медленного к быстрому и обратно придает материалу живости. Да и в целом диск получился на удивление разноплановым: тут вам и традиционный фузз-метал, и хмурая психоделия, и не менее хмурый дроун – а вместе все это создает эффектную укуренную атмосферу. В общем, все, как вы любите. Стоит также отметить заметный прогресс в качестве саунда: на ранних записях он был совершенно сырым, “Weird Things” же уже не доставляет дискомфорта ушам (подготовленным ушам, естественно). Остается вопрос насчет продолжительности – и тут мнения, пожалуй, разделятся. Многие ценители такой музыки любят длинные трипы, и тем, кто наслаждается, скажем, новым альбомом YOB от первой до последней минуты, очевидно, покажется мало. Мне же дослушать этот альбом до конца довольно трудно, а вот новая работа Pressor оказывается в самый раз. В любом случае, качество должно преобладать над количеством – а с качеством у “Weird Things”, в общем-то, все в порядке."
headbanger.ru/reviews/album-4506




metal-archives.com review by NausikaDalazBlindaz:
"Actually as far as I can see, there ain't nothin' weird about Pressor or the music these guys from Saint Petersburg play - the "weird things" are likely to be what inspire Pressor to grind out super-heavy psych-stoner rock with the hugest of huge grooves etched deeply into granite. Whatever the inspirations are, they certainly are having an effect: pounding bass-heavy riffs, crashing drums and squiggly synth effects that have a queasy, nauseating feel send unwary listeners straight into another dimension that is "Heavy State" and for the rest of the recording you will stay captive. If only this track hung around a bit longer - say, another five minutes longer! - then psych-stoner / doom / sludge fans would be happy to remain crushed in an alternative universe where booming bass riffs keep pounding away.

The EP proper starts with the title track which blends cutting bass riffs with shouty phantom vocals that give the music a hardcore feel and a sharp edge. The music coasts along at a steady rate while keyboard UFOs land and lift off with alarming speed. The band takes a turn for the ghostly and the extra-terrestrial side with "Tripping Deep", featuring a multi-voiced choir of alien voices from afar while slabs of percussion and grinding bass riffs battle for dominance. "Hexadecimal Unified Insanity" - now that title comes close to being weird! - is a flowing stream of massive morass guitar, poisonous screaming voices, sinister organ, thundering beats and sickly-sounding effects.

The only problem I have with this recording is that most songs really are too short and could at least go for twice as long as they do. The potential for more atmosphere and aggression, and for a fuller development of the music and rhythms is there but remains dormant. Perhaps for some listeners the vocals are too distant in the background and need to be a clearer and more upfront for a more aggressive and harder feel. What Pressor have here though is a very strong and tough recording that cuts and carves deeply into solid rock with both acid-corrosive vocals and thundering riffs. This is one band to watch out for."
www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Pressor/Weird_Things/702314/




from jazzquad.ru 's Leonid Auskern email quote (Russian):
"Да, это альбом не для нашего сайта. Металл я слушаю мало, но то, что я услышал, мне понравилось. Pressor очень стильная и слаженная команда: мощно, сделано будто на одном дыхании и изрядно "вставляет в мозги". Понравился неожиданный и по-своему эффектный финал альбома. Ну, и конечно, очень интересно было следить за эволюцией стилистики .noa. Здесь ее видеофильм почти на 90 процентов - чистый оп-арт (остальные 10 отдаю на вмонтированные силуэты музыкантов). В последующих работах фигуративные эпизоды становятся более частыми.

В общем, не жалею о времени, которое отдал просмотру этой вещи. Спасибо!"
vk.com/addictedlabel?w=wall-38395408_825




doomedandstoned.com review & interview:
"Pressor Shakes Saint Petersburg To Its Foundations
The Russian foursome freaks us out with ‘Weird Things.’

~Review by Billy Goate~

Let’s set geopolitics aside for a moment and take a look at Russia’s thriving heavy underground, specifically the sludge metal scene. I’ve been following it as a fascinated outsider for just a little while, but long enough to know that something of seismic significance is rumbling in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It’s a vibe as defiant as NOLA in the '90s, as innovative as Oakland, Savannah, or Richmond in the early 2000s, as fierce as anything happening in Vancouver, Portland, or London right now.

I mean these people are into it, man – bands and fans alike (see: Sludge Convention). “The funny thing I’ve noticed about Russians is how reserved they can be,” Nick DiSalvo observed during Elder’s trek through both cities last summer, “but then when the music is playing they are going crazy, moshing or stage diving, and crowd surfing the whole time.”

Look beyond the obvious, dig just a little deeper below the surface, and you’ll discover exciting acts like Burning Loss, Crypt Jaintor, С.Х., Dekonstruktor (formerly The Moon Mistress), dOpehaZe, Dronegoola Machine, Drunk Shaman, Electricjezus, Funeral Smoke, Grave Disgrace, ИЛ, Illegal Ones, Montezuma’s Revenge, Nisshin Mara, Pwyll, Roswell Surgery, Satanhedge, Sheva, 609, Thy Grave, Vicious Black, Weedrunk, weezdüm, Without God, and Ypres on bills together. Each offers their own unique twist on the doom-sludge subgenre, often paired on bills with savage punk and hardcore acts.

There’s one name I intentionally left out of the listing, because we’re dedicating significant space to them today: PRESSOR. With almost 10 years under their belt (and counting), these guys have earned a place of distinction among their fellows.

When I looked into the archives, I was reminded that the first time we covered Pressor in these pages, they were our Band of the Week. They’d just released a fantastic split with Ukraine’s Soom and the now defunct Idaho outfit Diazepam, following right on the heels of a very promising debut EP, Grave Full of Weed (yes, that’s Dixie Dave smoking a fatty on the front cover). We’ve been tracking the Slavic sludgers through ice and snow ever since, waiting for the moment the beast would next bare its teeth.

Three years passed and we got our first hint of what Pressor had been up to during the void. By adding a few drops of acid to an already dank mixture of sludge, the filthy foursome transformed their soundscape into something altogether rabid. The psychotronic single “Tripping Deep” appeared 17 months ahead of their second EP, but it helped to tide us over until we could listen to the record before us now. Before we get into it, let’s get better acquainted with members of Pressor.

Fronting the band is Stanislav (“Stas”) Vasilyev. At first glance, Stas has a crazed look about him of someone you don’t exactly want to look in the eye when you pass him on the street, lest you inadvertently piss him off and lose an earlobe. You might also take a hint from the ink on his left shoulder, the Baron of Hell from DOOM clutching a pitiful human in one hand, a great ball of fire in the other. Stas is one of the two founding members of Pressor (known back in the day as “Slow Stan”), raging steady in his role for damn near a decade.

Stas and Guitarist Anton Khmelevsky have a long history playing in bands together (Nocturnlands, Leaden Sky, Warped Lord). Anton (or “Alco Tony” as they used to call him) lays down some nasty riffs in the new record. Anton also heads up the surprisingly accessible neofolk group Княжая Пустынь, which is definitely worth checking out.

The two original members have been joined by various members of the rhythm section over the years. Drummer Daniil (“Danya”) Kornev joined the crew sometime around 2016. As for bassists, Denis Zarutsky of Ypres was brought on board after the departure of bassist Nikita Shershev. Kirill Grushkin is featured on the recording of 'Weird Things’ (2018), along with Tanya Shabanova on the Therminivox. The album is certainly Pressor’s most significant creative achievement to date.

I like how the Pressor describe the new record: “stoner-doom with synths cut down by lumberjacks from Kostroma” (a reference to the historic city in western Russia that Pressor calls home). Before us are a quartet of tracks tingling with electricity, alive with weird quirks and buzzes, heavy like falling timber, one slammin’ riff after another. I mean this record just does not let up!

Anton tells me that while he has partnered with Stas in writing songs up to this point (Anton writing lyrics and Stas the music), for Weird Things Stas was like a man on a mission, taking on both music and lyrics. His voice echoes with authority in this otherwise unhinged psychotronic realm.

Kicking off this reality-bending adventure is “Heavy State,” which makes a grand entrance, with declamatory chords accented by organ-like synth, pedal effects that flitter and fizzle like firecrackers. This is one hell of an introduction! The visual for me of a magic pill being delivered on a silver platter in ceremonial fashioned which is summarily consumed, and now down, down, down the rabbit hole we descend.

The pace picks up significantly for the title track and Stas describes the trip with a sense of urgency: “It’s time to disappear in waves of doom. It’s time to disintegrate in the froth of gloom.” This is a revelation to the twisted nature of reality, the picture behind the picture that stares us in the face every day. “So this is what you’ve been waiting for…now you can see, now you can feel, you can take.” On our eyelids are projected images of the world in all its weirdness, sickness, and cruelty.

You know that feeling
It’s a long expected pain
It’s meltdown in your brain

“Tripping Deep,” as mentioned earlier, was released as a single sometime before the full album came to light, and is the longest section of the narrative. While it stands on its own well enough, it’s helpful to now hear it in context, for on Weird Things one track blends so naturally into the next. If the previous track was marked by urgency, this one is delivered with gravitas. We are psychedelic sailors venturing out into unsettled waters, drifting away with no sense of direction into lightning filled skies. “Do you think it madness?” Stas asks. “Full speed ahead I say!”

If you’re looking for respite in the album’s final track, think again. There is no going back from the madness of “Hexadecimal Unified Insanity.” This one had a wicked, Rob Zombie vibe about it, which I really liked, though it smartly steers clear of pop sensibilities. From the lyrics and what little the band reveals, this appears to have something to do with sex, or at least the pleasure-pain paradigm. If we can be certain of anything, it’s weird and it’s great doom!


So let’s meld up to twisted flesh
We unify ourselves in viscous mesh
Now we’re born as new essence
And each of us is cells in this weird concrescence

The album art captures its vibe perfectly. Weird Things hits your senses like psychedelics, but with a dark, downtuned undercurrent rooted in the Electric Wizard school of doom, but more aggressive still. Certainly one of this year’s Heavy Best.

To accompany your trippy listening pleasure, we’re bringing you this exclusive interview with the band, translated from Russian to English by our Moscow contributor Rita Fevraleva (whose photographs we feature periodically in these pages).



Tripping Out & Trudging On
A Conversation with Stas & Anton of Pressor

If we can, let’s begin with your origin story. Who are you guys and how did you get together?

Stas: It all started with me. In fact, it all began nine years ago. We were part-time students and wanted to play a strange kind of music that nobody cared for in our small town of Kostroma at that time. I found a bass player, who I played doom with at home and various places of rehearsal. We jammed for probably a year-and-a-half or two, then after a while Anton joined.

Anton: Actually, we met by accident because we hung around in the same crowd, played in the same bands. Stas and I actually played black metal, that’s how we met. Originally, we played funeral doom with the guys who were in the first line-up of Pressor. Later, we began to play other music and it got interesting. After the first concert, we realized that it was interesting for not only us.

Stas: We were more into this new sound for Pressor than funeral doom and began to evolve into sludge and stoner vibes. After the first show, development went on and we finally progressed beyond the practice space.

What’s the meaning of the band’s name, Pressor?

Stas: At that time, we were very inspired by the slow moving sound of the sludge, stoner, and doom music we listened to. It was like a huge mechanical press that smeared you all over its surface. We liked it and we wanted to play in the same manner, so the name came from there.

Where is Kostroma and what is life like there in your hometown?

Anton: Kostroma is a small town, about 300 kilometers from Moscow. There is a heavy scene, which even has its own history, but, of course, its old fashioned, completely monotonous, and all about traditional metal. So in Kostroma, it’s not that hard to find musicians who would be interested in playing stoner and sludge, in principle, but it is difficult to find people who would even care to listen to it.

Why did you decide to move to St. Petersburg and when did this happen?

Stas: Anton and I decided to move a long time after the founding of the band, about three years ago. We decided that playing music in Kostroma and the nearby vicinity does not have any possibilities for development as a band. We needed to move to Moscow or St. Petersburg, because there were a lot of people who understood this music. Also, there are many more musicians in St. Petersburg, so it was not difficult to find a new people for band.

You describe your sound as “stoner doom with synths cut down by lumberjacks from Kostroma.” Can you tell us how you came to evolve your sound as it is presently?

Anton: This phrase was created by Anton Kitaev, founder of “(No Name)” a label without name and logo, on which we publish. It most clearly describes what we are playing.

Stas: It all started with the fact that we were gaining experience and, personally, I got carried away by krautrock and various experimental electronic music. I realized that this music has a much deeper, diverse, and exciting sound than metal can offer. These sounds are pulled out of reality, leading deep into the depths of consciousness. After some time and experiments, we found out this is what we needed to supplement the metal music that had been boring us, so we mixed one with another. The hypnotic industrial background penetrates directly into the brain and the rage and groove of the sludge knocks the shit out of the body – pressing on two levels!

Anton: But this is the technical side of the question. (laughs) Since we moved to St. Petersburg, things that help us to open our minds have become more available. And this also influenced our music.

We’re loving the new album. Can you take us on a guided tour?

Stas: The album tells about different experiences of modified states, a journey into consciousness. The first track “Heavy State” is really heavy and it’s about that the journey will not be easy, but interesting. The next song, “Weird Things,” is a reflection of opportunities and dangers that waiting for everyone in psychedelic trip. The third one, “Tripping Deep” is about the more lyrical, romantic view of psychonautics. The working title is “Marine,” because it creates the feeling as if the sailors are rushing on their ship somewhere in Antarctica. The last track with a crazy name, “Hexadecimal Unified Insanity,” it’s about the big, universal love.

Who writes the lyrics and what do you intend to communicate?

Anton: At the beginning, I wrote lyrics. For the last release, Stas did it. In both cases, we do not have a clearly worded idea to send the listeners. We did not have a specific message, like for example, hardcore bands often do. I think it’s more for keeping the atmosphere and tuning to the right harmony, based on associations – pictures in the head that arise when listening to our music. So the lyrics are fairly straightforward, for example, in our last album, 'Grave Full of Weed’ (2015), and everything is in this spirit. On the last release, 'Weird Things’ (2018), there are more reflections, as we have already told. The interpretation depends mainly on its subjects.

What inspires you in the world of art, music, or literature?

Stas: Some of us like philosophy, another is into the psychedelic '70s, and another likes modern acid visual art. In addition, we try to listen to a huge amount of the most diverse music possible. As a band, we are now especially inspired by experiments with both sound and songs. And, of course, we inspired by a tightly stuffed bong.

Tell us about the instruments, amps, and pedals you play and record with.

Stas: Oh, there is nothing special here: Les Pauls, Precisions, Gibsons, and Fenders. I have a stunning guitar head Hovercraft Falcon 50 (hello to Portland!). We are very pleased with it. It was sad that the price went up and we could not afford a second one. From synthesizers, we use small analog Arturia Microbrute and old cult Roland JP 8000.

Anton: We have an old Yamaha transistor amplifier at our rehearsal room. From my pedals, I’m most pleased with the acquisition of ProCo You Dirty RAT – a very versatile thing.

Are your live gigs as wild and as vicious as your records sound?

Stas: When we first started to play new music, I was afraid for us that people would not understand these strange sounds, besides the basic guitar, bass, and drums. Lately, however, I’ve started to hear feedback over and over like, “Wow, I was just in trance.” We’re really satisfied by this. Usually, we use hypnotic video in our shows and recently we started to use stage lights, so we’re planning to work this into the whole experience. We are satisfied with the reaction of our fans.

Last question: if you had limitless ability travel, what cities or festivals would Pressor most like to play in around the world?

Anton: We always try to expand the geography of our concerts. At the moment, we do it by ourselves, but in the future we hope that we will join some booking agency and they will do this business. We would like to go beyond the ocean and play at such legendary festivals as Roadburn, Hellfest, Desertfest, and so on, including shows in the United States. By the way, we will not refuse a suggestion to play in the Kremlin to show them all an acid power. We really like playing live shows and want to do it anywhere and everywhere possible.

What would you like to wish to our readers in parting?

There is a future behind experiments! So please, experiment with anything you like. If we are lucky, we’ll get over to the US and, of course, will party, trip, and chat with everyone who’s interested in the same. Stay doomed and stoned, guys!"
doomedandstoned.com/post/176413816803




battlehelm.com review by Anders Ekdahl:
"When I do these reviews I often find myself liking stuff that I probably wouldn’t get in contact with had it not been sent to me. And for that I am eternally grateful. Because hearing so many different styles of music only enriches my life. But it also makes me realize how much I am still trapped in the 80s/90s when it comes to my references. Like with PRESSOR. I know that there are more up to date references but when I hear this all I can think of is Fudge Tunnel. You get how off I am? And it is not like I haven’t heard more present day sludge but it is not those bands that keep popping up. This is heavy, monotonous and dragging its feet along kinda music. Dirty and with sharp edges. But that is what makes this exciting."
battlehelm.com/reviews/pressor-weird-things/




rotation11.com review:
"Take the most drug-induced psychedelia from Ministry, throw in some UFOMAMMUT doom and the hypnotic sludge of Sons of Otis and you have one fucking heavy tripping album. Weird Things, the latest from Pressor is one mind-trip of an album. Hailing from Russia, Pressor take elements of spacey doom, heavy industrial and mosh it up into a heavy atmospheric sludge overdose.

The standout track may be “Weird Things”. It has this amped-up Holy Mountain Sleep vibe, and the vocals resemble Al Cisnceros with extremely heavy echoes. The album keeps spiraling into oblivion with “Tripping Deep” and “Hexadecimal Unified Insanity” as these songs pummel your ear drums with maddening doom. Weird Things contains only four extremely textured songs, yet it’s four songs of industrial heaviness that do not let up. After one rotation, you’ll need to sit in silence for a bit or listen to something completely opposite like the soft 70s of Seals and Croft to clear your mind.

ROTATION RECAP:
Vocal Performance 8.7 of 11
Weight of the Heavy 9.2 of 11
Rhythmic Pace 8.6 of 11
Lyrics and Song Structure 8.6 of 11
Fretwork Prowess 8.6 of 11
Overall Album Flow 8.6 of 11
Album Cover Aesthetics 8.9 of 11
Production Value 9 of 11

Lasting Impression
Weird Things is an impressive sounding album as they really hone is on the industrial side of doom and sludge. Fans of this style of heaviness will be pleased."
www.rotation11.com/albums/Pressor/Weird-Things/




expose.org review by Henry Schneider:
"Harsh electronics, distorted guitar, power chords, and heavy metal sludge ooze out of your speakers for four stoner rock and doom laden tracks: “Heavy State,” “Weird Things,” “Tripping Deep,” and “Hexadecimal Unified Insanity.” Russian band Pressor (Danya Kornev on drums, Kirill Grushkin on bass, Tanya Shabanova on Theremin vox, Anton Khmelevsky on guitar, and Stas Vasilev on guitar, vocals, and synth) churns out metal prog that latches on and grows on you the longer you listen to it. Swooping abstract phased synths, screaming and searing electronics, and unintelligible vocals add to the charm of this release. These Russians know how to lay down massive grooves that suck you into their demented world. But wear your hip waders while slogging through their sonic morass and be sure to protect your speakers! Definitely for fans of heavy pscychedelic instrumental grooves and death metal."
www.expose.org/index.php/articles/display/pressor-weird-things-6.html




French musicwaves.fr review by Childeric Thor:
"Pourquoi les Soviétiques ne pourraient-ils pas bétonner eux aussi du bon gros stoner doom qui sent le sapin ? Pressor est là pour nous le rappeler. A sa manière. Epaisse comme une nappe d'hydrocarbure, testiculeuse comme un mammouth mal réveillé d'un sommeil millénaire.

Ils sont quatre, coincés entre un mur d'amplis aux allures de monstres échappés d'un vieux film de S.F. des années 50. Un chant (un peu) rêche comme du papier de verre, quelques claviers brumeux chargés de tapisser la cave d'un halo spectral, une rythmique solidement plantée dans une terre radioactive. Et surtout des guitares, ferrugineuses et qui dressent une hampe massive au bout de laquelle s'écoule une semence mazoutée.

Après un début bien rempli (un EP et un split entre 2012 et 2013), le groupe se fait malheureusement plus rare depuis, seul le titre 'Tripping Deep', long de presque dix minutes quand même, ayant brisé cet assourdissant silence que vient enfin balayer ce "Weird Things" énervé et bien gras. Vingt-huit minutes au compteur pour quatre enclumes remplies jusqu'à la gueule de décibels velus. Malgré une esthétique qui sent la fumette et les psychotropes, Pressor écrase tout sur son passage, rivalisant de lourdeur pachydermique. Seuls quelques effets et synthés qui évoquent la conquête spatiale chère à Youri Gagarine, viennent adoucir cet Oural de riffs rocailleux.

Passée une entame à la fois plombée et brumeuse ('Heavy State') qui installe l'auditeur dans une ambiance un peu irréelle, l'éponyme 'Weird Things' déboule. Les murs tremblent sous les coups de boutoir conjugués de vocalises biberonnées au Destop et de grattes qui rampent à la surface d'un sol tchernobylien, le tout enrobé de ces effluves stellaires qui confèrent un cachet psychédélique. Même punition avec 'Tripping Deep' que nous connaissions déjà, véritable périple sismique qui ouvre des failles spatio-temporelles béantes. Plus trapu, 'Hexadecimal Unified Insanity' referme le sas avec une force bourrue.

Cosmique et pourtant ultra heavy, Pressor nous offre en moins d'une demi-heure une vraie leçon de stoner doom qui sent l'herbe et le mazout."
www.musicwaves.fr/frmReview.aspx?ID=17548




German rockblogbluesspot.com review by Andreas Schiffmann:
"(as) Auf dieser EP fungiert der Synthesizer als maßgebliche Klangquelle und tonangebender Stimmungsmacher, auch wenn „Pressor“ eine Band im Spektrum Stoner Rock bis Doom Metal bleiben. In den vier fünf bis fast zehn Minuten langen Songs auf „Weird Things“ geht es also gleichermaßen heavy wie spacig zu.

Die Gruppe aus der russischen Großstadt Kostroma steht mit ihrem Stil im Zeichen vieler ähnlich aufgestellter Acts aus der kleinen, feinen Szene am vorderasiatischen Rand. Das schleppende „Heavy State“ lässt sich mit seinem unheilvollen Riff und einigen Horrorfilm-verdächtig flirrenden Soundeffekten als längeres Intro begreifen, bevor es mit dem Titelstück richtig losgeht.

„Pressor“ ziehen das Tempo an und zeigen ihr ruppiges Gesicht, komplett mit Gegröle aus dem Sludge-Baukasten, wobei man den Songtext jedoch gut versteht. Dieser hebt ferner die Struktur der Komposition hervor bzw. umgekehrt folgt die Musik der Stimmung, die das Gesungene zum Ausdruck bringt.

In Hinblick darauf scheint es den Mitgliedern oder zumindest dem Sänger dreckig zu gehen, denn auch wenn er das folgende „Tripping Deep“ mit mehr melodischem Feingefühl vorträgt, wirken er und das Stück selbst (zischender Synthie inklusive) nachgerade gequält. Dafür ist ausgerechnet diese längste Nummer die eingängigste, nicht zuletzt dank ihres wippenden Hauptmotivs.

„Hexadecimal Unified Insanity“ geht im Anschluss als groovender Orgel-Doom durch und ähnelt dem Opener, womit „Pressor“ einen stimmigen Bogen vom Anfang bis zum Ende dieses auch optisch (Digipak mit hübschem Cover und Layout) einiges hermachenden Kurzformats spannen. „Weird Things“ kann man als Genre-Begeisterter also vorbehaltlos beim Label beziehen.

Man bräuchte sich demnach auch nicht zu wundern, falls demnächst eine größere Plattenfirma bei „Pressor“ anklopfen würde; verdient hätte die Combo es jedenfalls."
rockblogbluesspot.com/2018/12/01/pressor-weird-things/




Dutch zwaremetalen.com review by Marco Paasman:
"Voor het ontstaan van de Russische sludge band Pressor moeten we terug naar het jaar 2008 als Stanislav Vasilev en Ilya Beschastnoy de band Leaden Sky oprichten, waarmee ze funeral doom en death metal mixen. Gaandeweg verschuift de muziek steeds meer richting sludge en vanaf 2010 wordt de band omgedoopt tot Pressor. De EP Weird Things is, na de debuut-EP Grave Full Of Weed, een split en een single, de vierde release van deze band.

De instrumentale opener Heavy State doet zijn titel eer aan. Log, zwaar en traag rollen de gitaarriffs, begeleid door synths, uit de speakers. De psychedelische effecten in het nummer geven het geheel een Hawkwind-vibe.

In het titelnummer gaat vervolgens het tempo flink omhoog en laat Pressor in het eerste deel van het nummer sludge met een flinke dosis punk horen om in het vervolg het tempo iets te laten varen. De schreeuwerige zang van Vasilev zorgt voor de nodige energie en drive in dit nummer.

Het ruim negen minuten durende Tripping Deep verveelt met zijn cumulatie van stroperige riffs geen seconde. Op afsluiter Hexadecimal Unified Insanity klinkt Pressor als een psychedelische stonervariant op White Zombie.

Na een halfuur is de koek op. Helaas, want wat Pressor op Weird Things laat horen smaakt absoluut naar meer."
zwaremetalen.com/albumrecensies/pressor-weird-things



brutalism.com interview by Twan Sibon:
"Please give us a brief introduction of yourself and your bandmates?

Hi there. It’s Stas. There are two permanent members in Pressor: me and second guitar player Anton. We are from small town in the middle of Russia but we have been living in Saint Petersburg for last four years.
I’m working with songs and arts and Anton schedules our gigs and tours. The other guys were changing from time to time, but now, I think, we have most powerful combo. It’s Daniil on drums and Denis on bass.


History of the band goes back to 2008 and earlier. What was the reason to start an own band? Fame? Money?

Fame and money, yeah, if you wanna it all you have to make a sludge metal band, as usually. Apart from that there was something inside us, that told “the only way to enjoy the music much better than listening it, its playing it”.


Pre Pressor played funeral doom/death in the beginning, why did you switched to sludge?

I have been listening to doom/death music for few years before I started playing the guitar. Next few years I was playing sad and gloom metal music only. At the time, when we had first stable group version, I had enough of that doom/death gloominess and sadness. Then I just heard about blues scale, and when I applied it to my metal-guitar-player skills I thought “Oh shi, sounds like Sludge-metal!”

Just for lols, at the same evening I wrote a bunch of riffs in this way, composed it to a simple track and showed to the guys, and they liked it. Fat and grooviness, without sad and gloominess. We continued playing both kinds of stuff for a while, but our drummer had bad fast-kicking skill, so we excluded doom/death tracks 😀

We played our first gig at nearby village, at the country club. Video from this show was viewed by one guy, from Moscow sludge scene. It is worth mentioning the sludge scene in Moscow (and Russia at all) was at an early stage and very friendly to new bands as opposed to metal scene, which was overdosed. That guy posted our video on a local music forum, and then we got invitation to gig in Moscow. And it started to roll on.


Obviously with the style change the moniker changed too. Is there a meaning why you choose Pressor? And what does it represent?

It’s something about I actually had realized what kind of heaviness attract me. Low, slow and with regular sound pressing. That way I got band name.


Being from Russia, do you feel restrictions in what you play and lyrical content? In other words freedom of speech?

Usually to get the attention of the authorities you need to be pretty successful musicians, and take from 1000 person hall events, especially when you have russian lyrics. We feel sorry to our more popular colleagues, when they get raided by government, but we have more underground scene, where you feel free in what you want to say to your audience.


Topics about weed, is this you use because it is part of the sludge/stoner scene? And is it easy to obtain in Russia?

It’s started because of being part of this scene. When I got first Pressor track, I even didn’t smoke a weed. Here is answer to second question. In province you have to go hard to get some stuff.

But it changes, when you are in big city. Regular shows in SPb and Moscow loaded us completely to this topic. And when we moved to Saint Petersburg this thing became significant part of our life.


Released an EP, split, a single and in 2018 another EP. Wasn’t it time to record a full length? Or is there a reason why an EP?

Yeah, there was a reason. Actually freshest song on “Weird Things” was dating back to 2015 year. Some track was written in 2012! I mean all of them are pretty old stuff. Our last years in hometown weren’t very productive for new material. This was the main reason why I and Anton decided to change location.

When we moved, we got new drummer (on second day being in SPb, haha) and after a few months we made decision to record unreleased material and we did the biggest part of it in the summer 2016 Around the same time I drastically changed my mind about what I want to do.

Sludge and stoner music as it is became less exciting for me and I was getting more and more attracted to different pro-electronic music. It took me one year to understand what I can do to make our music interesting, for myself firstly. And we later got stuck at the mixing stage.

But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining… All of this awful delays with release gave us time to make a lot of new stuff. And now, 1 year after release of Weird Things we have prepared material to record our first full length. The tracks are done, studio dates are scheduled for this week. And only now, I think, we are really prepared to rock for all knobs to the right. There are 5 epic pieces and some little nice additions.


How did recording go? Home studio? Were the songs already formed or rewriting during recording?

For the Weird Things we used friendly DIY studio near our rehearsal room and recorded tracks composed a long time ago. For our forthcoming LP we already have recorded 1 track and we did it in one of the best studio in SPb with experienced sound engineer. Track was fresh out of the oven and some riffs were fixed at 15 min before recording have been made.


What is the funniest thing happened during recording?

Actually, the funniest thing happen during tour, ain’t at studio. One time our show was stopped by priest. Old man just picked up a bar chair and started to crush drumkit. That was pretty weird.


Where did you get inspiration from for the songs? And don’t tell me it is weed…

Of Course not. Give us some credit! It’s acid at all!
And seriously, it’s different dark, weird and trippy stuff. Saint Petersburg has a lot of inspiring things: from majestic city scapes to modern art events and local underground electronic scene. Since we move I haven’t felt any lack of ideas.


Now the EP is released it comes to promotion. Do you leave promotion to the label or pushing it yourself?

The most part of promotion we did by ourselves. It means we were touring in Russia a lot and a few times to Europe. Anton has his own distro now and used to have a small booking agency. And our label also helps us. They released our split and EP’s physically and took them to online stores. Also they involved VJ artist NOA and she made visual video for the whole EP.


What is your favourite way to promote the EP? Reviews? Interviews? Meet & Greet?

Our label sent our music to some webzines. Some of them took an interview. But it’s all. Looks like total deep underground 😀 I think the real promo company will be developed for forthcoming album, but I have no idea what we are gonna do, yet.


What about upcoming live shows? Getting some festivals throughout Europe? Is there a place you would really like to perform? And what can people expect from a show?

We are scheduling our small European tour for this spring. We gonna start on 19 april from Riga and then we will play in Warsaw, Prague, Wien, Budapest and many more. Actually our autumn LP supporting tour is already in progress too.
As to places we would like to perform? Of course we’d like to play at big themed festival, like Roadburn or Desertfest. But I really hope we will play at Burning Man sometime, haha.
As to our show. We already have a fascinating background videos, lights and smoke machine. Classy and still working well. People after our last shows usually said “wow, It was like in a trance, or trip!”


And what about hobbies? How to spend free time? Do you have a bucket list and what is the top 3?

Yeah, the part of our life besides music is actually our hobbies. All of us have regular work, to make a living but mainly we are all involved into different underground music movements. Like Ohm Collective, for example. Anton with guys are making events. Another guys are shooting the videos. Being a graphic designer I help them with design. So this is it, all of our free time we try to spend for music anyway.


Last rites to the readers?

Be rave and go further! "
brutalism.com/interview/the-trance-trip-of-pressor/
brutalism.com review by Roland Ravestein:
"To be honest, the review of this EP was hard for me, mainly because I didn’t know anything about this so called sludge scene. Therefor I had to listen to their music several times over and over again to give my best opinion.

There are a few positive things: some pieces of the songs are good. For example, I like the way ‘Weird Things’ starts off as a punk/rock song. Beside that I also like the way they play, it’s nice and very good. But overall I lost interest too often. An example of the points where they lost me are in case of ‘Hexadecimal Unified Insanity’. At the end of this song there was almost a minute long of scratching! And in the beginning of ‘Heavy State’ due to the overload of keyboards usage.

If you’re a fan of sludge/doom metal then you totally have to check these guys out. But for me maybe it would only be appealing after eating a few mushrooms, smoking weed or drinking a few cases of beer."
brutalism.com/review/pressor-weird-things/




Italian metaleyes.iyezine.com review by Alberto Centenari:
"La lava scende inesorabile dalla lontana Russia e brucia migliaia di chilometri, violentando l’ovest per poi esplodere in un fragoroso boato stoner sludge metal.

Pesantissimo, stonato e psichedelico arriva, trasformando tutto in un letale magma metallico il nuovo lavoro dei Pressor, combo russo dalla discografia che dal 2012 si dipana in ep e split.
Formata da musicisti dal passato doom/death e black metal, la band sforna l’ennesimo e monolitico tsunami di magma vulcanico intitolato Weird Things, composto da quattro brani aperti dal lento incedere della monolitica Heavy State, oppressivo ed ossessivo episodio che sfocia nella più dinamica title track, stone nell’indole pur mantenendo intatta l’anima estrema della proposta.

Gli strumenti formano un muro sonoro invalicabile e Tripping Deep torna a rallentare la corsa, valorizzata da ottimi intrecci ritmici.

Tastiere settantiane fanno da tappeto a Hexadecimal Unified Insanity, traccia conclusiva e brano più americaneggiante del lotto, salutandoci prima d’essere fagocitati dall’onda lavica alzata dai quattro rockers russi.
Pesanti come macigni, i quattro brani che compongono questo ep non lasciano scampo: nel genere i Pressor sono un gruppo sicuramente da seguire nelle sue prossime mosse."
metaleyes.iyezine.com/pressor-weird-things/




Polish kvlt.pl review by Paweł Lach:
"Ocena 8,5/10

Rosyjska kapela Pressor ma szansę spodobać się – a nawet bardzo – tym wszystkim, którzy lubią ciężkie, garażowe riffy. Już debiutancka EP-ka Grave Full Of Weed (choć 35 minut muzyki pozawalałaby śmiało nazwać ją albumem) pokazywała pełnię możliwości kwartetu, udowadniając, że Panowie doskonale radzą sobie w sludge/doomowo/stonerowych klimatach. Tamte kawałki niosły z sobą archetypiczną wręcz moc. Wszystko doskonale wpisywało się w kanony stylu – od okładki, poprzez tematykę, lekko psychodeliczny posmak, a na ciężkich i wolnych riffach kończąc.

Najnowsze wydawnictwo grupy, EP Weird Things, potwierdza, że Rosjanie dysponują solidną dawką argumentów, by pretendować do miana ciekawego zjawiska na undergroundowej scenie. Nowe kawałki wydają się bardziej przystępne niż te z debiutu – choćby szorstki, ale wyraźny wokal zastąpił charczący growl. Nie należy jednak mylić tego z jakimś kompromisem twórczym. Zespół po prostu się rozwija i poszukuje. Dużym novum są też elektroniczne wstawki, które nadają całości lekkiego industrialnego sznytu, co może wyróżniać Pressor z szeregu podobnych do siebie formacji. Pierwsza EP była świetna, ale najnowszemu wydawnictwu też nic nie brakuje – to dwie tak samo udane formy wypowiedzi, choć nagrane z pomocą nieco innych środków wyrazu. Nie rozstrzygam zatem, która lepsza.

Czy to w ciężkich, wolnych numerach (Heavy State), czy momentach nad wyraz żwawych, jak w stonerowo/punkowym początku Weird Things, zespół ukazuje witalność, energię i moc. Pressor potrafi przykuć słuchacza do fotela konkretnym zwolnieniem i kosmicznym klimatem (Tripping Deep – tutaj ciekawe solo gitary na koniec), albo po prostu zaserwować coś całkiem chwytliwego, oczywiście jak na sludge’owe standardy (Hexadecimal Unified Insanity). Doskonale na Weird Things wszystko współgra, zmiany tempa i motywów nie pozwalają się nudzić, a całość ma narkotyczny posmak, który pozwala nieco odlecieć. Jasne, to niby rzecz normalna w tego typu graniu, ale jednym wychodzi, innym nie. Pressor szczęśliwie należy do tej pierwszej grupy.

Czy są tu jakieś słabe punkty? Nie ma. Owszem, to jedynie cztery kawałki (choć dość rozbudowane – najdłuższy liczy niespełna 10 minut), ale w tej dawce Pressor wypada niezwykle stylowo i energetycznie, a jednak dzięki tej szczypcie elektroniki również dość świeżo, choć użyte środki wyrazu wydają się do bólu klasyczne. Wypada życzyć sobie, by kiedyś zawitali z koncertami do Polski."
kvlt.pl/recenzje/pressor-weird-things-2018/




Russian vk.com/public102229343 (Мой маленький музыкач) review by Алексей Пьянков:
"В нашей матушке Россиюшке делают много хорошего сладжедума (см, например, предыдущий релиз), но почти весь он излишне грязный. На этом фоне меня приятно удивил релиз группы Pressor под названием Weird Things - достаточно мягко для жанра, технично, но при этом психотно и зло. Отлично идет и на трезвую голову, и не совсем, ЕВПОЧЯ."
vk.com/wall-102229343_464




Russian vk.com/metalmusicmadness (MetalMusicMadness) review by Евгений Ерофеев:
"Вот так живёшь себе, прокрастинируешь потихоньку, и не знаешь, что в твоём родном городе, можно сказать на соседней улице, живут ребята, высекающие сладж/дум так сказать мирового уровня! И да, это про Кострому и про героев сегодняшнего поста группу Pressor.
Долго говорить про данный альбом (к слову, второй в дискографии группы) не хочется — надо слушать. По мне очень и очень хорошо! Хоть к любителям данного направления я себя не отношу, но релиз зашёл мне весьма и весьма. Любители низко настроенных гитар и синтов — welcome!"
vk.com/wall-43909587_18480




Russian vk.com/rumf_productions (RUMF Productions Family):
"Weird Things - это расщепительная тягость бытия, движение по волнам галлюцинаций к забвению."
vk.com/wall-114164759_371




Russian vk.com/soundrate (Soundrate):
"Новая ипишка от метал-команды из Костромы, которая использует в своей музыке синты и терменвокс. В общем: слажд, дум, фэнтези, индастриал!"
vk.com/wall-33940120_53711




Russian vk.com/hrushevkaorg (Хрущёвка) review:
"Костромские лесорубы переехали в Питер, переквалифицировались и получили разряд слесаря-психонавта 9лвл, правда небыстро - это годы тренировки 🌚"
vk.com/hrushevkaorg?w=wall-26901210_32008




Russian vk.com/stoned_petersburg (Stoned Petersburg) review by Serpent Angel:
"Посоны на сложных щщах выкатили плотный, жирный и тяжелый релиз, который вдавит тебя по ноздри в землю. Адский каток размажет вас, готовьте свои нежные поросячьи ушки для слудге, кача, фузза и грува.
Все 4 трека составляют единую картину крушения мира. Плавно въезжает Heavy State, раскачивая слушателя и готовя площадку для безудержного моша под Weird Things. Но 8 минут подряд слемить устанешь, поэтому в нем достаточно брейкдаунов, бриджей и провисов. И рубилово в конце телеги, чтоб ты не расслаблялся. Под Tripping Deep после угара под сценой впору пойти в бар, закинуть стопку вискаря и отстраниться от реальности, полностью погрузившись в волны качающих гитар, которые пересекаются с психоделическим шумом.
Закрывает программу шикарный трек с непроизносимым названием Hexadecimal Unified Insanity. Он содержит в себе отличную энергетику и кач. Вокал местами напомнил старика роба зомби. Шумовая концовка оповещает об окончании передачи. Спокойной ночи, малыши.

PS. Крайне рекомендую слушать либо с хорошей акустикой или в наушниках. Ну и вживую, потому как не устроить месиво под такое просто позорно."
vk.com/wall-119918113_1675




Czech fobiazine.net review by :
"První mrknutí tedy nic extra, myšleno směrem k obalu, který je strohý a nepříliš vzhledný. Jednoduchý digipack obsahuje jen sestavy (kapela zřejmě funguje v jiné sestavě živě a v jiné ve studiu), pár slov o nahrávání, fotku kapely v červené mlze a pak už jen červenočerné šrafování, které má asi varovat potenciálního posluchače, že jej nečeká žádná selanka.

Na loňské EP umístili PRESSOR čtyři relativně dlouhé songy, které dohromady hrají skoro třicet minut, tedy dobu, kterou většina kapel bere jako plnohodnotné album. Stoner/sludge skupiny ale většinou za full album považují hodinu či více materiálu. (úsměv) Na druhou stranu je toho marastu na půlhodinové ploše tak akorát, aby se člověk nedostal do letargie a deprese. (úsměv) Ale nutno dodat, že PRESSOR nejsou jen a jen o tíživé atmosféře a pomalé muzice.

Začátek prvního songu operuje s různými pazvuky, možná to nemá daleko k noise, ale po chvíli se z beden vyvalí zatěžkaný kytarový riff, který by mohl lámat skály. Můžeme tu spekulovat o inspiraci BLACK SABBATH, stejně tak
o typické sludge práci, respektive v určitém směru netypické, protože jestli to správně chápu, elektronické zvuky prolínající se celou skladbou obstarává theremin.

Po bezeslovné první položce následují tři vokály opatřené songy, přičemž ten první je o poznání živější a s trochou nadsázky by se dal místy označit jako stoner´n´roll, protože zpočátku jede v celkem svižném tempu, aby postupně zpomalil a potemněl. Hodně k tomu přispívá vokál připomínající bědování rozervané duše, i repetitivní pasáže, které ale vždycky „něco“ rozčísne. V „Tripping Deep“ je to opět theremin, ale i bez něj by muzika obstála, hlavně u fanoušků těžkotonážní bažiny, z níž vykukují vcelku pestré kytarové vyhrávky. Bez nich by to při délce kompozice atakující deset minut nešlo, něčím je třeba posluchače udržovat v napětí a dá se říci, že se to ruské partě daří, třeba i pokrouceným nervním sólem. Ke stoneru má nejblíže poslední věc „Hexadecimal Unified Insanity“, ze které dýchá duch sedmdesátých let, ale v moderním balení. Při poslechu mě napadá možná kacířská myšlenka – jak by asi zněla s ženským vokálem? Přijde mi, že by mi do ní pasoval lépe něž Stasův zachmuřený hlas, ale to je jen takový nápad.

Celkově mě „těžká (půl)hodina“ ve společnosti ruské party nepřišla jako ztráta času a jsem docela zvědavý, v jaké formě se představí za pár dní v Praze."
www.fobiazine.net/article/11322/pressor--weird-things/




www.the-rocker.co.uk review by Stuart Hamilton:
"Apparently, Pressor, who hail from Kostroma in Russia, started life as doom metal band about 10 years back under a different name. But after some lineup changes and a move in style they became Pressor.

By a move in style it seems that they became a sludge metal band instead. Now that’s such a fine line that only three people in Louisiana can actually explain the difference and they’re usually too busy drinking shine to be coherent. So it’s still kind of doom metal but with some swooshy spacerock style synths. Which means I loved it.

So well done Stas, Anton, Dennis and Danya. And don’t forget Tanya who performed on the recording and is credited with Therminvox. As you do. With this style of music the songs tend to be irrelevant as it’s all about a groove and a mood, and so it proves to be here. But the first track, Heavy State’ and the closing ‘Hexadecimal Unified Insanity’ are particularly good. Even better, it’s an EP so never overstays its welcome. It’s still half an hour of music, mind, which is almost an LP in old money.

Prior to this they’ve had an EP, a split album and a single, with the latters ‘Tripping Deep’ popping up here as well. Quality rather than quantity. If doom / sludge with spacerock sounds seems like fun to you, then I can’r recommend this highly enough."
therocker65.wordpress.com/2019/03/26/reviews-roundup-rhapsody-of-fire-vs-21-taras-vs-still-no-doubt-vs-transnadeznost-vs-pressor-vs-mark-sultan/




hissandhum.com review by John Marley:
"Opening with swirling, hypnotic synth sounds, Russian quartet Pressor put the listener in a trance-like state which is both nightmarish and fascinating. A full production allows the riffs to resonate through your core and stimulate the primordial senses. Many of the riffs on Weird Things are doubled by a synth sound which gives the music an apocalyptic ambience, immediately bringing to mind the work of doom metal monoliths Asva.

Although the execution of the riffs is tight and ruthless, they are always engulfed by atmospheric synth sounds. It is as though you are watching a well trained army march through dense fog. A heavy amount of reverb on the vocals allows them to become part of the thick soundscape. The initial bite of the vocals is percussive and aggressive but the reverb forms multiple layers of sound. The vocals sit back in the mix rather than being the primary focus of the compositions.

If you listen to it with rapt attention, you can easily be drawn in by the blankets of harmony. That is not to say that the pieces have extensive chord patterns. Rather that the multiple guitar tracks, along with the ambient sounds, create several dimensions of subtly changing harmonics. Each instrument moves like sediment in a huge, ancient mountain. Beautiful harmonies presented in a confrontational way have become a feature of doom metal through the work of Pelican, Red Sparowes and their contemporaries.

Not all of the tracks are performed at a glacial tempo. The title track still uses massive riffs but these are powered by a hardcore punk drum rhythm. Momentarily moving towards the sound of Scandinavian D-beat, Pressor maintain a sense of identity through their uncompromising use of atmospherics.

On the closing track Hexadecimal Unified Insanity the guitars play fast moving riffs while the synth stays on one note. It is a disorientating experience. This is augmented by guitar parts that creep out of the mix and then disappear as quickly as they arrived. On repeated listens it seems as though one guitar part becomes slightly out of tune. Rather than this being a negative, it gives the riff an added element of tension. It is not out of tune enough to be unpleasant, just enough to increase the menace on an almost subconscious level.

Weird Things is a perfect storm of thunderous riffing, misty atmospherics and all-consuming aural tornadoes. "
hissandhum.com/rock-metal/blog/album-review-pressor-weird-things




Russian vk.com/garazhnayazhara (Гаражная жара) review by Aphelion Caldera:
"Крепкий стонир сладж, созданный по всем канонам жанра. Один из вокалистов поет а-ля Electric Wizard, другой типа Big Business. Получается круто. Было бы еще понятно о чем поют, воще пиздато было бы. Это конечно уже все сыграно давно другими, но тем, кто любит данный жанр всегда будет хотеться нового, хоть и так похожего на все, что он слушал ранее.
4/5"
vk.com/garazhnayazhara?w=wall-172308868_1076




astralzoneblog.blogspot.com review by DJ Astro:
"They have been compared to bands like Conan (who they have also supported live) and I can understand why. This CD EP (28-min.) from 2018 is their latest release and here the band have charged their ultra heavy and groovy sonic world with spacey and psychedelic synthesizers to a great, mind-expanding effect.

There are four tracks on the EP. "Heavy States" starts off with bubbling, experimental synths until the crushingly heavy, slow riff arrives. This 5-minute instrumental works great as an introduction to the EP. "Weird Things" is a faster, bit hardcore oriented but also very heavy song with aggressive vocals. There are also slower doom passages in the middle for a good balance. "Tripping Deep" is the longest track at 9:45 and also maybe my favourite. Some ultra-cool riffs and windy synths on this one and no mercy is given for the weak! I like the fact that there is also some lead guitar work in there. Also the last piece "Hexadecimal Unified Insanity" is a real killer and on-your-face with lots of brutality and doom and more synth madness. I bet this band also slays live and according to their Facebook page they will be on European tour in April/May also including shows in Helsinki and Tampere so be sure to check them out!"
astralzoneblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/pressor-weird-things.html




thesoundprojector.com review & broadcast by Ed Pinsent:
"Pressor are a four-piece of beefy guys from Kostroma, whose previous outings have been classified by others as a form of sludge and doom metal laced with psychedelic elements…for Weird Things (723 / BAD ROAD BR#24 / VORON-NEST VNCD0009), they’ve varying their formula with the addition of crazy synth noise supplied by Stas Vasilev, apparently with the aim to convey sensations of madness and despair. When the synths are to the fore, as on the opener ‘Heavy State’, things work pretty well and do indeed pass on a palpable state of hallucination, things going majorly wrong before your very eyes. Other cuts are more conventional doom metal in the “crusher” mode; the listener is wrestled to the ground by grunting vocals, lead-weight riffs, and hammering drums. However, these self-styled “lumberjacks” never get weighed down by their own ponderousness, nor wrong-foot themselves as they turn in surprisingly agile riffs of merciless noise-core power-grunge."
www.thesoundprojector.com/2019/05/06/suffering-on-the-steppes/
www.thesoundprojector.com/2019/03/22/abandon-ship/




Portuguese thresholdmagazine.pt review by Sónia Felizardo:
" Formados em 2008 na cidade de Kostroma, Russia, sob o nome Leaden Sky e com uma sonoridade com influências do funeral doom, foi em 2010 que os Pressor ganharam o nome com que se apresentam na atualidade. A banda atualmente formada por Stan Vasiliev (guitarra, voz); Anton Khmelevsky (guitarra, voz); Denis Zarutsky (baixo); e Danya Kornev (bateria) lançou o primeiro EP de carreira em 2012 - intitulado de Grave Full of Weed - e uma série de singles entre 2013 e 2016, regressando seis anos depois com Weird Things, o segundo EP de carreira que chegou ao mercado no ano passado.

Numa fase mais gesso, onde o peso do sludge e a hipnose do stoner os Pressor apresentam um total de quatro músicas que não se prendem a um caminho previsível e incorporam camadas de elementos sintetizados, elementos experimentais e guitarras fervorosas com uma atmosfera bem negra. Deste último trabalho de estúdio recomenda-se a audição de temas como "Weird Things" e "Hexadecimal Unified Insanity"

Weird Things foi editado a 12 de março de 2018 em formato CD pelo selo russo [addicted label]."
www.thresholdmagazine.pt/2019/05/o-peso-dos-pressor-tem-coisas-estranhas.html

credits

released March 12, 2018

Stas Vasilev — Guitars, Vocals, Synths
Anton Khmelevsky— Guitars
Danya Kornev — Drums
Kirill Grushkin — Bass
Guest:
Tanya Shabanova — Therminvox

Recorded at Azbuka Zvuka Studio. Mixed and mastered by Maxim Selyugin at Bloomberg Studio. Visual version by vxnoa.com. Shoted by Ivan Zalizko and designed by Stas Vasilev in the name of HolyAcid

the band: pressor.bandcamp.com
the visuals: vxnoa.com

labels:
badroad.bandcamp.com
voron-nest.bandcamp.com
noname666.bandcamp.com

digital cat# 723; CD: cat# 723 / BR#24 / VNCD0009
CD weight ~51g UPC 5057173474997

license

tags

about

[addicted label] Moscow, Russia

for bio & links — tap link:

contact / help

Contact [addicted label]

Streaming and
Download help

Shipping and returns

Redeem code

Report this album or account

If you like Weird Things, you may also like: