SELF-RELEASED
Progressive sludge duo wade into choppy but well-charted waters
After honing their sound on a series of experimental EPs, this South Louisiana sludge duo now sound more assured than ever, coming across like a blend of all your favourite early 00s Hydra Head bands. They’ve got the angular, progressive riffing of Keelhaul, but also the soaring melodicism you’d expect from a Torche record. There’s a spacey flavour to some of these songs too, largely thanks to guitarist/vocalist Stephen Sheppert’s subtle synth embellishments on tracks like the Baroness-esque Phil Collins Was Right or proggy eight-minute closer Demon Legs. Pressure’s main focus, however, is firmly on the awesome power of the riff, with Mortals and His Capa Was Detated both dishing out wonky, weirdly timed sludge belters in a very Melvins-esqe manner. Radiant Knife may not be as revolutionary as their influences, but this is solid stuff. ■■■■■■■■■■