CRITICAL SOUNDBITES 2001
‘BURNING THE PROCESS’ ALBUM AND TOUR
“…a revitalizing blend of post NY hardcore in the vein of Helmet, combined with a shade of emocore, alt. rock and a dab of new metal overtones, which when mixed altogether make for a blisteringly aggressive slab of melodic modern metal…this is easily one of the most impressive and well-rounded debuts to land in stores this year. It’s passionate and motivational, utilizing both sullen emotion and positive aggression to penetrate the listeners senses in a constructive way.”
4.5/5 (rating) –Wookubus, Pimp Rock Palace (Internet publication) 10/2/01
“The debut of this Santa Barbara-based band burns with enough hard-rock intensity to send an arena of wrestling fans into a pyrotechnic frenzy…Though plenty melodic, the album is packed with aggression, with the quintet building pressure on frenetic guitar riffs and slab-like basslines.”
–David Simutis, HITS 10/12/01
“Sweat flies from my forehead, while elbows and various other physical extremities pummel every square inch of my flesh. My own private mosh-pit is the greatest gift Pressure 4-5’s major label debut, Burning The Process, can bestow…Pressure 4-5 sticks to what makes a rock band truly rock…two grinding guitars, a pounding drummer, thumping bass and a lead singer who has perfected the art of the catchy hook.”
–Jessica Jardine, Daily Nexus (Santa Barbara, CA) 10/11/01
“…a sense of melodic dynamics with its potent brand of hard rock…This band is capable of delivering thoughtful, classical string-backed songs (‘Into Yesterday’), frenetic, rap-metal angst (‘Even Worse’) and hummable, guitar rave-ups (‘These Hands’)…This is solid, textured hard rock…”
–Roberto C. Hernandez, Mean Street (Southern CA) October 2001
“Songs of pure raw intensity combined with solid melody and heavy grooves…PRESSURE 4-5 will refresh the music community.”
–Stephanie Stevens, East Coast Romper (Fairhaven, MA) 8/27/01
“On their new album, PRESSURE 4-5 carves out 11 songs of intensity combined with solid grooves mingled with placid vocals…PRESSURE 4-5 utilizes the element of surprise in their songs. Mellow one moment, screaming the next, each song counts and is confident, without cheesiness.”
— Devin O’Donnell, Spartan Daily (San Jose, CA), 9/27/01
“With a slew of young bands emerging on to the rock scene right now, one must wade through the mediocre to get to the good. Well it was worth sifting through the mediocre to get to…Pressure 4-5. What’s even more refreshing, for a band of their genre, is their message…Their music draws listeners nearer to it rather than having them look for the nearest bridge to jump off…pure and passionate…”
–Paul Parks, Beach & Bay Press (San Diego, CA) 8/30/01
“Pressure 4-5 is an…energetic group of young men who know how to dominate the stage. Their music is somewhere between heavy metal and hardcore punk rock.”
–Christina Carrasco, San Francisco Foghorn, 10/11/01
“Pressure 4-5 has what it takes to escalate hard rock to a new level…The album features illuminating lyrics, melodic rhythms and complex guitar tones…They’ve managed to puzzle together crafty guitar chords and riffs with lyrics that push societal comfort zones.”
–David Cantrell, Daily Kansan (Lawrence, KS), 10/11/01
“Hard-rocking and thought-provoking. The track “Beat the World” beats the nuts off half the other crap out there.”
–FHM, November 2001 ****
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