bonnek One of the most frustrating aspects of today's music scene is the over-abundance of options for us listeners. Scattered over multiple niches and hidden on obscure labels and independent releases, there are tons of bands waiting to be discovered. One of the bands that seemed to have fallen between the cracks last year is Pressure Points. A modern progressive metal from Finland who made the most stunning debut with "Remoreses To Remember".

The band has an instantly familiar sound, somewhere between Opeth's "Ghost Reveries" and Riverside "ADHD". Two spectacular references in my book and this album is actually almost as good as those albums. After a couple of listens the initial Opeth resemblance wears off quickly and a better comparison comes to mind, be it to an equally obscure band that nevertheless has found its way to a couple of Prog fans, namely Leprous. Their "Tall Puppy Syndrome" from 2009 seems almost like an immediate predecessor for this "Remorses To Remember" album.

Pressure Points use some occasional growls but they are hardly distracting, just offering a welcome balance against the very strong clean vocals. The growls are deeper and warmer then Leprous's shrieks and rasps, more like Akerfeldt indeed. The clean vocals have a nice range, warm and tranquil to quite rough on occasion, similar in tone, style and melancholy to Mariusz Duda in fact, but with another timbre.

The songwriting is good varied and complex but doesn't really stick, lacking the touch of genius of their examples. Nevertheless a nice Progressive Metal album recommended for fans of Opeth, Riverside and Leprous