Pressure 4-5- Burning the Process

I think I've already confessed that one of the guiltiest pleasures I indulge in is my near-annual listening to the sort of crappy music that musclebound guys (the ones with tribal tattoos and expensive sunglasses who stand outside convenience stores and ask people, "What are you looking at?", a question to which there is no right answer) think is fantastic. I don't know what draws me to it. I couldn't be less of one of those guys. Even so, about once a year I get the urge to listen to some really crappy nu metal, and I pull out the playlist (yes, I have it pre-made for just such occaisions). So yeah, this album fits in that part of my collection. I don't like it or listen to it for 364 days out of the year, but on that 365th it scratches a certain itch (that sounds disgusting).

Anyway, I came across Pressure 4-5 with a promo handed to me outside a Weezer concert. I had actually discovered some cool bands that way before, so I was taking whichever promos they were giving out. I got a "Beat the World" single, which is probably Pressure 4-5's best track. The other promo I remember getting that night was from the very similar Pete. (yes, like moe. the period is part of the band's name) which featured the very similar song "Sweet Daze." When you break it down, most nu metal is very similar. Sure, there are slight variations on the formula, but it's generally the same stuff. I don't think Chevelle is so different from Trust Company that you couldn't confuse one for the other (unless you're a connoisseur of the genre, which doesn't seem like the sort of thing anyone does. I could be wrong, but this seems to be the sort of music one lifts weights or is Vin Diesel to). So I'm not here to dump on the genre. I just intend to say that when you have the itch, Pressure 4-5 will scratch the itch just as readily as Taproot or 30 Seconds to Mars. No band in the genre is seemingly superior or inferior to any other.

The only question is how to properly rate an album that I don't really dig for all but one day (on average) of the year? I dunno. Let's give it two and a half stars and be done with it.