Pressure Makes Diamonds: “It’s Time to Dance AND Get Down in the Pit”

Chilling in an empty warehouse, Pressure Makes Diamonds have found their abode for the summer. A few beers in, the groove has arrived and I am witnessing an effortless flow of music streaming from the instruments of these talented boys. Hailing from Whitby, this four-piece is influenced by the likes of Dave Grohl, Serj Tankian, Protest the Hero, and Coheed & Cambria. Quirky bass lines, accompanied with speedy shreds, a wide vocal range, intricate drum fills and an energetic stage presence; Pressure Makes Diamonds creates a dynamic, genre bending sound. I dare you not to move these dancey, yet heavy tracks.

Drummer Dan Leduc expressed, “We don’t want to be known as a metal band.” After a discussion regarding their sound, guitarist Mike Davies came to the consensus, “Groove-tech!” When I asked vocalist Taylor Spears which direction he saw the band heading in, he said, “We don’t want to be in one place for very long, we never know what the next song is going to sound like.” Bassist Chris Panacci is influenced by a wide spectrum of musicians such as Sonic Youth and the Arctic Monkeys, and aims for a distinct sound in his riffs. With such an eclectic and varied taste in music, I wondered what image they were aiming for; the answer? “Sexy beasts!”

PMD emerged from the close knit friendships and shared musical interest of the members while they were in university. They started jamming in their dorm rooms, “We pissed quite a lot of people off when we decided to rent an electrical drum kit.” The song writing process is strange at times, says Spears, “Sometimes, we’ll just start making noises with our mouths and it will eventually develop into a song.”

They’re playing shows weekly, mentioned that their favourite venue has been Mavericks in Ottawa, and have shared the stage with Canadian experimental-metal band, Ninjaspy. Another cool fact? They’ve already managed to have a devoted fan get a tattoo in their honour. You can give them a listen by visiting their MySpace.

Check out the song: “Creatures of Habitat”