PRIMING PRESSURE is a Melodic Death Metal band based out of Leipzig, Germany. Formed in 2004, they released their debut album "End Comes Closer" in 2012, their sophomore effort "Past the Point of No Return" in 2015, and now in 2019 present their third album titled "Last Odyssey." The album contains ten tracks.

"Spartan Warfare" leads off the album, with bass notes fading in. The main riff then drops, and it is heavy and aggressive. The vocals and deep and dark, and the song has a commanding presence. A spoken word passage ushers in a new sound. "Last Night" opens with a running guitar and double bass drums chugging away. In some ways, the band reminds me of AMON AMARTH, with no clean vocals and that somewhat thin guitar harmonies. They certainly have the heavy part of the genre down pat. "Troy" is similar is sound and pace. It keeps a stead rhythm throughout without much variation. "Minotaur" opens with a weighted riff that is fast-picked. Originality is not their strong suit, as they vary little from the formula that they have.

"Neaman Stranglehold" is a mid-tempo track thick with guitars and Death vocals. A solemn guitar solo adds another element to the music here but so far this album is fairly repetitive. "Cassandra" is a slower song with a little more emotion being let out. This track has a bit more of a commanding presence as well, but some clean vocals here and there might help to break up the sound a bit. "Towards Sundown" opens with some clean whispers that lead to a lumbering riff, where the vocals are featured strongest. It has some riff variation here and there, but those harmonized guitar parts get old after a while.

"Sign of Life" goes for broke from the start. The riff moves quickly though it stays on the open note a bit too long for me. It gains some life in the chorus but overall is just a rough and tumble sort of sound. "ME-DU-SA" features some twin guitar harmonies out of the gates, and together with the double bass and raging vocals creates a thick structure with an air of the supernatural. Female clean vocals come out of nowhere. It fits well with the "Greek" mythology theme in the album. "Pegasos Fights Back" I believe they mean "Pegasus" and perhaps it is just a typo. It has an opening sequence that lets you warm up before the main riff hits. It is strong and pulverizing, and has a little more creativity to it.

Overall, you've unfortunately heard this music before. It's nothing new at all, and has been around since the mid 1990's. Though they play with conviction, they have to find a way to separate themselves from the thousands of Melodic Death Metal bands that are still out there. There's a lot you can do in this genre, and they chose to take the easy way out. The singer is the best part of the album, but most of the tracks fall flat and never got off the ground.