PRESS TO ENTER

Progressive Metal • Denmark

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Press To Enter biography
Odense, Denmark based trio Press To Enter saw their beginnings in 2020 at the Danish National Academy of Music in Odense when Lucas Christopher Szczyrbak (bass) and Simon Laulund Mogensen (guitar, drum programming) started working on material for their debut album after having simultaneously enrolled in the Master's program. Prior to that, both attended the music conservatory preschool, MGK, in Odense, although not at the same time. Initially, drummer Mikkel Hillgaard contributed, co-producing and co-composing the first two singles and recording drums for the debut single, but was soon replaced by programmed drums (!). Also initially, a guest vocalist on each song was envisioned but soon abandoned in favor of Julie Sejer Wiingreen - initially also a planned guest vocalist - as the permanent vocalist. Having a bachelor in sound engineering she works as a singing teacher, church singer and dance instructor with a background as a solo artist in the singer/songwriter tradition without the progressive metal upbringing as Simon and Lucas and leans towards vocalists such as Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga and many more and also does her own dance choreography. Creating Lo-Fi music in his spare time and not afraid of slap bass, Lucas - whose father is also playing the bass and whose brother plays the drums - attests to luminaries John Myung from Dream Theater, Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and Geddy Lee from Rush among others.

Following the release of the two singles "Sky High Places" and "Evolvage" in March and May 2022, respectively, and another two singles "Pall To the Wall" and "Painkiller" in September and October 2023, their debut album "From Mirror To Road" arrived in November 2023. Although post-Covid pandemic, it was not recorded together in the studio but individually at their private homes using Pro Logic, thus allowing the time for Simon to create layers of arranged guitar parts, chords and polyrhythms and allowing Lucas to focus on the quality, sound and uniqueness of one or two bass layers as well as allowing Julie to produce vocal effects and create the lyrics evolving around her own dealing with anxiety and bodily distress disorder and their common focus on the mental challenges one meet in everyday life, the comparison to others and mind racing.

A name derived from the "Press To Start" on video game's main menu screen thus implying the idea of pressing a button to enter a virtual world where their music universe unfolds, Pr...Odense, Denmark based trio Press To Enter saw their beginnings in 2020 at the Danish National Academy of Music in Odense when Lucas Christopher Szczyrbak (bass) and Simon Laulund Mogensen (guitar, drum programming) started working on material for their debut album after having simultaneously enrolled in the Master's program. Prior to that, both attended the music conservatory preschool, MGK, in Odense, although not at the same time. Initially, drummer Mikkel Hillgaard contributed, co-producing and co-composing the first two singles and recording drums for the debut single, but was soon replaced by programmed drums (!). Also initially, a guest vocalist on each song was envisioned but soon abandoned in favor of Julie Sejer Wiingreen - initially also a planned guest vocalist - as the permanent vocalist. Having a bachelor in sound engineering she works as a singing teacher, church singer and dance instructor with a background as a solo artist in the singer/songwriter tradition without the progressive metal upbringing as Simon and Lucas and leans towards vocalists such as Katy Perry, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga and many more and also does her own dance choreography. Creating Lo-Fi music in his spare time and not afraid of slap bass, Lucas - whose father is also playing the bass and whose brother plays the drums - attests to luminaries John Myung from Dream Theater, Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and Geddy Lee from Rush among others.

Following the release of the two singles "Sky High Places" and "Evolvage" in March and May 2022, respectively, and another two singles "Pall To the Wall" and "Painkiller" in September and October 2023, their debut album "From Mirror To Road" arrived in November 2023. Although post-Covid pandemic, it was not recorded together in the studio but individually at their private homes using Pro Logic, thus allowing the time for Simon to create layers of arranged guitar parts, chords and polyrhythms and allowing Lucas to focus on the quality, sound and uniqueness of one or two bass layers as well as allowing Julie to produce vocal effects and create the lyrics evolving around her own dealing with anxiety and bodily distress disorder and their common focus on the mental challenges one meet in everyday life, the comparison to others and mind racing.

A name derived from the "Press To Start" on video game's main menu screen thus implying the idea of pressing a button to enter a virtual world where their music universe unfolds, Press To Enter has been described by Weekly Music Fix as a "glorious blend of complex melodic progression and vocal layering with earworm hooks and pop touches", a coherently unified mix of progressive metal harshness, melodic complexity, catchy pop-inspired tones, skin-crawling rock motifs and diverse vocal techniques, thought-provoking and reflective lyrics support each track with the most emotional and hard-hitting moments enhanced with skin-crawling guitars, vile drum sequences and slick bass lines", inspire a "self-reflective therapy session", whereas Marunouchi Muzik Magazine simply states that ?no other band could be so technical and strange and yet pop at the same time?. In the trio's own words, sharing the same passion for pop and catchy melodies naturally is reflected in their music.

Studious in jazz, blues, funk and pop, Press To Enter will come across as progressive metal with a Jazz Rock/Fusion flavor and pop sensibilities on the average and will likely appeal to fans of Animals As Leaders, TesseracT, Tool, Isbj�rg, Intervals, Russian Circles, Dream Theater, Sleep Token, �tre and David Maxim Micic among others.

(biography provided by earlyprog)read more