Parallel Or 90 Degrees - More Exotic Ways To Die


Year of Release: 2002
Label: Cyclops
Catalog Number: www.gft-cyclops.co.uk
Format: CD
Total Time: 47:53:00

Strongly rooted in an adoration for VDGG, Parallel Or 90 Degrees has evolved towards a more contemporary sound. Keyboard player and vocalist Andy Tillison-Diskdrive still is the nucleus of the band augmented with extra synths from both Sam Baine and Don Watts. The power and energy contained in the opening song "Impaled On Railing" to me contains the same freshness and directness as that of stalwarts Vulgar Unicorn. Then again "A Man Of Thin Air" holds a poppy approach similar to Jump. More energy pours out of "The Heavy Metal Guillotine Approach," which in a way even comes close to ... the Prodigy!

Po90 certainly likes toying around in the studio, illustrated here by the danceable Watts composition "Drum One" where distortion is heavily featured. Although most of the Po90 material is rather complex you can never rule out the typical British humour. Take the titletrack "More Exotic Ways To Die" which is constructed out of parts 1 to 6, yet in reality seven compositions make up the whole. To make things even more bizarre, the final track "A Body In Free Drift" was recorded live when it was still called "Free Drift." Again some superb Hammond and synth solos form the backbone of this powerful track. Certain compositions on this new album are searching for new horizons. Take "The Dream" which is the kind of sound collage Radiohead has been offering us on their latest albums. The atmosphere changes completely when Ken Senior opens his heavy metal vaults during "Petroleum Addicts," sometimes steering the music towards Uriah Heep territory.

Parallel or 90 Degrees have also fully exploited the possibilities of the CD medium by adding loads of computer extras. Both PC and Mac users will find stacks of MP3 files giving you the entire Running Rings album from 1989, a unique compilation album called Enjoy Your Own Smell, which even includes original artwork so you can burn your own copy, an 8 minute video performance, plus cover versions, out-takes and oddities. Now that's what I call "value for money!"


Tracklisting:
More Exotic Ways To Die: Impaled On Railing (4:44) / A Man Of Thin Air (5:06) / Embalmed In Acid (5:42) / The Heavy Metal Guillotine Approach (5:27) / Drum One (3:14) / The One That Sounds Like Tangerine Dream (1:31) / A Body In Free Drift (8:29) / The Dream (2:38) / Petroleum Addicts (11:02)

Musicians:
Andy Tillison-Diskdrive - vocals, organ, synthesizers
Sam Baine - piano, synthesizers
Dan Watts - guitars, samples
Alex King - drums
Ken Senior - bass

Discography:
The Corner Of My Room
Afterlifecycle
The Time Capsule
No More Travelling Chess
Unbranded - Music From The EEC Surplus
More Exotic Ways To Die (2002)<

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: September 29th 2002
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.po90.com
Hits: 2153
Language: english

  

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