PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES

Parallel or 90 Degrees was Andy Tillison's major project prior to the foundation of The Tangent, and (if you set aside the 2009 reunion release Jitters) More Exotic Ways To Die represents the final hurrah of that unit. What you get here is darkly aggressive prog with an intriguing National Health-esque dual keyboardist lineup, with Tillison joined on keys by Sam Baine. Comparisons to Van der Graaf Generator came thick and fast during Parallel's prime, but to me they sound startling original, the VdGG connection largely coming in from their willingness to take a somewhat angrier tone than prog bands typically go for.

PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES is one of my favourite bands and this is my favourite album by them. In fact it's also a top three album for me for 2002. I find it interesting that for this their final album(they did make a comeback album in 2009) that they amped up the heaviness in a major way. PORCUPINE TREE did the very same thing in the very same year with "In Absentia". Sadly PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES called it quits after this one and by the following year we saw that Andy Tillison was part of the first THE TANGENT release. I always appreciated that Sam and Andy played synths in this band while Andy also played the organ and Sam the piano. They always were a heavy keyboard driven band and that's still in affect here, it's just that the guitar and heaviness were never this prominent.

"Impaled On Railing" sounds amazing to start with that guitar/ bass/ drum melody as the vocals join in. That melody will come and go. It picks up on the chorus each time. Organ before a minute followed by a nice heavy sound. Synths scream 1 1/2 minutes in. Love the spacey calm a minute later then it kicks back in after 3 minutes. A great opening number. "A Man Of Thin Air" opens with bass as spacey synths and drums join in. Vocals follow in this laid back intro. It kicks in hard before a minute including organ. Some excellent guitar expressions follow as themes are repeated. A guitar solo after 2 minutes. It picks up before 4 minutes as they kick some ass. Ripping guitar here as well. Some huge bass lines 4 1/2 minutes in. "Embalmed In Acid" is a top three although I really do love every track on here. It sounds like electronics as reserved vocals join in, keys too. Great lyrics by the way to this one. It's so moving a minute in(gulp). A laid back tune that turns fuller 3 minutes in to great affect. The synths are beautiful before 4 minutes and they continue almost to the end as it slowly fades away with picked guitar and piano. Gorgeous.

"The Heavy Metal Guillotine Approach" is up next. Here we go! Heavy with drums, bass and vocals standing out on the versus. Love that chorus. Guitar to the fore after 2 1/2 minutes then he starts to light it up. So good! Some interesting vocal expressions 3 1/2 minutes in. "Drum One" has random drums and electronics. Growly synths take over and they are powerful as the drums and electronics return. So cool. Keys over top a minute in. Love this stuff. Here we go after 1 1/2 minutes as it picks up speed. The guitar comes in before 2 1/2 minutes laying waste the soundscape.

"The One That Sounds Like Tangerine Dream" has more drums and electronics like the previous track even the same melody. Tons of atmosphere when it settles and voices too. Brilliant. "A Body In Free Drift" is a top three song. Guitar, piano and a beat as the vocals join in. It's fairly relaxed to start out. Such a dreamy chorus. It picks up before 1 1/2 minutes with some prominent bass. The tempo picks up 2 minutes in with the drums out front before settling back to that dreamy vibe. It absolutely rocks after 2 1/2 minutes, just killing it! The wah wah guitar a minute later turns into a shred-fest. It settles back 4 1/2 minutes followed by an instrumental section of bass, keyboards, drums and synths. It kicks back in with vocals after 5 minutes. Organ runs before 7 minutes then the vocals return as we get a big finish.

"The Dream" reminds me of STORM CORROSION with the electronics and sparse piano. A fuzzy sound here before it kicks in with drums and more. Powerful stuff. Another calm after a minute with spoken words as contrasts continue. "Petroleum Addicts" is my final top three. What a way to end the album. A heavy intro then synths pulse followed by more heaviness as the riffs start to speed up. Organ as well before a calm arrives with vocals. The lyrics are so meaningful. It kicks in again at 3 minutes but not for long as it settles back with vocals before kicking in again as contrasts continue. It calms right down with windy synths then samples of someone speaking before piano, mellotron, bass and drums appear briefly before 9 minutes. Vocals and a more upbeat sound take over. Love those Hammill-like vocals. Such angst as he spits out "We're all addicted to petroleum!". Such emotion in the words that follow as well.

A bit of fanboy here but I love this band. That perfect combination of intelligent lyrics and lights out instrumental work.

As with many albums I listen to, the first playing of this was in the car. I had loaded the player with a few discs and initially didn't realise that this was the sixth album by Parallel Or 90 Degrees. The reason is that for me they have made a step change with this release, it is the album that I never thought that they were truly capable of. In other words this is a majestic leap into the annals of prog. This may be due to new guitarist Dan Watts who has given the music a much darker, far heavier edge. While they still maintain their links with the style of VDGG there is much more also in the style of Porcupine Tree and even Radiohead.

This is especially true for the eclectic almost hard rock "The Heavy Metal Guillotine Approach", or of course there is "The One That Sounds Like Tangerine Dream" (okay, it is a filler link but I had to get that title into the review somewhere). The booklet is also very comprehensive and by the time I had arrived home I was a convert.

But, when I was looking at the album in a bit more detail I realised that this was an extended album, so I placed it into the computer and got quite a shock. As the album is not quite as long as usual efforts they have included a compilation album, plus a completely printable CD cover, a complete album from 1989 plus other music. There is information about how the album was recorded plus an 8 minute video! It takes longer to go through all of the music and information on the bonus than it does on the main album!

I would recommend this album to all progheads if it didn't contain all of the extras so if you were ever in any doubt about this band then now is definitely the time to discover them.

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02

Parallel or 90 Degrees - Jitters (7/10)

A lot of people think of Parallel or 90 Degrees as a kind of an alter-ego of the Tangent, but really, they only share the same singer, so they're more of just er... bands with the same singer. Well, my point is, Parallel or 90 Degrees is not a similar band to The Tangent, and you really shouldn't expect them to be.

That doesn't mean they aren't good though! Here we have a great release, which is in a style I have not heard much before - it's sort of a heavy, riff-tacular and perhaps slightly psychedelic rock, with some light bits as well. Overall, this is a very strong album - most of the tracks are catchy and some are really well arranged ("Jitters", in particular, has some beautiful background accompaniment).

The strong songs are, for me, "Jitters", "Standalone" and "The Dock of the Abyss". "Jitters" and "Threesome" are fairly similar, both being fairly straight-forward (structure wise) rock pieces with catchy riffs, and some great piano use. "Standalone" has a great guitar solo and a laid-back jazzy section. "The Dock of the Abyss" is completely different; it's a slow, epic piece with a beautiful chord sequence and great instrument-work.

The album has some fairly weak tracks, mostly "Threesome" and "Entry Level". "Threesome" is weird and has some French (I think) vocals. Both these songs, I think, suffer from being too repetitive and a bit deliberately hard or maybe even a little dissonant.

I think a lot of this albums appeal comes from the fusion on Tillison's great voice with the catchy, foot-tappable riffs! Certainly an enjoyable listen.

In conclusion, this is a unique (to me, at least) album which I can't really recommend to fans of particular artists because I can't think of any they are very similar to, but if you like catchy, rhythmic, rock-based music but with great arrangements and very tasteful use of keyboards and with short-form songs, this album might very well appeal to you.

"They wished they'd seen it coming"! That's how it starts, and how i reacted after i heard the first notes of this "in your face" album! This is how the instrumental intro track "Interlude" kicks off. If you are Porcupine Tree lovers,you will relish many of the songs here.This first number is quite reminiscent of "Signify" and"Mother and Child Divided". ...The second"Standalone"starts with soft piano and ends up being a great rocker prog song. Excellent guitar playing.We get a jazzy bridge at about the halfway point. ...The third offering,"Threesome" starts like a "Nine Inch Nails" tune...This song is actually "Migraine part 2"(check their 2000 release)!! This is an experimental tune that works,with it's industrial sound.Tillison even sings in french. ..."Entry Level" starts with a funky bass and drum beat.A song that is as intriguing as it is bizarre,with a catchy chorus/refrain.Modern prog at it's best,with hints of "Porcupine Tree". ..."Back-up"starts like something you would here on an "Opeth" album,then gets trippy "a la Porcupine Tree",amazing guitar...this song also flows greatly with the rest of this album... ...Jitters...the title track rocks! Tillison and the rest of the band really shine on this track,with hints or similarities to Canadian band MYSTERY(*check out their song"travel thru the night"from "Beneath the Veil of Winter's Face"-2007) ,with a wonderful middle section,before the singing picks up from where it had left off. ...The Dock Of The Abyss is a song about "disaster" movies( the likes of "Towering Inferno"/"Earthquake"/and in this case"Airport")...,with Tillison singing Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay",in PO90 style,which was a song about not finding work,as for this one is about present reality of no work, bad economics and world recession...(..."sitting on the dock of the Abyss...")...Groovy thecno electronic funk industrial rock tune! ...and at last but not least,"The Death Of Jade",has Tillison singing in french again.A little difficult to understand what he's saying(...for the first 2 or 3 listens...)...very atmospheric beginning,which grows into a crescendo and then settles back down til the end.This song is about reality tv and about one such british contestant who died not long after the end of the show. Overall, an explosive,"shock and awe",album that works!!!! This album may only be 43 minutes long,but is probably one of the 3 cds you want to buy to add to your collection(your "2009" collection ). A must for all proggers, and non-ones too! A 10/10. MontrealRick Blake

This is their seventh studio album but first in seven years. Andy's been busy of course with his main project THE TANGENT. I own 5 of PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES albums and this one is very different from the others. Lots more energy with these hard hitting tracks, and they certainly sound more modern. I think that was the goal of Andy's though as he added a young drummer and bass player to the lineup. Sam Baine who has been on every album of theirs except "No More Travelling Chess" is gone, but thanked in the liner notes. I miss that experimental and Psychedelic flavour that dominated their earlier albums.

"Interlude" is a top three track for me. This is a high octane instrumental. It's like a high speed chase really. "Standalone" opens with piano but it turns full quickly. Vocals before a minute. The tempo continues to shift. Some ripping guitar 5 minutes in. "Threesome" sounds like the opening of the "Twilight" movie soundtrack. I should know, my daughter used to play it constantly. Contrasts between the aggressive and calm continue. "Entry Level" is another top three. It opens with bass and drums as reserved vocals join in. It's building. I like the guitar before 2 minutes. Interesting lyrics too.

"Backup" opens heavily sounding like PORCUPINE TREE. These higher pictched (processed) vocals come in before a minute. They really give it their all on this one at times. "Jitters" builds to a full sound before 1 1/2 minutes with vocals. This pattern continues. "The Dock Of The Abyss" combines Otis Redding's song "The Dock Of The Bay" and their own composition. I really don't like the vocals here. They're almost punkish (is that a word?). Anyway it ruins it for me. I like the heaviness 3 1/2 minutes in though. "On The Death Of Jade" is my favourite tune on here. It almost sounds like a psychedelic BEATLES track at first. It gets fuller 2 1/2 minutes in as contrasts continue.

I'm sure this will be the most popular PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES album yet. It's not mine but it's pretty good. 3.5 stars.

It's been a while since Andy Tillison and co. saw themselves in a situation in which the continuing recording and gigging career of Parallel or 90 Degrees was put on ice until further notice. Now that the final weeks of 2009 are no the run, the return of PO90 is a fact. Despite the fact that the band is no longer a quintet but a quartet, the comeback album "Jitters" shows the band at the most accomplished expression of sonic power so far. Clearly following in the footsteps of "More Exotic Ways To Die" (the somewhat distant precedent) in terms of muscular architecture and aggressive dynamics, Tillison, Watts, Clarck and King have really granted us an excellent prog item in which excitement and energy share the king's throne. It will be enough to listen to the introductory track (called 'Interlude') to fnd out right away what I'm talking about here. This collection of riffs and motifs that we will find later on throughout the album's repertoire is a magnificent tour- de-force in which the catchy enhancement of the linked riffs is elaborated in pure artsy fashion. The first exercise on exhaustive elaboration after the electrifying prelude is 'Standalone', whose 6+ minute timespan displays an overpowering development of exciting melodies and arrangements: do not be fooled by the calm beauty of the brief piano intro. 'Threesome' is far more visceral, electrifying in a Muse-meets-O.S.I. sort of way, plus its touches of contemporary PT all over the place. This is fury dynamically comprised in an intelligent framework. 'Entry Level' goes to softer roads, stated on a funky/soul rhythmic scheme that enables the wilder passages to preserve a relatively constrained mood for good effect. So far, things have gone great and there still some more great stuff in store. 'Backup' insists on the PT pattern under the guise of powerful art-rock on a mid- tempo framework. The interlude gives the band room to expand on their heavier side, in this way generating an implosive psychedelic storm with accentuated connections to the prog-metal standard: Muse-meets-Radiohead with touches of "X"-era Fates Warning?... mmmm? The result is amazing, no doubt in my mind about it. 'The Dock Of The Abyss' is more related to the straightforward dynamics of post-punk and 90s melodic alternative rock, but this is not an indulgent pop song - the synth ornaments have a patently bizarre flair to them, and so do the prog-metal guitar attacks that emerge somewhere in the middle. This is arguably the most agile song in the album, with 'Standalone', 'Threesome' and 'Backup' signifying the epic highlights. The album's last 7 minutes are occupied by 'On The Death Of Jade', a blatantly modernized song that combines space-rock, Indie and shades of krautrock, fluidly solidified within a nostalgic ambience. In many ways, this song might be enjoyed as a reminiscence of pre-"Exotic Ways" PO90. Full frontal energetic rock in a non-mainstream fashion: this is the offering of "Jitters", this is the sort of artistic challenge that PO90 brings to whoever feels ready to experience what a big part of prog rock is all about nowadays.

Andy Tillison, also known as the man behind The Tangent's curtain, is more deeply rooted in this band. Here, in Parallel or Ninety Degrees, he's quirky and eccentric, which says a lot since this perp's more popular offering is more than a jog away from the run of the mill.

To further digress, this double album constitutes best and unreleased material that spans eight years from the inception of his lateral endeavor to that point where he shifted focus to the right angle.

While others may have performed analogous acts to spackle over gaps or make their presence known, A Can of Worms is an unexpected treat. Each individually-wrapped song is scrumptious and delicious, and the production is sparkly clean, so there is no need to fry these scallops in a vat of fat in order to get them down. The packaging, however, is nothing special, but wrapping an adornment around a crustacean would be most unnecessary. It's what's inside that counts and the sooner you get to it; the better.

Aside from the alternate version of "Four Egos One War" (states unreleased but a related take was on The Tangent's Not As Good As The Book), this is brand-new to listeners situated at the median and below. Honestly, the stock is exceptional and could have been passed off as his next project rather than surplus.

For starters, "A Man of Thin Air", "The Single", and "Unbranded" are quality cuts. These prawns might be under par in comparison to his standard-issue masterpieces, but they're a steal when marked down for the bulk purchase.

Then again, "Modern" might be flawed. It's got too many mealy parts. Judging the song with scrutiny and context, one may be swayed - without too much arm twisting - to toss it in the shredder. Still, it's reasonable to save it for its perceptible entertainment value.

Similar comments can be shared in regards to "Fadge Part One". Since it's short in stature, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme and shouldn't require indictment with a broader net.

Excluding plea deals and provided there is a fair hearing, "The Media Pirates", "Space Junk", "Petroleum Junkies", and "Afterlifecyle Sequence" are submissions certainly deserving of their stay of execution.

Also above suspicion and beyond reproach, "Blues for Lear", which features Roine Stolt, is quite prestigious for something that was socked away for a rainy day.

Everything else left unmentioned is worth your own personal review, and if you knew what the tackle box held; it'd be a lure. After just one session, it's hard to believe A Can of Worms is nothing more than spill off. Hopefully, Andy Tillison and his mateys hook a couple more fans when they go fishing with this forgotten jug of grub.

Residing most times within the heavier parts of the progressive rock realm; Parallel Or 90 Degrees does a good job in making a summary of their output with this album; and they throw more tidbits towards the fans than ordinary for such a release, including almost 40 minutes of previously unreleased material, with close to 30 of those from an album that got put on hold due to other obligations from the band members.

In style and sound we're treated to a somewhat diverse band here; on one end exploring a sound and style mixing Porcupine Tree tendencies with AOR; while at the other end driving space rock with similarities to Hawkwind and aforementioned Porcupine Tree is the name of the game. And in between these extremeties....I guess you won't have to be an Einstein to guess what's likely to be mentioned there.

The songs range from average outings to moments of sheer brilliance; and I believe it's a matter of personal taste for what tracks to place in each category. This band has a strong appeal towards several different crowds, and although few will find this collection perfect I believe many will find it to be a high quality release worth purchasing. And with an official running time of close to 2 and a half hours; this is excellent value for money too.

This was originally released on cassette in 1992 when they called themselves GOLD FRAKINCENSE & DISC DRIVE. This was actually their second release, as they already had an album out called "Running Rings" from 1989. This "No More Travelling Chess" album actually got it's start back in 1988 when Tillison lost his "Godbluff" record and he and Manning started to record "Arrow" from memory. For something to do they then added "Flight", "Roncevaux" and "Modern" between 1990 and 1991. Tillison says this wasn't really a tribute album (even though they are huge fans), but a process of learning.They added a couple of their own compositions and then released it. "In The Black Room" was added later when this was re-released in 1996 on cd. It should be noted that Peter Hammill himself helped Tillison and Manning with the lyrics on "Roncevaux" and he has been very positive about this record. Also the only time this record was played live(in 1992) Hugh Banton himself played with them on stage, an event that Manning and Tillison both say was the highlight of their careers. Banton also played organ on the 17 minute epic bonus track "A Gap In The Night" from PARALLEL OR 90 DEGREES first album "The Corner Of My Room". At least it was their first album under that new name. David Jackson the great sax player from VDGG has played with Manning and Tillison's latest project THE TANGENT. As for this record I was surprised at how well Andy does in singing Hammill's songs. I mean no one can sing like Peter but Tillison is emotional, tortured, passionate and very into it. Great,great job with the vocals.

"Flight" from the "Godbluff" album is perhaps the highlight of this recording. The soundscape is so powerful and with Tillison's passionate vocal display, it's simply a joy to listen to. I should mention that the sax sounds are performed on the keyboards.They almost had me fooled. "Roncevaux" is from VDGG's "Time Vaults" record. A mellow intro becomes full sounding a minute in. Fantastic sounding song. I just love the full sounding sections as well as the mellow passages. It's all good. I like the way he spits out the lyrics after 5 minutes ala Hammill. "Flight" is from Peter Hammill's solo record "A Black Box". This one is over 19 minutes long. Piano and reserved vocals to open. They will be back later as themes are repeated. Check out the drum,piano and vocal melody 5 minutes in. This song shifts and changes tempos and moods, it's a real ride.

"Modern" is from Peter Hammill's solo album called "The Silent Corner And The Empty Stage". This is my favourite. The aggressive guitar and vocals are incredible ! Check out the dissonant guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. Lots of noise. Riffs before 4 1/2 minutes. This is great ! Spacey synths 8 1/2 minutes in. "In The Black Room" is from Peter Hammill's solo album called "Chameleons In The Shadows Of The Night". The tempo changes a lot in this one. Tillison gives a great vocal performance going from reserved to passionate to theatrical. A killer instrumental section 4 1/2 minutes in. "Advance" is a Tillison composition. It's uptempo and catchy. The piano and synths are excellent. "Evolutionary Status Quo" is a Manning song. And this is a very cool song with strummed guitar and vocals. The lyrics are meaningful. Tillison really gets passionate vocally. I wonder where he got that from. Tee hee !

This was just a pleasure for me being both a huge Hammill and Tillison fan. This exceeded my expectations considerably.