SWIRLY TERMINATION

I was not expecting too much from this OT album, since the last one of the kind The Bits Between The Bits was quite nightmarish. This album is actually a collection of left-over from 92 through 99.

I was ready for the worse, and to my great surprise, the album opens on one of the finest songs from the band: Steep. The guitar work is excellent even heavy and it is combined with pleasant sounds out of another world.

The band remains in good, but no adventurous, territories with a classic and spacey OT track: Space Out (well named). This album is of course not a revolutionary one, but most of the songs featured are doing their job; even if Pyoing is probably not the best of all: at least it features a solid beat and, again some great work from Ed Wynne on the guitar.

There is still one useless and reggae-ish type of song, but this is a great tradition of the band. You might well press the next key to avoid some pitiful minutes (six or so). Fortunately, it is almost forgotten with upbeat Kick 98, which is really kicking your ass. Excellent bass play and percussion is huge as well. It is a very dynamic track; one of the best of this Swirly Termination.

The closing track starts again on these reggae rhythms and I thought: gosh, here we go again for almost twelve minutes! Fortunately, these beats won't last for long and Yoy Mandela finally belongs to the top three of this album. The second half is particularly well polished. Again, the upbeat mood is combined with a superb guitar solo and some fine and heavy psychedelia.

I am rather pleased with this OT album. Not a masterpiece of course but a good album. Three stars.