IN EXTREMIS

If you were to look for this CD in your local store, you certainly wouldn't find it in the "Easy Listening" section. This is an album that almost defies categorisation, but if you were to imagine a bizarre mixture of Trout Mask Replica, free jazz, early Yes, Hemispheres-era Rush and the Benny Hill theme tune, you might begin to get some idea of what it sounds like.

There are some moments of sheer beauty here, some amazing rhythms driven by a bass guitar sound that Geddy Lee would be proud of and the sometimes atonal vocals of Deborah Perry float over the top.

All of this make for a compelling mixture which demands to be listened to. This is not background music. For me, it's best heard on headphones where you can appreciate the separation of the instruments and the liberal use of panning.

As a bass player, I was initially attracted to this album by the awesome bass playing, particularly in the first track "Dead Silence", but, although this CD will not be to everyone's taste, the whole album deserves a wider audience.