MORE EXOTIC WAYS TO DIE

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