SACRED BABOON

"Sacred Baboon" is the 2nd full-length studio album by US progressive rock act Yezda Urfa. That´s if you count the demo album "Boris (1975)" as the group´s debut album. "Sacred Baboon" was recorded in 1976 and the recording of the album was funded by the band themselves. However they were not able to get a record deal and the album was shelved until 1989 when the Syn-Phonic label released it.

The music on the album is technically well played and very eclectic progressive rock. We´re talking fast played runs, loads of tempo- and time signature changes and complex song structures. Lead vocalist Rick Rodenbaugh has a voice and vocal style that often reminds me of Jon Anderson (Yes) and Yes is definitely a reference here, but it´s Gentle Giant that comes to mind most often while listening to "Sacred Baboon". While the tracks are generally very complex, they feature enough hooks and memorable moments to stand out from each other and melody is not a stranger to these guys.

The production is professional, powerful and suits the music well.

Fans of energetic and complex progressive rock should be able to find great interest and enjoyment in "Sacred Baboon". I guess Yezda Urfa wear their influences a bit too much on their sleeves to be called original or innovative but less is sometimes enough. "Sacred Baboon" is a good example of this. A very nice album this one and a 3.5 - 4 star rating is deserved.