ERPLAND

This is modern psychedelic prog with a strong dose of New Age, World and trip-hop in the base of the music, with jazz-fusion and Arabic influences topping it all off during the solos (which aren't as many as you would expect from an hour-long prog album). I tend to lean towards the earthier, more organic moments (Sunscape is one of my favourite tracks of the 90s and Toltec Spring and Valley Of A Thousand Thoughts aren't far behind) slightly more than the trippy instrumental workouts (Tidal Convergence, Eternal Wheel, the disctinctly Middle-Eastern sounding Mysticum Arabicola and the synth-drenched closer A Gift Of Wings) but almost all of this album is excellent, and that includes the exuberant reggae of Isence!

I'd have to say that Ozric Tentacles are more mood dependent than most of my prog ... you need to want to space out when you enter the group's soothing grasp, otherwise their music might leave you cold. With their steady, almost danceable backbeats over which Ozric's many capable musicians weave a rich tapestry, this group feels like a sort of Tangerine Dream/Gong/Hawkwind hybrid yet with a distinctly modern (for the 90s) vibe.

Ozric Tentacles is one of those groups (like pre-classic proggers Colosseum and The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and post-classic proggers Marillion and The Mars Volta) to whom I give a high rating partly because they really stand out for their time. That doesn't mean this album isn't excellent though ... I'd recommend it to anybody who really wants to kick back and enjoy some (ahem) medicated relaxation. ... 72% on the MPV scale