Ozric Tentacles

I'm wondering if anyone else out there likes this band or follows them. At one point in the 90's they were probably one of the most visible prog bands( I even remember seeing a guy wearing an OT shirt when I saw King Crimson in 1995) but in the past several years they seem to have gone largely unnoticed which is a shame. Maybe this thread can help rectify that. I myself admit to having lost track of their releases since the 90's and don't currently have anything by them but I have seen them live twice(both times in this decade)and they are very good live. Apparently some of their late 90's and early 2000 albums are some of their best. To this day, though, I consider Jurassic Shift to be one of my personal favorite prog albums of all time and I think it's pretty essential for any self respecting prog fan to have(especially those who like psych/space sounding stuff). So, any other fans or opinions on these guys?

I'm not sure what bands you are referring to specifically but at least some of them do deserve more attention. A band such as Discipline for example or even Echolyn does deserve more recognition but then again so do these guys these days. Changing tastes could have something to do with it or also just the way certain bands are promoted. I know Ozrics have a big jam band following so maybe people assume they are more like Phish or some other jam band than prog. Not sure. Like I said I sort of fell off the bandwagon with OT but the earlier stuff such as Jurassic Shift, Arborescence, Strangeitude and Erpland are really great instrumental prog to my ears. Sure there is a jam quality but you could probably say that about a lot of psych influenced stuff. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - October 19 2017 at 21:27

I've only heard a few of their albums so I'm not an expert and I know some people are not massive fans of it, but I bought "Technicians of the Sacred" on a whim a while ago and I really like it.

Awesome live band indeed (insane Wynne). I think Technicians is a great album but still I agree with most of what Tom is saying. I prefer the more organic sound but any Ozric is a good listen for me.

Curious Corn and Arborescence have always been favorites of mine.

Edited by verslibre - October 21 2017 at 13:13

I've been a long time fan of the Ozrics and currently have most of their albums, I'm not sure how many bands I know that still deliver quality albums after 30 years in action. I'm sure most of their fans consider the early 90's to be their strongest and I do too, but you definitely shouldn't avoid post 2000 albums, especially Technicians Of The Sacred which after a short period of time made me understand that it is their best album to date!! I don't think I ever heard the Ozrics to be as focused as in this album, the songwriting is simply stellar, do not miss it.

Love Love Love Ozrics! Listening to them right now. Erpland, Tantric Obstacles, and Curious Corn are favorites.