THE HIDDEN STEP

Ed's guitar dominates the opening track, Holohedron. This guy could be a heavy metal legend , but luckily he is firmly in the prog fold. Seaweed clams us with his melodious tones before Holoheron progresses towards a full-on dance mania track. But, as always with OT, Ed's guitar sets the sound apart from the normal dance theme.

The title track opens with a synth line and Zia's unmistakable pulsing bass. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm an Ozric or a Zia fan. I just love that bass. As ever Ed provides guitar which for the uninitiated is reminiscent of Satriani or Vai: but neither of those guitar maestros has teh privilege of breaking down to Rad and Zia pumping out such an intense rhythm. Summer song might be close though.

Zia moves up a gear in Ashlandi Bol. Superb playing. A mellow, middle eastern feel. Rad, is as ever excellent. No thatdoesn't do justice to the track: rad's drumming is superb and Zia's playing is almost beyond criticism.

Aramanu is by far and away for me the most disappointing element of this otherwise excellent album. yes, there are interesting sounds and pieces aournd but the track is too repettive for me.

Pixel Dream is a decent track but reminds me too much of a standard Satriani track (except the guitar playing and the drums and bass are all better). Nevertheles if this track had been on surfing with the alien it would not have seemed out of place.

The gem of the album for me is Tight Spin. A fairly standard synth/dance opening moves into a very sweet Zia and Rad groove. Seaweed is stil maintaining the theme. Fabulously trippy. The bas and drums are so ridiculously tight and rythmical that it almost defies description. yes this is verging on the edge of prog and dance. it's a difficult call: is it still prog?

Oh yes, and then some.

Come all ye unbelievers and drink at the fountain of spacerock. Dare to indulge the rhythm: dabble with the dance and indulge youself. Ed, plays clasical (this is not Steve Hackett: be warned): enjoy.

Ta Khut opens with a middle eastern/north african sound (although for me it is reminiscent of following a goatherd up a mountain pass near Thermopylae a few years ago). The track remains meloow. Beautiful sweeping synth near the end reminds me of parts of Olias of Sunhillow.

Excellent 4.5 stars

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