TECHNICIANS OF THE SACRED

This is an album that I liked immediately--for the familiarity of the sound that is so uniquely that of OZRIC TENTACLES--but that has taken me quite some time to get familiar with. That seems to be the problem with these modern artists who release 80-plus minute long albums (Dave Kerzer, Sanguine Hum, Barock Project, Nightwish, IOEarth, Sylvan, are a few of the others who have released long playing albums this year, so far.), it takes quite some effort to listen through and to thoroughly get to know them compared to a 45-minute long release. Anyway, the patience and time invested in getting to know Technicians of the Sacred has been well worth it. This has become my favorite Ozrics release since Jurassic Shift. While all the albums I've heard have been nice, none have really possessed that magic touch that compels me to return time and again. And, while the Ozrics sound, style, and magic is pretty generic (it is often difficult to distinguish individual tracks by title--this owning to the fact that they are an instrumental band), yet almost every song on Technicians has had a way to worm into my brain, to get me engaged and then to build, shift, add, twist and turn enough to keep me interested--and, often, smiling! These guys certainly have an unique way of creating sound combinations. I cannot think of anyone quite as eclectic and electronic as them and yet they are always grooving me with their bass and drum rhythm tracks. Always! Plus, their unusual combination of spacey, "Nature" electronic walls of sound with odd and unexpected world instruments never ceases to astound me. And these guys have been doing it for 30 years! BUT they have NEVER done it better than they have on this album. Hail Technicians of the Sacred! The stars have aligned in such a way that Ozric Tentacles have created a masterpiece (of their own genre of music)!

CD 1 (45:18) 1. "The High Pass" (8:23) competent and busy but inoffensive and definitely full of interesting sounds expertly woven together--plus great instrumental performances. It is only lacking a bit in the melody department: no hooks! (17.75/20)

2. "Butterfly Garden" (5:04) great atnosphere created between the synths and percussives but man! can Brandi Wynne seduce with her bass! The muted, softened-tone is nearly keyboard-like, but she covers ground that mesmerizes! Everytime I listen to this song I find myself practically tuning out everything but the bass (and vocal chants). Awesome shredding in the fourth minute, Ed! (9.5/10)

3. "Far Memory" (7:12) live drummer Balász Szende establishes an awesome drum line to open this before multiple synths, bass, and hand percussion join in. Brandi is again being so creative, so intuitive, with her own lines: it's awesome! Nice multiple-track guitar work in the third and fourth minutes snaking its way among the thick forest of synths. An odd spacious/quiet "bridge" around the four minute mark seems to offer the band a restart/reset after which the keys get a little more room to be creative/inventive (without choosing to be flashy). The maturity and patience in this music is remarkable (helped out greatly, I think, by Balász' steadfast time keeping)! I would not know how to improve this song! (15/15)

4. "Changa Masala" (6:05) The vocal and synth work here are what keep me engaged as the drum and bass patterns leave me a little disoriented and confused. The Mahavishnu Orchestra/Shakti-like duelling between baglama and synth in the fourth minute is very cool. but again it's the female vocals and amazing synth lines that I"m really enjoying. (9.25/10)

5. "Zingbong" (8:26) 1980s techno-pop programmed drum & bass sounds and beat sounding a lot like Japan or Yellow Magic Orchestra. Once it gets going--moving smoothly into fourth gear--it is a very enjoyable and scenic ride. Some great bass, guitar, and synth interplay around the six-minute mark. As a matter of fact, the display of high level instrumental proficiency (and creativity) is pretty incredible throughout this one. (18.75/20)

6. "Switchback" (10:13) a little slower paced and somewhat familiar sound palette of the opening are a little reminiscent of OT music from days gone by. I feel that Brandi is a little out of her element with this speed and style; perhaps a different sound or playing style would have been more appropriate/effective for this one. At the same time, the further into the song the listener hangs the more its bathing effect can be felt. The second half (or final third) may, in fact, be more cohesive than the first parts. (18/20)

CD 2 (43:51) 7. "Epiphlioy" (11:50) Silas' baglama opens this one like something from YOSSI SOSSI, JOHN FRUSCIANTE, or STEVE TIBBETTS. The rest of the band kicks in, creating a great Middle Eastern weave within which Balász and Brandi and the synth players kill it. Around 4:30 Ed's guitar play brings in a prog metal aspect that plays off the Middle Eastern instrumental sounds and melodies quite well: the contrast really works! Just a kick ass song with musicianship of the very highest caliber! Man! the synth solo in the eighth minute is incredible! And then the slow down patch after for the display of the heavily-distorted Middle Eastern male vocal again shows such maturity in their restraint! Amazing! More great sounds and solos to follow. The best "Middle Eastern" song the band has ever done! (25/25)

8. "The Unusual Village" (6:21) again mixing some rather unlikely elements is risky but ultimately pays off with some nice YVES POTIN-like music. Amazing what sounds and textures an electric guitar can produce these days! Ed even goes DAVID TORN in the fifth minute and then SHANKAR in the sixth! (9.125/10)

9. "Smiling Potion" (7:12) an amazing "Harder Better Faster Stronger" synth opening receives the guiding support of a slow, plodding, yet very-cerebral rhythm section. Amazing! The control and emotion being expressed here--in the first two minutes--before a solo instrument ever steps forward--is incredible! Then a very lysergic guitar enters and just blows your mind! Crowd noises in the space/pause in the middle of the song tease the audience with slow panning OT Erp-synth lines before the rest of the band rejoins. Keyboard and Silas' baglama begin another "conversation" in the fifth minute, backing off in the sixth for a battle of the percussionists! This is so different for OT! Awesome! (15/15)

10. "Rubbing Shoulders with The Absolute" (8:36) wonderfully rich and relaxing soundscape bordering on the New Age at its proggiest. Big mood and melody shift occurs at 3:30 with the introduction of a sharp reversed computer synth noise taking the lead, followed by some foreign language radio samples, but things are back to forward flow by 4:30. The music thickens in the seventh minute, kind of crescendoing for a bit before everybody drops way down on volume and business for a rather low-profile and sedating finish. Cool! (19/20)

11. "Zenlike Creature" (9:54) An all-time favorite OT song for me; kind of like the best of Jurassic Shift with all of the modern accoutrements and engineering advantages. EVERYBODY is at the top of their game for this one--though I simply must single out drummer Balász Szende for his amazing work. Ed, too, feels quite energized with his creative-yet-aggressive electric guitar work. A really well-crafted and perfectly engineered song! (20/20)

Total Time 89:09

I think what I like most about this album is how fresh, invigorating, and original all of the music and soundscapes feel. Also, these musicians know their high skill levels but seem to have the maturity to not have to show off at every minute of every song; restraint is a skill that this music shows quite well. Plus, drummer Balász Szende and bassist Brandi Wynne elevate the quality of the rhythm section to the band's highest level ever.

A/Five stars; a true masterpiece of progressive rock music. This is an album that is hard to find flaw with as it is all pretty engaging and highly creative (even witty) stuff. It's my highest rated OT album and definitely my favorite of theirs. Check it out for yourself. You may be surprised!