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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Ozric Tentacles

Lotus Unfolding

Review by Gary Hill

To some degree you know what you are going to get with an Ozric Tentacles album. Their brand of space prog is pretty consistent. This fully instrumental set lives up to those expectations. Yet, each thing is unique in character. They have delivered another solid release with this one.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 1 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
Storm in a Teacup
This comes in very ambient and grows upward gradually. It's keyboard dominated at first, but becomes more of a frantic, full-band arrangement from there. This piece powers out into some really soaring and frantic jamming. It turns toward space rock later.
Deep Blue Shade
The opening keyboard textures on this call to mind Synergy. The track grows out from there, but still retains that sort of vibe. There is definitely a space rock element at play. This thing gets into some really soaring and powerful territory. Tangerine Dream is another fair reference point here.
Lotus Unfolding
Mellow, trippy keyboard sounds get this underway. Some flute comes over the top as the keyboard rise up slightly. There is plenty of electronic texture here. but this also includes some killer expressive guitar soloing. Tangerine Dream is definitely valid as a comparison on this one.
Crumplepenny
Longer than then opener by almost twenty seconds, at nearly ten minutes, this is the epic of the set. It's not any kind of big change, but it has its own identity. This has a good balance between more energized and mellower sections. It also has a good groove. It's a solid number in keeping with the group's sound.
Green Incantation
Trippy music is on the menu at times here. It gets harder rocking at other points. I really like the keyboard interlude around the halfway mark a lot. It starts to drive out with a lot of intensity beyond that point. This is quite a dynamic ride.
Burundi Spaceport
Trippy and energized sound is on the menu as this number gets going. I really love some of the bass work on this thing.
  
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