Spirals in Hyperspace
completes the movement initiated since
Ozric Tentacles
' comeback: the group is now the sole creature of
Ed Wynne
, who handles guitar, keyboards, and beat programming. Old travelers like
Seaweed
,
John Egan
Schoo
, and even
Steve Hillage
lend a hand on two or three cuts each, but the group has definitely moved from a fierce live unit to a more clinical studio project -- and it can be heard on this album. The sleek production doesn't hide a high level of predictability and a certain coldness in the execution. Still,
is a good late-vintage
Ozric
opus. In fact, anyone would refute all of the above upon listening to the hard-driving opener,
"Chewier"
: fast-paced and exciting, it sounds like something out of
Erpland
but with a harder,
Magna Carta
-trademarked edge. It's also an exception: the track features
on real drums,
Egan
, and
Brandi Wynne
on glide bass -- the closest to a group effort you'll witness on this album.
"Oakum"
and
"Zoemetra"
come close, though, both in terms of extra personnel and genuine drive -- the latter in particular features some great light-speed drumming and a typical Middle Eastern melody. The other pieces fall in the "lukewarm" category, occasionally veering toward cliched
ambient
trance
.
"Toka Tola"
and the title track stand out as particularly potent cuts, but
' back catalog is filled with similar tunes. In short,
has its moments and is a satisfying album in itself, but if you look at the group's long discography, it shows a certain level of fatigue. ~ Francois Couture