WRT to the comment above, "Coily" was the first OT song I heard. The sick rhythm really is a kick into your face. As I like "complicated" music a lot, I couldn't have had a better introduction than this album.
The more intense use of synth patterns on this album (compared to some of the earlier OT releases) adds to my opinion that Waterfall Cities may as well be a good choice to get to know Ozric Tentacles.
If you, like me have a Progressive Rock and PsyTrance background, you should definitely check this album out!

"Favourite album ever" is a mantle I'm simply incapable of awarding, but I do know this release is a permanent contender for the spot.

But this is not an album I recommend casually. Why? Well, for starters the Ozrics are a heavily acquired taste anyway: most people are put off by either the Joe Satriani-esque guitar masturbation, or the general air of extreme crustiness. But I was already a confirmed Ozrics fan when I bought this CD, and I hated it for several months! It took over a year to rise to "masterpiece" status in my esteem.

This is because the album is extremely difficult. The opening groove of "coily" is almost impossible to understand, and this sets the tone: the album whirls effortlessly through myriad obscure time-signatures, shifting keys, modes, moods, tempos with breaktaking speed and ease. The complexity draws parallel with the likes of Mahavishnu Orchestra- this is advanced, challenging music, a million aways from "easy listening".

The beauty, though, is that over dozens upon dozens of listens, challenging turns to rewarding. Like climbing a mountain, the difficulty of the journey increases the satisfaction in reaching the top. Along the way, the album never stops delivering astonishing details, twists, tricks and surprises. It is perhaps a "by musicians for musicians" thing - those interested in technically astounding musicianship and next-level sophistication in songwriting and arrangement will find plenty to admire here. Standout track is "Spiralmind", a veritable mini-symphony, a comparison drawn not merely due to its 11 minute plus length.

As a bonus, the production is utterly outstanding- a million miles from the early demo-feel cassettes, all the instruments are recorded crisply, the beats are sharp and fat, the fx and atmospherics are spacious and immersive, and the synths and arpeggios completely deliver the "waterfalls" of the title, in stunning fashion.

So - strongly recommended, yes. But if you're totally new to the Ozrics, I personally suspect this might be a difficult introduction. I think coming to this album chronologically, having previously heard their slightly simpler, more groove-orientated works like "Strangeitude", sets the listener up to fully engage with this unapologetically complicated album on its own terms.