Album review: ENCHANT – The Great Divide

Inside Out www.insideout.de [Released 29.09.14]

It has been eleven years since the band’s last album ‘Tug Of War’ and it looked as though that would be the band’s swansong, especially with vocalist Ted Leonard joining Spock’s Beard. But a new album was announced to be in the works back in late 2012 and here it finally is. Has it been worth the wait? Yes and no, as yes it’s great to have the band back and then no, as for me they have lost a little of the instant accessible melodic air that their previous albums had.

That said, a song like the opener ‘Circles’ is what Enchant do best namely well structured and accessible melodic progressive music with enough keys and guitar solos to keep the most demanding prog fan happy. Plus of course there is Ted Leonard’s voice, for me one of the best vocalists in the prog rock genre.

The title track sees the band strut their musical stuff, again a lovely mix of keys and guitars topped off with Leonard’s distinctive vocals. ‘All Mixed Up’ is the only song to come in at under five minutes and the stop/start melody works well on this one.

‘Life In A Shadow’ is the most immediate song on here and could have come off the ‘Blink Of An Eye’ album (still their best work for my money). Where the band loses me is on ‘Here And Now’ which just fails to gain my attention in any shape or form.

I admit I prefer the more melodic end of prog rock, but do enjoy solos and time changes as much as anyone so long as a band never loose sight of the melody which sadly happens a few times on this album.

Good to have them back but sadly the album didn’t quite meet my high expectations. ***

Review by Jason Ritchie

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