ENCHANT „Tug of War”

You know, saying that a band gets better with their evolution from record to record can be kind of a hypothetical statement, I mean is that supposed to mean that a band in questions earlier stuff sucks? Well not certainly on the case of Enchant, they have evolved into one of prog-rock’s most respected bands with anticipation for every release, and keeps getting better with every new album.

With all the recent releases such as Break, Juggling 9 or Dropping 10, as well as last years Blink of an Eye, enchant seemed to move away from the all out progressive styling and jam oriented material of their first two Magna Carta albums (Wounded Heart and Blueprint for the World) moving more towards a deeper metallic feel, putting more “song” structure (simplistic, yet complicated), while keeping the balance between that and the overall playing. With “Tug of War,” Enchant sounds as if they have been brought back to their originated highly progressive sound balanced between the stature of their recent albums, hence the title may say it all.

While “Tug of War” has less of a heavy aesthetic than last year’s “Blink of an Eye” does, the songwriting seems to lean toward a more simplistic pop/rock style, blended in with the virtuoso musicianship, giving the progressive element to Enchant’s sound that has become their standard. While the album opens with “Sinking Sand,” which is not as driving as their opening cuts from their recent albums like “Break” (from Break) or “Under Fire” (from Blink of an Eye), “Tug of War” starts out on the same track as Juggling 9 or dropping 10 did. It is the second song, the title cut which is much more heavier and more guitar riff oriented driving. Now as you know, there is a fifth member (Bill Jenkins) bringing the full time keyboard edition to this record, making this record more keyboard oriented, without overdoing it; with their last record all the keyboard duties were handled by nimble fingered guitarist Douglas Ott, now there is another member adding influence to the sound.

Ted Leonard’s vocal strength is still as clear as a bell, with his alto range being somewhat of a cross between a recent, but less grainy Steve Walsh (Kansas) and Tony Harnell (TNT), while bassist Ed Platt stands out playing punchy slap lines complimenting the lead melody while holding the backdrop of Sean Flanegan’s busy, technical drumming (Oh yeah, the comparisons to Portnoy and Zonder are there), making for a tight band.

For the songworthy, its cuts like “Holding the Wind,” which sounds like an Perfect Symmetry era Fates Warning (less dark, of course), the Queensryche reminiscent “Living in a Movie,” and the Spock’s Bear tinged “Long Way Down” that keep the record on the upbeat path. While it’s slower paced, neo-ballads like “Beautiful” and “Comatose” which gives Tug of War the Emotional vibe. They left a lot of room here for improvisational soloing, but again, they don’t go overboard.

Fans of Enchant won’t be disappointed, in fact there will only be praise for this record, this by some might be considered their best work, and if you are a newcomer to this group, this is a great starting point. To sum it up for beginners they mix in Falling Into Infinity-era Dream Theater, with some of Spock’s Beard’s more simplistic material, along with Test For Echo/Counterparts-era Rush, What’s next guys, I’m waiting for a double live album.

note: 8,5/10