Enchant - Tug Of War

Year of Release: 2003
Label: InsideOut America
Catalog Number: IOMA 2063-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 66:27:00

This review is excerpted from Clayton's October 5, 2003 The Prog Life column found here -ed.

I've always been an Enchant fan, but in the early days, I thought their albums were inconsistent, combining a few great tracks with some not-so-great tracks. But I've watched Enchant grow with every album, and now they are clearly a prog force with which to be reckoned. The new album, Tug Of War, is as solid a prog album as you're likely to find anywhere these days, with long, complex compositions, great guitar work, and stellar vocals (I've always thought that Ted Leonard sounds a lot like Steve Walsh from Kansas, which is understandable considering that Kansas is one of his favorite bands). There's not a mediocre track anywhere.

Anyone who's read much of my music writings knows that I'm a real stickler when it comes to melody. If the early Enchant albums had a flaw, it was that many of the vocal melodies were unmemorable and clumsy. Enchant has fixed that, becoming, over the years, important songwriters in the genre. Moreover, Enchant's songs have a distinctive sound that's instantly identifiable. And did I mention that Ted Leonard is a terrific vocalist?

Also released in Europe by Inside Out (IOMCD 131 / SPV 085-65812 CD).

Tracklisting:
Sinking Sand (7:09) / Tug O' War (7:41) / Holding The Wind (5:45) / Beautiful (4:28) / Queen Of The Informed (7:01) / Living In A Movie (6:58) / Long Way Down (4:57) / See No Evil (5:52) / Progtology (6:46) / Comatose (8:50)

Musicians:
Ted Leonard - vocals
Douglas A. Ott - guitars
Ed Platt - bass
Sean Flanegan - drums
Bill Jenkins - keyboards

Discography:
A Blueprint of the World (1995)
Wounded (1997)
Time Lost (1997)
Break (1998)
Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 (2000)
Blink Of An Eye (2002)
Tug Of War (2003)
Live At Last (2004)
The Great Divide (2014)
Live At Last (2004) (DVD)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: October 5th 2003
Reviewer: Clayton Walnum

Artist website: www.enchantband.com
Hits: 2610
Language: english