Enchant - Tug Of War

Year of Release: 2003
Label: InsideOut Music
Catalog Number: IOMCD 131/SPV 085-65812
Format: CD
Total Time: 66:27:00

I already know that, in writing this review, many people won't like it. The reason is very simple: I'm very bored of Enchant! Why? Because they've been writing the same music for more or less ten years now. How is it possible? Am I the only one that thinks this way or does someone else think it like me? More or less every year Enchant used to publish an album, and I hoped to find something new and innovative in the prog range. But unfortunately it isn't so.

Let's begin with the style that isn't one of the most original: I always considered Enchant too much near to Kansas and Rush. In the same way Ted Leonard's voice, amazing from the point of view of the technique, reminded me of Geddy Lee's in the late Seventies.

The truth is that every record is too equally balanced: every song is generally a mid-tempo piece, without ballads (even on Tug Of War the last song "Comatose" can be judged in this manner), up-tempo tracks or any variation.

Instead it is the technique that is always the main characteristic. Douglas Ott shows all his abilities on the electric guitar, in the same style as usual, sometimes falling into the self-demonstrative technique. I did notice the presence of new keyboard player Bill Jenkins on the instrumental "Progtology," maybe the best song on the record.

I suggest Tug Of War only to the Enchant supporters; all others would do better to skip it.

Released in North America by the now defunct InsideOut Music America (IOMA 2063-2)

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: August 24th 2003
Reviewer: Davide Guidone
Score:
Artist website: www.enchantband.com
Hits: 2320
Language: english