Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2024 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
November 2024
- Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
- Lionville: Supernatural
- Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
- Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
- Lonerider: Down In The Dust
- Seventh Crystal: Entity
- Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
- Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
- Impellitteri: War Machine
- Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter
October 2024
- Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
- DGM: Endless
- Daytona: Garder la Flamme
- Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive: Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
August 2024
- Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
- Paralydium: Universe Calls
- Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
- Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
- All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
- Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
- Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2
Enchant: The Great Divide
Enchant: The Great Divide
Melodic Progressive Rock
4.5/5.0
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Inside Out Music
Words: Craig Hartranft Added: 01.10.2014
If there was triumvirate of seminal American melodic progressive rock bands at the turn of this century, it was likely Spock's Beard, Dream Theater and, the band we consider today, Enchant. From the San Francisco bay area, Enchant has been of the radar for the best of a decade. The Great Divide marks their return and their first studio album in eleven years.
Enchant: on a slant.
While the lapse has been long, largely due to engulfing personal matters of band members, The Great Divide is a return to form. Actually, in the very best sense, the music sounds like a page from the past or, perhaps better, another chapter in a book that has never closed. Enchant's familiar themes of melodic, lightly complex, compositions, strong doses of guitar and keyboards, and straightforward harmonious vocal arrangements are once more self-evident.
One of the characteristics that has always impressed about Enchant is their ability to dovetail the sharpness and heaviness common to progressive metal with this inherent gentleness. It's an odd relationship to explain, but easily found within The Great Divide, Here and Now and, possibly more so, with Prognosticator. That song has some strong riffs and a deep bass line, pushing the band more towards the heaviness that Dream Theater can pursue, but not nearly as 'metal' as, say, Symphony X. Sometimes a song can sound like a merger between prog and AOR melodic rock like Life In A Shadow, thanks to the smooth vocal arrangement and more than subtle rock groove. All Mixed Up picks up on that groove somewhat but is more a curiosity. It's heavy, with this marching tempo starting the song and introducing the chorus, only to move into a lighter movement. This, in turn, builds to the bring back the heavy refrain. Besides the lyrical concept, maybe the music has something to say about the title.
In the end, The Great Divide is rather interesting and entertaining melodic progressive rock, a bit edgier at times. While the two aforementioned bands won't be releasing something new this year, you can fill your prog rock void with Enchant's The Great Divide. Recommended.
ENCHANT - Within An Inch (Album Track)
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
In Short
Enchant's The Great Divide is rather interesting and entertaining melodic progressive rock, a bit edgier at times.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]