JUGGLING 9 OR DROPPING 10

Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 is Enchant's fifth studio album (or their fourth if you choose not to count Time Lost). Some fans obviously hold this album in high esteem, but I respectfully disagree. For me, this album was a major step in the entirely wrong direction for the band and the end result is disappointing. Already on the previous Break they had toned down both the (Neo-)progressive elements and the Metal edge of their earlier album in favour of a melodic form of heavy Rock. They took this development to its logical extreme on this album by streamlining their approach further and focusing even more on catchy choruses. To top it all off they also opted for an overly polished production. This created a very commercial feel not present on their previous releases. Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 was actually the first album I heard from Enchant many years ago and I didn't like what I heard then which sadly led to me not investigate the band further until much later. Hearing this album again now, I still do not like it.

The album starts out well enough with Paint The Picture. Despite having a catchy chorus and being somewhat repetitive towards the end this is actually a good song. Rough Draft follows and until the chorus comes in this is also a good one, but once the chorus hits it falls flat. The worst is yet to come, however. What To Say? is an unbearably straightforward Rock song, a real Rock radio staple. The following two songs are similarly predictable and the "aaa-oh-oh" backing vocals on Color Fade are positively cringe worthy! The funky Juggling Knives is acceptable and even features a decent keyboard solo, but the chorus is still utterly commercially oriented. The same can be said of Black Eyes & Broken Glass which starts out well enough like a 'round-the-camp-fire acoustic number but leads up to an utterly pedestrian Rock chorus.

In terms of style, the few last remaining songs of the album are better but the material is weak and forgettable and at this point nothing could save the album from being an utter failure in my eyes. You have to look very hard to find anything progressive on this album, there are at best only traces of Enchant's former self here.

Not my cup of tea.

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