A BLUEPRINT OF THE WORLD

One of progressive rocks most beloved cult bands of the 90's, Enchant combine elements of progressive metal along with 80's neo-prog, to gain the perfect balance to appeal to fans of both subgenres. They're an awesome band. They have a very distinct sound, very melodic and easy on the ears, with enough crunch in their music to get heads banging, as well as vocalist Ted Leonard, who I consider one of my all-time favourite singers.

But here's the thing.

Damn, this album took me a long time to grasp. I mean, the first song 'The Thirst' had me hooked instantly, but for some reason the rest of 'em took loads (and I mean loads) of listens until they all finally clicked. And sure, I've come to like a lot of them, especially the first half of the record, but damn, it sure took some work.

The production is definitely of a mid-90's quality, and some of the tracks could do with a little cropping. But it's okay. They're a young band, this is their first album, and while there's definitely room for improvement, they've laid down some very solid foundations for which to build upon for future releases. Songs like 'The Thirst', 'Oasis', 'Catharsis', 'Acquaintance' and 'Nighttime Sky' are all memorable tracks that definitely make 'A Blueprint of the World' a worthy blueprint for this bands sound.

Included with my version is a bonus disc consisting of demos. Nothing special. Not really anything you'd listen to more than once. There is a pretty nifty little number titled 'The Calling' which didn't make the final cut. It's not a huge loss though, and overall this disc might be a great collectable for die-hard fans, but it doesn't really add or detract from the album.

In conclusion; despite featuring some of Enchants best songs, this is nothing more than a "good" debut. It helped establish the band and got their foot in the door, which, at a time when this sort of music was probably the least fashionable thing you could do, isn't such a bad achievement.