WOUNDED

Sophomore albums don't come easy and Wounded, Enchant's second full-length, is no exception. The US prog rockers had debuted three years earlier with A Blueprint of the World, a strong album showcasing all their rich neoprogressive inclinations. On Wounded the band considerably dial back those influences, choosing instead a more direct approach by both simplifying and "metalizing" their sound. Was this a change for the better? It's hard to say. On the one hand, the new approach will be pivotal for the development of Enchant's sound in subsequent albums. So, in a way, Wounded is an obligatory passage point for the band's future. On the other hand, it's hard to deny that Wounded is overall a step-back in terms of quality of songwriting compared to their previous record. In fact, after the opening three songs, the album quickly sinks into a sea of forgettable averageness from which it never recovers.

In many ways, Wounded is a unique-sounding album in Enchant's catalogue. It's their heaviest record by far, mainly thanks to guitarist Doug Ott's newfound approach, as he mostly abandons his signature light-touch, clean-tone, vaguely jazzy playing in favour of more distortion and riffing. This brings the songs closer to the typical prog metal sound, with the music's backbone mainly comprised of rhythmic but melodic guitar licks, often doubled by Ed Platt's bass. Drummer Paul Craddick complements the new approach well, with a punchier and groovier performance that considerably limits his usual complex and variegated playing. Even vocalist Ted Leonard adapts his singing to embrace the new direction, by injecting more power into his voice with a performance that is at times reminiscent of Dream Theater's James LaBrie.

This heavier direction is complemented by a general simplification of the arrangements and songwriting. The songs are now more chorus-focused, with a structure that consists of repeated verse-chorus sequences interrupted by instrumental sections that give Doug Ott and keyboard player Michael Geimer some room to engage in their usual duelling solos. The arrangements are also more straightforward, with fewer changes between songs' sections, making the music more accessible compared to the debut album. The song length, however, has not decreased much - and in fact all tracks go beyond the 6-minute mark. Given the more direct nature of the material, this is not exactly a good thing, as many songs tend to overstay their welcome with excessive repetitions that do not add much to the overall effect.

The main problem of this album, however, is that a lot of the songs are quite generic and average - lacking strong melodies or interesting arrangements that can fully engage the listener. In fact, Enchant seem to have spent their best ideas in the first three album's tracks, "Below Zero", "Fade 2 Grey" and "Pure". The opening track is absolutely phenomenal - one of Enchant's best songs tout court. Here the new heavy/direct approach really shines, in Doug Ott's crunchy riff and Ted Leonard's beautiful, gritty vocal approach. "Fade 2 Grey" is interesting because it features hints of the band's classic prog rock style, but mixed to the new heavier direction, while "Pure" stands out thanks to its beautiful dynamics and another excellent performance by Ted. The remaining six song, however, are nowhere near the quality level of the opening trio - perhaps with the exception of the gutsy "Look Away". There is nothing particularly wrong with these tracks, except that they sound terribly middle-of-the-road and very similar to one another, making the second half of the album quite difficult to sit through without losing focus. The slightly muddy and rough production does not help either - another step back compared to some of the excellent-sounding songs included in A Blueprint of the World.

All considered, it's hard not to see Wounded as a transitional record - and Enchant will in fact quickly change direction on their next (proper) full-length Break, after the interlocutory EP/LP Time Lost. Wounded is nevertheless an important stepping stone for Break and all the albums that will follow. While Enchant will by and large stay away from the heavy, riff-laden sound one can hear on this album, the simplified, more direct approach that they pioneered on Wounded will be a constant characteristic of the band's future sound. Thus, while not my favourite Enchant' album, Wounded has definitely a place in the band's discography as an essential bridge to their true sonic identity.