Enchant - The Great Divide

[gingernut]

So it seems there will be an 8 track standard CD and a 2CD package consisting of 9 new tracks and a second disc best of. Surely this is arse about face? Enchant fans will want the 9 track CD but will probably have the previous releases anyway, making the best of disc redundant. New fans sampling the band may well appreciate the best of but won't be fussed about a 9th new track.

Why not simply put out the 9 track CD as a single disc and pair it with the best of in a 2CD set for the curious. That way everyone is happy.

As it is, the current arrangement, if I understand it correctly, is thoughtless at best, cynical at worst. Yes and I do have a choice and one of them is to give this release a miss.

Rant over. Comments?

[ThomasKDye]

Honestly, that doesn't bother me. So I miss a song. That's happened with other albums, and I think it's fair for the artist to want to make some extra money by offering an incentive to pay for the larger deal. If you don't want to pay for it, hey, guess what. It's a free country and you don't have to. But I'm not gonna begrudge a bunch of talented musicians who have to work day jobs they don't want to work the chance to make some money to fund their artistic efforts.

[ravensnhokies]

Gingernut... UK right? Amazon UK has the single disc listed with Prognosticator on it. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Di...ywords=enchant

Chillax, buddie.

[gingernut]

Honestly, that doesn't bother me. So I miss a song. That's happened with other albums, and I think it's fair for the artist to want to make some extra money by offering an incentive to pay for the larger deal. If you don't want to pay for it, hey, guess what. It's a free country and you don't have to. But I'm not gonna begrudge a bunch of talented musicians who have to work day jobs they don't want to work the chance to make some money to fund their artistic efforts.

You are right I do want to support the band (I bought every album and the DVD so far). In fact pretty much all the bands I like are in the same position. Hey, I'd pay a little extra for the 9 track cd on its own, if that was available, and maybe it will be as per Amazon UK. It looks like the 9th track is the instrumental and the if the previous two albums are anything to go by, it will be worth having.

[gingernut]

Gingernut... UK right? Amazon UK has the single disc listed with Prognosticator on it. http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Great-Di...ywords=enchant

Chillax, buddie.

I'm UK yes. I see the Amazon listing but I don't trust it just yet. I'm calm now.

[ThomasKDye]

So it seems there will be an 8 track standard CD and a 2CD package consisting of 9 new tracks and a second disc best of. Surely this is arse about face? Enchant fans will want the 9 track CD but will probably have the previous releases anyway, making the best of disc redundant. New fans sampling the band may well appreciate the best of but won't be fussed about a 9th new track.

Looks like you're right about this. The main CD skips the extra track, and it's not available on Amazon MP3. I wish they hadn't chosen the instrumental as the bonus track, because their instrumentals are awesome, but again… I can't begrudge them their tactics.

[DTA]

I'm liking this a lot so far. Like I guessed, it reminds me heavily of ToW, but also has quite a bit in common with their first few albums. Time will tell.

[UnderAGlassMoon]

Got this in the mail yesterday and have given it two spins already. Here's the track listing, since I don't think it's been posted yet.

1. Circles (8:00)
2. Within An Inch (7:35)
3. The Great Divide (9:06)
4. All Mixed Up (4:12)
5. Transparent Man (6:21)
6. Life In A Shadow (5:01)
7. Deserve To Feel (8:02)
8. Here And Now (7:34)
9. Prognosticator (8:22)

I was thinking of writing a track by track review, but I feel I need to absorb it more to do that. A few initial observations, however.

-The keyboards are more upfront in the mix which I really like. Bill Jenkins really shines on a couple of tracks and there are way more keyboard solos than any Enchant album previous.

-This is a much more progressive effort from the band. By that I mean, less straightforward passages and more time changes than they have done for a while

- The first three tracks sound like they could be from an early Enchant album. Not sure if it's Doug Ott's guitar tone, but I'd swear I was hearing lost tracks from Blueprint.

- The album seems to get stronger as it goes on. The last few Enchant albums have seemed front loaded to me and the energy seems to fade towards the end. Not this one.

- It feels like after ten years of waiting, they really nailed it. I can't find a bad track yet.

- I don't like Ted's vocals on a few of the tracks. They seem subdued, kind of the way he sounds with Spock's

- I also don't like Doug's vocal parts and some of the layering he tries to do with Ted, doesn't work for me. In fact the only Doug vocal I can recall liking is "Break"

This is a very good album that I think would appeal to fans of anything that they've done.

[UnephenStephen]

i don't see the 2CD option here..

CD

just the 2LP+CD version. and no mention of a best of. why the difference? this is Enchants actual web site..

[gingernut]

I contacted Inside Out pointing out the error of their marketing ways. They simply replied to say that Prognosticator is not separately available, not even as a pay extra download - crazy! Neither is it on the UK release singe CD either - Amazon have changed their track listing. Well I'm not shelling out for the 2 CD version, and what would have been an auto buy album is now on the back-burner until I'm sure it's a cracker. I have heard Prognosticator via a legit stream and on one 1 listen it sounds good.

Petty, self-defeating? Guilty as charged.

[TheH]

^^

InsideOut are a German lable. What they release through their US department might differ from the European releases.

[UnephenStephen]

just ordered it from Amazon because IO's site wants a PayPal account which i didn't want to set up. $12.99 but w/free 2 day shipping - figure it's a wash..

[UnderAGlassMoon]

I contacted Inside Out pointing out the error of their marketing ways. They simply replied to say that Prognosticator is not separately available, not even as a pay extra download - crazy! Neither is it on the UK release singe CD either - Amazon have changed their track listing. Well I'm not shelling out for the 2 CD version, and what would have been an auto buy album is now on the back-burner until I'm sure it's a cracker. I have heard Prognosticator via a legit stream and on one 1 listen it sounds good.

Petty, self-defeating? Guilty as charged.

It is a bit petty, especially considering that there has been no new music from them in a decade. I understand your frustration, however if you are a big Enchant fan, I would bite the bullet on this one. In your words, yes it is a cracker!

That said, the marketing difference between Europe and North America is a bit baffling.

[ThomasKDye]

Well, I don't know about "Prognosticator," but everything else is pretty solid. There are some sweet riffs here, particular the intro to "Deserve to Feel." The lyrics to "Here And Now" also hit home.

[FKYES]

I love the album and it is easily one of the top releases of the year. It's great that Enchant is back.

[UnephenStephen]

"The keyboards are more upfront in the mix which I really like. Bill Jenkins really shines on a couple of tracks and there are way more keyboard solos than any Enchant album previous."

good to hear. always thought Ott was too much of a solo hog.

"This is a much more progressive effort from the band. By that I mean, less straightforward passages and more time changes than they have done for a while"

i'll wait til I get the CD of course but so far the sound samples on Amazon don't impress me much. bought it anyway to hear the full songs and hope they grow on me.

[DarthVander]

Enjoyed the album on first listen. Definitely great to have the guys back. Will have to see how it compares to the last few albums in terms of quality and consistency.

I also don't like Doug's vocal parts and some of the layering he tries to do with Ted, doesn't work for me. In fact the only Doug vocal I can recall liking is "Break"

I do like his vocals on "Bite My Tongue" and "See No Evil" as well. Nice contrast to Ted's voice.

[jgprogbear]

Picked up the new disc at Vintage Vinyl this weekend, and guess what....it is the single disc version with the bonus track! In fact, I didn't see any other format available. Definitely one of their better discs, as each song comes across as strong and in-your-face. Noticed a lot more time changes as well and more instrumental variety. I think this one might end up being my favorite as a whole disc.

[PixelDelirium]

Got mine from Amazon (US) today. Single disc with bonus track.

[Rick]

Just got the iTunes version yesterday. No bonus track but, honestly, I prefer the vocal tracks with Ted.

To those that have the instrumental, how does it compare to prior instrumentals from Enchant?

[UnephenStephen]

Got mine from Amazon (US) today. Single disc with bonus track.

thx.. i was wondering about that. mine is due tomorrow..

[dropforge]

The way you guys are talking, I may have to pick this up. It's really in the same zone as Blueprint and Time Lost? I didn't care for anything after Wounded. In other words, Break broke me.

[Reach]

Got this today. Digging it so far

The way you guys are talking, I may have to pick this up. It's really in the same zone as Blueprint and Time Lost? I didn't care for anything after Wounded. In other words, Break broke me.

To me, it sounds like where they left off ten years ago. I wouldn't expect their earlier sound (which is fine by me, as I prefer their later albums). Maybe stronger this one, though. Still melodic/catchy with some atmosphere and progressive chops. And I don't see it discussed much, but I always thought their lyrics were great-- well-constructed/tasteful, and they can speak to me.

[UnderAGlassMoon]

Got this today. Digging it so far



To me, it sounds like where they left off ten years ago. I wouldn't expect their earlier sound (which is fine by me, as I prefer their later albums). Maybe stronger this one, though. Still melodic/catchy with some atmosphere and progressive chops. And I don't see it discussed much, but I always thought their lyrics were great-- well-constructed/tasteful, and they can speak to me.

I agree with this for the most part, but there are more instrumental breaks with some good progressive moments that harken back to the debut. It seems like the songs were written less around one main Doug Ott riff than on their more recent releases. Which I find refreshing. Ott comes up with some great hooky riffs, but they don't repeat as much on this release.

I have always liked Ted's lyric writing more than Doug's and kind of miss some of Paul Craddick's writing as well. The only thing that has bothered me about Enchant's lyrical content through the years is the depressing subject matter a lot of it takes on. But that's a small complaint on my part. "Here and Now" from this release has some great lyrics and I think that is actually written by Ott, so what do I know. I do know though, that the lyrics for the first track "Circles" are pretty awful and that's an Ott tune as well. So hit and miss with him, I guess.

[Reach]

there are more instrumental breaks with some good progressive moments that harken back to the debut. It seems like the songs were written less around one main Doug Ott riff than on their more recent releases. Which I find refreshing. Ott comes up with some great hooky riffs, but they don't repeat as much on this release.

True. They mix it up just a little more this way, this time around.