The Enid-Dust

[revporl]

This has just dropped here and I've given it a couple of listens. I know that as the tour (which finishes tonight, just in time for the album that it was promoting!)was progressing, a lot of Enid fans were contributing mixed reviews complaining about the dominance of the vocals, while others loved the new tracks.

It strikes me as a mixture of classic Enid and something new as the band move towards a new identity following the retirement of RJG.

The opener Born in the fire sounds like an attempt to combine every element of classic and modern Enid in one fantastic track, fans of Six Pieces and Touch me will get off on the trickiness of that one. 1000 Stars is a tremendous, startling, discombobulating piece of music, combining elements which shouldn't go together but sound phenominal here and the last piece "Heavy Hearts" also goes all over the place, from the trance beats of Dark Hydraulic to almost VDGG-y discordant prog and a v weird and sudden ending. Other bits, such as Monsters, don't work so well for me, I think this is where some fans criticism that The Enid are moving into musical theatre territory might be justified.

Overall though (and like I say I've only listened twice) the impression is that of a more melodic take on Scott Walkers contemporary stuff (which I love) combined with The Enid's signature classical flourishes. Although all tracks are vocal, the instrumental arrangements are as intricate and compex as on any of The Enids previous albums, and the voice is really used as another intrument and doesn't dominate in the way that some people expressed in some of the tour review that I've read. The only real criticism that I have is that the CD sounds a bit compressed to me, I hope they put on Spotify as well so I can hear it via another platform.

Tonight is RJG's farewell gig, I think Dust is a great way to bow out, at least as good as The Seed And The Sower which was the final album by the old band back in the 80's (I love that album too).

[undergroundrailroad]

Tonight is RJG's farewell gig,

Thanks for that great review. I cant wait to hear Dust.

[undergroundrailroad]

I just finished my first listen on a certain streaming service. After some people's misgivings, this is a really stupendous album!

It achieves a few things that I admire -

1. All-over-the-place but hangs together, as @revporl noted.
2. Emotionally intense but uplifting.
3. Richly atmospheric but never drags.

I can't agree with you on Monsters. Gorgeous piece, and FWIW I'm violently allergic to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Les Miz and that kind of thing. Although this is still 100% The Enid, I keep being reminded of the expressive territory of early Queen. It has that kind of flamboyant melodrama to it.

A nitpick - first listen I found Heavy Hearts a little anticlimactic after so much momentous music.

I thought the sound was great except for a couple tubby-sounding moments for the drums. I guess if you're bothered by the mix, there's always this, which will be my first music purchase when cash loosens up a little -

https://www.theenid.co.uk/shop/24-96...nd-detail.html

I gather RJG will be involved in future writing and studio projects, but even if this was his last thing with the band, it would be a very strong closing statement.

[revporl]

Yes the sound is much better on Spotify than the CD, but I could be developing a problem with my aged CD player so don't take that as gospel.

[undergroundrailroad]

Bump to recommend this great album.

[pete284]

I have been a long time fan of the Enid and it appears to me they are becoming a bit of a musical theatre. The last show I saw them at (St Helens a couple of months ago) they only played tracks from the last 3 albums which was a big disappointment to me. I can understand they are going in a new direction but if they are going to forget about the past they should rename the group. I have only had one listen to Dust so cannot give a good opinion yet.

[revporl]

They are just about to tour In The Region Of The Summer Stars for its 40th anniversary, I don't think they are forgetting about the past, just moving things forward at the same time.

[undergroundrailroad]

Man, I would move to NYC and hit Broadway musicals every single night if they were anything like this.

[Iris]

These days their albums come with vocals and sail close to musical theatre but with Robert John Godfrey still at the helm they are still recognizably the Enid. Here they don't match the best songs on the previious album Invicta but Dust has its moments. Someone Shall Rise is the key track; Monsters is also very good.