JUGGLING 9 OR DROPPING 10

ENCHANT are a band I have heard a lot about, but never had the chance to hear until now. My first impression was very good. My first thought were that they sounded like RUSH, but as I listened through the album I found that it wasn't the whole truth. There's also reminiscences to DREAM THEATER, LUCIFER WAS, MARILLION, SPOCK'S BEARD and 80's YES here and there. Their song-oriented music is somewhere between melodic mainstream rock, AOR, Prog Metal and progressive rock, with a modern sound and strong compositions. The vocals are a blend of Neil Morse (SPOCK'S BEARD) and Steve Hogarth (MARILLION) and therefore very good. There are plenty of reasons to chant for ENCHANT!

I think enchant has suffered from the constant diminishin, rather than changing, of their line up. since their first recording, I havent heard from them anything as good(I dont have all their records). in this one they got stuck in the same song structure, and ultimately it gets boring. Theres no freshness. I dont mean its a bad album, I just dont think its their best effort. Its like they got stuck in the middle of being a bit comercial, and bit prog. There are three tracks that are very well balanced(1,4,5). If you want to know them get their first, its really exelent.

first time I heard this album, it instantly got my interest. the opening track "Paint The Picture" is really attractive with its melodious intro which reminds me of RUSH. what a nice opener! although you find the sounds of MARILLION (Hogart era), KANSAS and RUSH here, but ENCHANT has their own style that can make you stoned and keep on playing this cd on your player. every song represents their great talents and musicianships. it's a must buy for prog rock/prog met lovers!

After a fiery opening riff that sounds like an escapee from Rush's Xanadu, Enchant's "Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10" becomes a record of smooth, accessible neo-prog with dramatic crescendos, owing as much to melodic rock structures as to the cerebral tendencies of its prog ancestors. Indeed, beautiful tunes like "What To Say" should have little trouble winning over fans of pomp and symphonic pop/rock, but Enchant is clearly a prog act, and the album is richly textured and diverse enough to fit the core genre. Clearly influenced by the guitar-driven atmospheric textures heard from bands like Rush, World Trade, and Marillion, Enchant has synthesized a sound that is genuinely interesting without overpowering instrumentation or needlessly jagged compositions. Their performances are striking, and stylistic leaps like the Latin-tinged percussion interlude on "Bite My Tongue" demonstrate their creativity and dexterity within the prog idiom.

It's not profoundly gripping enough to reach the heights of Spock's Beard or Pain Of Salvation, but "Juggling/Dropping" is accessible, substantial, intelligent rock that defies easy characterization. It is well worth repeated listens, and fans of a smoother prog sound with bursts of robust intensity may find it a nearly essential purchase.

This was the first album of the band I heard...in a store in Paris, some years ago. I remember perfectly that moment, because it was the exact moment that I felt in love with this prog (?) band. the first notes of the opener Paint the Picture seem to copy Xanadu from Rush, and it's not only an impression, because the influence of canadian trio is very clear also in the rest of the album. Rough Draft and What to say, are perfect examples of what means be proressive in the 90's...melodical, powerful voices, hypnotic bass (Geddy Lee again!) Bite my tongue....the best song they've ever written...with a sensational tango section in the middle. and, if color fade is nothing but a filler, however juggling knives and black eyes & broken glass are here to demonstrate that the band is mature to re-write the speech of Rush. the last five tracks are a little bit repetitive...so the mood of the album is strongly taken to an early boredom.....what a pity!!this means one mark at least!

Art rock at his very, very best.

Enchant really defines what's art rock: simpler than regular progressive rock but compensate in excitement and skills. The band has incredible live potential, so what you hear in studio will be reproduced perfectly in concert...so we're talking about new standards in technics. Simply put, since Rush, no one made my foot stomp, my heart sing or amazed me in melody like those people.

Enchant's last 3 albums are like omelettes. You got eggs and milk, now put whatever you want in it. So basically Blink on an Eye, Tug of War and this one has pretty much the same songs canvas. Your eggs and milk are great guitar/bass/drums hooks and modern keyboard support mixed with the pleasant voice of Ted Leonard. That's it. It really doesn't go as far as this on paper...but in your ears, it's all getting together into good humor and a true sense of sonical amazement.à

Where Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 (love that title!) is above the other 2 records stated is basically the amount of goodies. You have more good songs in this record than any other one, so the purchase is more paying in this case. On top on that, I saw that in concert, they play more songs of this album than any other. Great!

Unlike compatriotes like Rush, Enchant needs a lot of listening to enjoy properly. Sometimes the songs are so complex, it whistles through your ears and you couldn't really figure out the chorus. Don't expect too high comprehension at first, but you'll surely understand why I state Rush as their greatest influences (like in Paint the Picture! Aw man, Xanadu rip-off!!)

This album represents very well the new generation of incredible gearheads kidz playing their heart out. The new age of progressive rock now mixes accessible sounds to skillful musicianship.

Amateurs of real musicianship are warned; Enchant is hard to top.

This was the first album of the band I heard, when they relese in 2000. Then i was not impresse by this band, but now when i listen to a tone of music, more progressive (90%), i like'em very much. Great art rock album. Every instrument sound good, and i think this is the best album from Enchant, just an opinion. I like this one more then other albums of this band. I might say this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection.

Enchant's Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 was my second encounter to the band. Again, I was immediately floored the first time I got into the opening track "Paint The Picture", especially the guitar solo part starting approximately at 4:15 minute. I could die just listening to that solo part. Another I-just-could-die moment is during "Colors Fade", a Rush-y melodic track that would be able to make you sit down and recollect your old memories, some memories that may have forgotten. Yes, you got it correct from my narratives, this is my favorite track of the album.

Although I think this record has some fillers in it ("Black Eyes & Broken Glass" and Shell of A Man" to name two), it has some memorable moments as well and periodically played in my portable mp3 player. Other highlight tracks of the album are the somewhat funky "Juggling Knives", the ballad "What To Say", and the melodic "Broken Wave".

Again, another very much recommended output from Enchant. There is not much skills showing-off or odd-time signature changes, but it's the delivered melody that you can't just resist it. (4/5)

3.5 stars. This band can really write meaningful songs about every day life. This record is toned down a lot from their previous release "Break".

"Paint The Picture" is a melodic song that sounds great with some terrific bass lines and lots of keys, guitar and drums. "Rough Draft" opens with some fairly heavy riffs, followed by an almost reggae beat. This is a feel good song. "What To Say" features heart rending lyrics about the thoughts of a man who is in a hospital and can't speak or move, and is going to die soon. Incredibly emotional song. "Bite My Tongue" is an uptempo song that doesn't do a lot for me. "Colors Fade" opens with classical guitar, and I really like it when the guitar and bass comes in.

"Juggling Knives" is a song about stretching yourself too thin. The title of this record is a line in this song. There are lots of keys in this one and the guitar melody towards the end is fabulous. "Black Eyes And Broken Glass" is a sombre song about abuse, great tune. "Elyse" is about Ted's baby daughter. The guitar solo to open and throughout are really good. "Shell Of A Man" is about alzheimers disease and is the first song they ever did with a lead bass. "Broken Wave" is my favourite song on this record. Probably because it's about a woman walking on the beach, looking at the water and just thinking about life. This is a hauntingly beautiful song. "Traces" is a catchy song with a great ending. "Know That" is really the conclusion of "What to Say" only it's acoustic .

Overall I would say this record is a good listen, with the lyrics being the highlight here.

This is easily my favourite album by Enchat, every single song is awesome. The melodies, the words, the band work as a whole makes me shiver everytime I listen to this jewel. If you think there are beautiful songs, you haven't listened to What To Say. If you think you have listened to it all, then you surely don't know about this Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 and songs like Juggling Knives, Broken Wave and Traces... but come on, all of them are outstanding!

4.7 / 5

I'm in love <3

A significant feature of Enchant is to my believe that they don't produce any poor or sloppy songs to fill their albums with. Downside to this is they hardly write any real masterpieces, that is where individual songs are concerned. Best example of this is Juggling 9 or dropping 10; this album is a great overall performance with 12 very acceptable songs. Like I said, there are no weaknesses on this one, some slight highlights like Broken Wave (great guitar at the end), Traces (very nice composition) and What to Say/Know That (two related sensitive songs, real great) and also Elyse (bit like Broken Wave). The rest is a little unobtrusive but still excellent.

So this is a great example of a high-class overall performance, one of two possibilities where I give 5 stars. So it's 5 for Juggling.

Enchant never made a masterpiece, but this is where they came the closest. Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is rife with varietal, but always melodic Rush-meets-Neo-prog songs, staring the fabulous guitar work of Doug Ott. While I don't mean to disparage what the rest of the band brings to the table, it seems to me that most of the time it is Ott's impassioned solos or riffs that captivate me the most. However, it would be unfair of me not to note the quality of Ed Platt's basslines, or Ted Leonard's memorable melodies. Really though, the band works together to form a very cohesive sound throughout, where the band members know their place, and don't go overboard with fills, but when they get their opportunity to fill a gap, they do so with great taste and dexterity. In fact, often times, each member of the band works together to form dense riffs, as opposed to the drums and bass holding the roots while the guitar or keyboard manages the lead by themselves. Every member has an important role in creating the melodies and atmosphere, placing the whole over the individual, and it works out very nicely. So, while these songs could end up just being songs, they become something much more.

The only thing that holds them back from making masterpieces, especially here, is that they put a little too much focus on the individual and not the whole. Those reading carefully will recall that I had just said the opposite about them merely sentences ago. Before, I was speaking of the content of the songs; this time I am referring to what they do with those songs. The album layout is a key element of music, and it is one of the reasons pop albums are often unbearable. Pop albums are just a bunch of unrelated songs, following similar structural formulas and so on and so forth. Enchant is far from being a pop band - though they may be quite accessible given their constantly melodic and easy to follow material - but their albums are basically a collection of unrelated songs. This makes the album less of an all-inclusive experience, regardless of how enjoyable it may be. Fortunately, Enchant don't degrade themselves to write pop songs. They put a lot of effort into these songs, and each song is a different experience in itself. You won't get bored at any point in this album; in fact, you will probably enjoy just about every second of this album. The only downside is that you really won't be jaw-drop-wowed, nor will you have a sentimental attachment to this album. Although emotionally charged songs like "What to Say," whose melodies are reprised to form the last track (the only album-mindedness to be found) will definitely have you internally crying, you wouldn't put on the whole album just to have that singular experience. Of course, if every song is magically touching for you, that last sentence may not apply.

Point is, this is a great album, filled with many positives, and one or two negatives. Besides the song-oriented approach being a small negative, one could argue that the album doesn't hold the same level in quality during the second half. While I would say that all of the album's highlights are found in the first half, there are still a bunch of great songs in the second, which probably aren't far off from being highlights themselves. It is also worth noting that the lyrics are pretty strong as well. The topics can be related to, and they are addressed with some neat metaphors.

If you are interested in Enchant, this is the album you need to look into.

It doesn't sounds bad or good. There are good moments here and there but I would say that this is mostly boring. This is that kind of music highly settled and which doesn't surprise in any way. It's just melodic with neo/heavy prog influences and it also has a bit of mainstream/pop feeling. This kind of music is not really my cup of tea. You can give it a try but for me this something which I rather avoid listening to so often.

The fourth ( I still don´t cound Time Lost as a real studio album, if you do this is the fifth album) studio album from Enchant called Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is the highlight of their discography IMO. If I should give an advice to someone curious about Enchant I would tell them to start here even though Break would be a good place to start too. There has been a clear development in style and sound since Break which was a pretty stripped down album when we´re talking Enchant. Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is a much more elaborate and detailed album. Break was full of good soft progressive metal/ rock songs but Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 takes the style to a higher level even though the main style is much the same.

The music is soft progressive metal/ rock with the emphasis on vocal melodies and not technical playing as many other progressive metal acts seem to favourise. The structure in the music isn´t very complex either. The songs are pretty much vers chorus based with a few middle sections and solos to add some flavour. I don´t normally favour this type of approach but I think it works very well for Enchant.

The are many great songs like Paint The Picture, Rough Draft, Bite My Tongue, Broken Wave and Traces on Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 and I only find Elyse and especially Shell Of A Man to be mediocre tunes which I think the album could have done without. As mentioned there is great focus on the vocal melodies that Ted Leonard sings and his approach has become even better on Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 than it was on Break. He uses his low register more and more while still reaching the high register frequently. I would call his vocal a mix of Ray Alder from Fates Warning and Buddy Lackey from Psychotic Waltz. Listen to Ted Leonard´s singing in Bite My Tonque. It could have been Ray Alder. And listen to his singing in Traces. It´s very influenced by Buddy Lackey. He is not a ripp-off though there are just similarities that can´t be denied.

The rest of the band are very accomplished musicians. The quality in the the playing is very high.

The production is godly IMO. This is how modern prog metal should sound like. It´s one of my favorite productions on any progressive metal album.

Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is a very good album that fully deserves the 4 stars I will rate it and I will recommend it to fans of soft emotional progressive metal/ rock. The music is generally very commercial and reaches into pop territory more than once but there are heavy riffs here too so don´t worry. I think Enchant reached their creative peak on Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 and the quality in songwriting unfortunately wasn´t as good or catchy on the following two albums. Drummer and co-composer Paul Craddick left the band after Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 and it might have been one of the reasons. The fact is that Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 stands as Enchant´s finest hour IMO.

I bought this album on a whim, knowing nothing of the band whatsoever, judging it solely on the cover art. The drive from the mall to my home then was forty-five minutes, and so I got ample time to sample the offerings presented here. What an excellent and unexpected purchase! All five musicians of the band work together tightly but at the same time stand out as individuals. I especially like Ed Platt's bass playing, which is never ostentatious, but cannot go unnoticed. Ted Leonard's voice goes from soft to prevailing, as it will through the album. I appreciate his voice because it's always clean, allowing the listener to very clearly hear the lyrics. It's sad that Douglas Ott is such an overlooked guitarists, and while he can certainly shred, he does not let a hundred notes a second dominate the album. Paul Craddick's drumming is superb throughout. Mike Geimer, the keyboardist, is the least heard member, I think, but his role in filling out the sound is extremely important.

"Paint the Picture" With a powerful guitar and deep bass, the album gets off to a fantastic and strong start, and that synthesizer is like an exclamation point that runs through the whole introduction until the music pulls back, leaving acoustic guitar and a great bass riff. The singing is pleasant from start to finish, and right from the beginning one can hear how proficient the musicians are together. It's a great opener, and it always makes me eager to hear the rest of the album.

"Rough Draft" One of my favorites on this album, "Rough Draft" has a commanding introduction, adding a ninth to basic power chords to produce an interesting progression. The lyrics are voiced over a clever bass riff played in 5/4. The lyrics are brilliant (as they will often be), this time reflecting on death, and how we should be mindful that how we live today will influence how we are remembered tomorrow.

"What to Say" What to say is right- what can I say about this one without running out of superlatives? I cannot listen to this song without the skin all over my arms standing up in thousands of bumps. The lyrics describe the harrowing prospect of a father passing on and leaving his family behind- what can he say to his son that will stick with the child? The vocal melody changes from line to line almost, which keeps the song fresh. Then the chorus happens- Leonard's voice explodes into some of the most soulful singing these ears have ever heard. Ott delivers a short but impressive guitar solo before Leonard returns to the microphone for a terse bridge and another chilling chorus. In the final moments, the line is repeated: "Don't let the memory fade."

"Bite My Tongue" More of a straightforward rock song, this one is less memorable than the three that came before, but is still a very good song, and with the exception of the Spanish-style music toward the end, it fits the tenor of the rest of the album.

"Colors Fade" My personal favorite from this album, "Colors Fade" starts with acoustic instruments that blend seamlessly into a full, electric version of the same music. The acoustic guitars become electric, the bass, a chunky-sounding solid body, and the piano, a synthesizer. The bass-playing during the chorus is especially good, and Ott delivers a fiery solo. The electric instruments fade out as the song comes to a close, leaving us with the acoustic instruments from before. The lyrics discuss how everything, no matter how beautiful, eventually go away.

"Juggling Knives" What is sort of the title track starts off with funky bass and solid drumming. I don't much care for the guitar interlude, to be honest, but the vocal melody is quite good. The instrumental section contains a layer of sound and a rare synthesizer solo. Like "Bite My Tongue," the song is great, but I don't find it to be among the best here.

"Black Eyes & Broken Glass" After several rockers, Enchant plays something that starts off softer, with basic acoustic guitar and Leonard singing. There is some overpowering electric guitar during the chorus, though, and Ott's solo this time is a little plain.

"Elyse" While I never cared for the loud and raunchy guitar riff the begins this one, I have to say that this is one of my favorites from this album. Everything else about this song is exceptional; now that I am a parent I can savor the lyrics with even greater insight. The words describe a daughter from the perspective of a father, and do so in a most poetic way. The heavy music is a stark contrast to the delicate lyrics; Ott shreds almost throughout his solo and gives his whammy bar a little workout. I especially like the vocal harmonies here.

"Shell of a Man" In all honesty, "Shell of a Man" is a song I could have done without. The riffs and vocal melody don't seem to go together, and Leonard's voice is too low in the mix and grating anyway. The lyrics are subpar, and the music is bland. This time around, Ott's guitar solo is nothing special. It's a hard song to get into, and worse, it drags on for over six minutes.

"Broken Wave" Good, but not stellar, this song does have a good clean guitar riff once again in 5/4, a time signature this band seems very comfortable working in. Overall, the song is satisfying, but some parts stand out more than others, such as the chorus.

"Traces" The band finally slows things down and becomes quiet with this jazz-tinged song. Once more, the melody is very creative and highly enjoyable, particularly that of the chorus. I do believe the middle section takes too long to build, and during that time, Leonard's voice can become unwelcome, but in reality, this segment is great opportunity for Craddick to show what he's made of on the throne, and Ott takes one final chance to let it rip on the electric guitar.

"Know That" I have heard this method on several albums I really enjoy, that of reprising part of an earlier song acoustically and ending the album that way. It's especially effective here, emphasizing the outstanding and emotional song, "What to Say." What beauty in a mere ninety seconds!

I can't say enough good things about this band in general. They are melodic, and have infectious hooks that you find yourself humming all day. The only drawback is that at times the lyrics can be cheesy and try too hard. Juggling... is a great way to get into this band. It has a great combination of all Enchant elements: Intelligent song structure, beautiful melodies, and great hooks. It also has the least number of songs with 'cheesy' song subjects lyrically, something other albums struggle with. Stand outs are: 1. Paint The Picture 3. What To Say 5. Colors Fade (5:25) 6. Juggling Knives 10. Broken Wave (5:22)

Not a single drop in quality.

Enchant is definitely not one of these superbands that produce majestic records often and make record critics throw superlatives at them. ''J9 or D10'' however, is one of these albums that can blow you away if you come unprepared... Very solid record, with strong melodies (particularly in refrains), competent rhythm section and intelligent guitar riffs. They blend different music elements so effectively that you cannot easily discover direct musical references for the origins of this album. The only band that comes into mind when I listen to ''J9 or D10'' is Tiles; however, the influence of Rush is not so evident in this occasion.

By far the most important asset in this work is the mere ENERGY throughout; powerful compositions, a 'fresh' and 'new' uplifting sound that is accompanied by the vivid vocals of Ted Leonard, which at times may sound too commercial or even 'cheesy' to most proggers. Although the influences from bands like Dream Theater and Rush are present, the compositional approach of the album does not relate to any of them. Clearly an 'American' sound, ''J9 or D10'' takes indeed a quite 'commercial' approach (possibly even pop at times), as the songs are relatively simple and straightforward with no big surprises and epic intervals. Despite the powerful melodic refrains there is a similar structure to most of the songs, which one might find repetitive or even boring; not the case here if you ask me.

One of the highly interesting features in Enchant's music is the selective use of slightly distorted and clean electric guitars that, at times, remind of Sieges Even and related bands. If you are looking for highlights, I have to suggest the great sequence of Bite my Tongue, Colors Fade, Juggling Knives that mostly represent the overall sound of the album. The lyrical Broken Wave beautifully sums up the story. The album concludes nicely with Know That, an acoustic 'reprise' of What to Say. Unfortunately, I am not fully aware of Enchant's latest albums so as to fully evaluate the importance of this record, but as a 'stand alone' effort this is definitely rewarding for the listener and surely a great improvement from their previous works. If you are keen on 'modern heavy prog', then this is a great addition for your collection.

When I heard a song from theoasis.cc, I gambled to buy this album.. That time I even dont know what was the title of the song,, but I really loved it since the first time I hear the song.. Later I know that it was 'What to Say" from Juggling 9 or Dropping 10

I bought the album in a situation where I have no new albums to buy or wanted to buy. But what I found was a really good material.. This album makes me really likes the band and will remain in my favourite albums of all time,, Every Songs is like a masterpiece that will make you want to listen more and more.. I have bought this album some years ago but I still like to listen to this.. It never bores my ears.

Nothing else to say, just buy the album and you will experience one of the best musical material in the genre.. Truly recommended!!

Juggling 9 or dropping 10?or rating 2?

Sub-genre: Heavy Prog
For Fans of: Porcupine tree, the heavier side of some neo-prog.
Vocal Style: Male, upper mid-range AOR style.
Guitar Style: Chorused, mildly distorted to clean.
Keyboard Style: Varied synthesis. Piano and organ sounds.
Percussion Style: Standard rock kit.
Bass Style: Standard picked rock electric
Other Instruments: None.
You are not likely to enjoy this album if: you are sensitive to "radio" sounds and vocal passages, as I am.

Summary: The first time I listened to this album I was sitting with a friend who said within the first 5 seconds, "Man, this version of Xanadu is way off." Well, it was not a cover of the Rush classic we were listening to, it was the album's opener Paint the Picture. It was amongst the scarce moments of a discernible progressive rock feel. All around this album is the pang of a commercial delivery. The often Glen Frey-ish AOR sounding vocal passages, generic arrangements and dynamically flat mix all paint a mundane, uninteresting picture. Juggling 9 or dropping 10 is progressives analog to convenience store sushi. Here and there are breaks and bridges that hint of a non-commercial complexity, but the sappy pseudo-feeling comes triumphantly riding back in on the next verse or chorus. And it just keeps coming. At 64 minutes the album seems as if it will never end. This is the way of 21st century recording. At least an album like this in the 70's and 80's would round itself off at 45 minutes top. The most complimentary I can be about this release from Enchant is that the musicianship is proficient and the delivery is safe. It's the kind of music you can play in a grocery store to prevent rioting in the aisles.

Final Score: I get this icky "I'm listening to something with a strictly commercial target" feeling all over when I listen to this. There is enough quality musicianship here that it will find fans, as well as avoid relegation to 1 star. This type of album, out of sync and off key would really make it a crime against nature. It was barely saved from the trash heap. I just find myself bored to no end? well, 64 minutes to the end anyway. 2 stars.

Traces

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.

On the Break album, Enchant gambled with a shift in their style, incorporating the atmosphere and aesthetics of late- 1990s melodic alt-rock whilst retaining the prog compositional approach that they'd followed from the start, yielding a refreshed sound which they were able to take on the road supporting Spock's Beard and Marillion.

Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 finds the group continuing in this direction, though with perhaps a bit more willingness to incorporate more overtly prog flourishes here and there, such as the keyboard contributions on Paint the Picture. With songs like Bite My Tongue still rooted in a guitar-oriented heavy melodic rock style, those who enjoyed Break will find this to be an apt followup, whilst those into the band's earlier neo-prog works will be reassured to hear the prog influence still there and present in their music.

In particular, as much as Enchant's sound changed over the course of their first five albums, there was a certain Rush influence which remained constant, even if they'd take different lessons from Rush's sound as their career progressed. One may also catch flickers of Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, or 1990s-era Marillion here and there, which just underlines how apt a choice of support act Enchant were for those groups.

On the whole, I would rank this just a shade below Break, which I think has the benefit of novelty going for it; here the band seem to be trying to milk more out of the same general sound, but could perhaps do with trimming the album back a bit - this came from that period in the late 1990s and early 2000s when everyone was trying to put out albums of at least an hour long, but I think if this were trimmed back to a tight 50 minutes or so it'd be a stronger release. Then again, challenge me to pick which 15 minutes I'd trim and I'd probably struggle, which is testimony to the consistency the group are able to attain.

As far as I am concerned, Enchant's 5th full-length album is the pinnacle of their discography. The upward trajectory had already started with the previous album Break, where the US band had managed to find a more personal sound, blending together elements from classic progressive rock, prog metal and AOR / maninstream rock in a way that set them apart from other similar prog bands: Enchant felt less cerebral than Spock's Beard, less heavy than Dream Theater, but proggier than Kansas. On Juggling 9 or Dropping 10, the band further develop those aesthetics, enhancing the weight of each component while at the same time perfecting the balance between them.

The album is proggier than Break, not so much in terms of the amount of technical extravaganza included in each song, but in the adventurousness of the songwriting. While the songs never get overly complex, their structure is dilated with numerous instrumental breaks and detours. These can get quite wild and exciting, such as the flamenco interjection in the middle of "Bite My Tongue". Elsewhere Doug Ott's jittery guitar riffs duel with melodic bass lines and keyboard leads, while Paul Craddick's drum patterns strike a perfect balance between groove and nuance. At times, dissonances and unusual harmonic developments are used, sparsely and with great effect. Some of the arrangements reminded me of Spock's Beard - with which Enchant had toured in the previous year -, but Enchant maintain a more accessible and streamlined approach than Spock's.

The accessibility and memorability of the compositions is where Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 makes big strides forward compared to Break. The quality of the melodies has improved a lot since the previous album. We are still not exactly in the domain of ear-worming hooks, as Ted Leonard's vocal lines generally follow more nuanced and elusive contours than what would quality as straight poppy ear-candy. But some of the hooks here are rather infectious, particularly in "Bite My Tongue", "Juggling Knives" and "What to Say", which is easily the best song Enchant have written throughout their career. What makes the song truly special is also the deep and highly emotional subject matter - about incurable illness and the awareness that the day you have to say goodbye to your loved ones is drawing nearer. Ted Leonard's interpretation is simply spellbinding and goosebumps are guaranteed by the time you reach the end of the track.

While "What to Say" is undoubtedly the high point of the record, both emotionally and sonically, several other songs leave a strong mark on the listener, making Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 the most consistent album of the band. There are no fillers or duds here, except perhaps "Elyse" which feels slightly bland in comparison to the other tracks. One may raise issues with the fact that many of the songs tend to feature similar tempos, structures and moods (with many exploring the same theme of illness). This is a characteristic that Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 share with many other Enchant's albums and it is probably one of the limits of the US band. A tad more variation in the songwriting could have probably elevated this and other albums even further.

Despite these minor issues, Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is where everything fell perfectly into place for Enchant. Inspired songwriting, classy arrangements, top-notch musicianship and some of the best melodies written by the band make this album a must-have for any progressive rock or metal fan. The rest of the band's discography is also worth exploring, but Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 is the place to start if you are new to this band.