A BLUEPRINT OF THE WORLD

After a handful of demos, in 1993 US prog rockers Enchant released their debut full-length A Blueprint of the World via Dream Circle Records. It is a strong debut, already showcasing all the qualities that Enchant will put on display through the rest of their career: incredibly skilled playing combined with a taste for classy arrangements and great balance between accessible mainstream rock and the intricacies of progressive music. Truth be told, A Blueprint of the World is tilted more towards the latter than the former, with the influences of prog rock giants, old (Genesis, Yes, Rush) and new (Marillion), looming large in the album's ten songs. Marillion in particular were a prominent influence at this stage of Enchant's career - and Marillion's guitarist Steve Rothery does indeed feature on this album both as guest player and as producer of about half of the songs (the rest being produced by Paul A. Schmidt together with Enchant's guitarist Doug Ott).

The style follows the aesthetics of neoprogressive rock music, with arrangements that are layered and complex, but at the same time light and pleasant to the ear. Guitars and keyboards provide most of the texture, often alternating in taking the lead at different moments of the songs. In either case, you'd be hard pressed to find anything "heavy" in the way Doug Ott and Michael Geimer are playing - as both guitars and keyboards favour clean tones, arpeggios and simple chords progressions over heavy and intense playing. Ed Platt's bass licks are perhaps the closest the album gets to "riffs", in the classic metal sense of the term of simple, repeated melodic figures that also provide a rhythmical pulse. Meanwhile, Paul Craddick's drumming dances around Ed's pulse, with a flurry of rhythmic activity and a touch that is beautifully light and clean.

There is a lot to unpack in each song, as the arrangements are fluid and keep changing from section to section, adding intricacies as the songs develop. However, the listener is almost never overburdened by the complexity, also thanks to structures that rarely get overly intricate and stick instead to a slightly elongated verse-chorus formula that roots the songs in a healthy dose of mainstream accessibility. Ted Leonard's beautiful voice is the other element that eases the listener in. Already from this first album, it was clear that Ted is one of the best singers in progressive rock, with a voice that is pristine and soulful, but at the same time packs incredible power. It is no coincidence that a few years after recording this debut with Enchant, Ted will become the frontman of Spock's Beard, one of the best progressive rock acts in the world.

However, one aspect of Ted's singing that is slightly disappointing is the lack of strong melodies that can truly burrow in the listener's head. This is something that will characterize most of Enchant's discography, for reasons I do not quite fully understand, but I suspect are due to both the songs' fairly complex harmonic progressions and to an intentional drive to eschew "easy" singalong melodies. To be fair, A Blueprint of the World does contain some excellent hooks, especially compared to other albums in Enchant's catalogue, such as "The Thirst", "Acquaintance", "At Death's Door" or "Nighttime Sky". But even these songs require multiple listens before the melodies truly "click", which may be a barrier for some listeners.

Another barrier - and weakness - of the album is the lack of consistency, both in the songwriting and production. Being a debut, it is quite understandable the band wanted to throw in as much of their material as possible, even if not everything would necessarily blend together well. However, at times this approach ruins the flow of the album. "Enchanted", for example, sticks out like a sore thumb, with its fantasy lyrics and epic atmospheres, when the rest of the album is very much grounded in reality. The alternation between Steve Rothery and Paul A. Schmidt as producers is also far from ideal. I can see why the band decided to ask Steve Rothery for help, as the tracks he produced are much better sounding than those produced by Paul A. Schmidt. However, the fact that these two sets of songs lie side by side on the same LP does not make for a smooth listening experience, and I cannot help but wonder whether Enchant would have been better off leaving the worse-produced tracks aside.

Despite these mishaps, A Blueprint of the World is a very good album, showcasing Enchant's great talent and potential. The album may not be everyone's cup of tea, as it is quite rooted in 1980s / early 1990s neoprogressive rock, more than metal. But fans of classic prog and more contemporary progressive rock/metal should not miss out on this band and album.