A Blueprint of the World

Artist: Enchant
Label: Magna Carta
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 026245900622
EAN: 0026245900622
ASIN: B000003ZB7

Release Date: 1995-08-08

Related Categories:

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Metal

Progressive

| Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Listmania:

ENCHANT - Ranked
MY FAVORITE PROGRESSIVE METAL MUSIC
Traditional Prog List (the first cds that get recommended)
My Favorite Enchant Releases....
The Enchant Chonology: 1995-Today
great progressive rock
lista e
Favorite Progressive Rock Albums
Introduction to the Magna Carta Label
The definitive Enchant guide

Tracks:

Thirst
Catharsis
Oasis
Acquaintance
At Death's Door
Mae Dae
East of Eden
Nighttime Sky
Enchanted
Open Eyes

Similar Items:

Wounded
Break
Tug of War
Juggling 9 or Dropping 10
Blink of an Eye

Customer Reviews:

Enchant - A Good Solid Album.......2007-02-15

Enchant are a band that have always been a bit of a conundrum for me. I own all of their studio albums, I like what they do, but I find that after listening to them, there is not much memorable that sticks with me. I have never been able to put my finger on it since all of the elements seem to be in place. They are very good instrumentally, have a strong vocalist, and write decent songs, yet there always seems to be something missing. "A Blueprint Of The World" was the first Enchant album that I purchased. I found out about the band through Marillion as Marillion guitarist Steve Rothery produced this disc. Overall I think it is one of the band's better albums. The band often gets compared to Rush mainly due to the percussion work of drummer Paul Craddick who has a style very similar to Neal Peart. The guitar work here by Doug Ott is very reminiscent of Steve Rothery at times although Ott plays it a bit heavier for the most part. Rothery actually guests on a couple of tracks on the disc. Vocalist Ted Leonard has a very good voice, but it sounds like a lot of other singers of similar ilk (Joe Lynn Turner, Jeff Scott Soto come to mind). He is often compared to Steve Walsh from Kansas, but although they have similar range, to me Walsh's voice is much more distinctive. Anyway, the bottom line is Enchant do what they do very well and if you like one of their albums you will probably like them all. "Blueprint" would be a good place to start if you wanted to explore them further.

What a Surprise!.......2006-12-28

Ambitious work here.... though I'm kinda' with the folks who say their newer stuff has kinda' lost something. Oh, I see what they've lost: band members...

Here's a weird moment in life: I found this CD by searching randomly for the phrase "Mae Dae" one drunken evening. Why? I went to high school in San Bruno, CA, with Mike Geimer, the original keyboardist for Enchant. His band in high school was called, you guessed it, Mae Dae. (I distantly remember conversations about the relative quality of Genesis before and after the departure of Peter Gabriel. Who'd have guessed I'd be later making the same argument about Enchant and the guy I was arguing that with?) I was a huge fan, of course, and desperately wanted to do what those guys were doing... but it was years later before I managed to -- and never as well.

I see Mike's no longer with the band -- but they still do the song "Mae Dae" live. How about that? Ain't life weird...

These first few CDs of theirs are ambitious and literary, with wonderful lyrics and musical intricacies. I love Mike's keyboard work -- but then, I'm probably biased 'cuz of that high school "crush." I wonder what ever became of him...

Anyway, I say stick to the early Enchant stuff and enjoy!

Different.......2006-11-30

I don't quite know how to describe this album. I bought it because it was connected with dream theater somehow on the amazon links and I thought it looked good. But to be honest, its taken me a long time to get into this album. At first, the sound of it just didn't appeal. It didn't sounds anything like dream theater, and the sound production with the guitar just didn't do it for me. But the more I've listened to it the more its grown on me. I think its because there's so much in this album that you just need to listen to each of the 8 or so minute tracks quite a few times before they all start making a bit more sense and fitting together. There isn't a track on this album thats immediately catchy, but I suppose thats the way it should be with a good prog rock album. The guitar work is no Petrucci, but its pretty good when you get used to the sound of it, and the drumming is excellent. Although the vocalist Ted Lenard doesn't use his capable range all that much in the album, he does have a likable voice and when he does go for it, it really does sound good. I dont own any of their other stuff, but as an album (possibly their debut?) its definately a good one and worth buying. Like the reviewer before me has said, there's not a lot of bands you compare them too except early Rush maybe. Not the best album in the world but not bad

One of the finest prog debuts of the 90's.......2005-12-23

Perhaps Enchant's A Blueprint of the World is not only their best album, but also one of the finest prog rock debuts released in the 90's. Although they have matured and improved both musically and technically over the years, the songs on their debut are some of their warmest and most sincere offerings to date. It's not often you can get the mighty Steve Rothery of Marillion to produce almost half of the tracks on your debut release and even get him to contribute some guitar and e-bow playing. Had Rothery not seen the magic in these guys, I doubt he'd have bothered helping them out. His presence is without doubt central to the success of this album, as the songs are replete with melodic hooks, moving vocal lines, and excellent instrumentation to boot. On the opening track "The Thirst", Rothery weaves Marillion-like texture playing an immense e-bow melody, and the band opts for an intricate drum pattern and then lets vocalist Ted Leonard leave his signature imprint on the piece. Leonard has always reminded me of the amazing Steve Walsh and Journey's Steve Perry, but similarities to the vocal harmonies on earlier Styx albums are also evident. He has a warm and emotionally engaging voice that will immediately resonate with any prog rock fan and capture him after only a few listens.

Drummer Paul Craddick's involvement in the songs has rendered them a very Rush-like intricacy that has resulted in Enchant being compared to the Canadian prog gods for years. Craddick fills almost every song with nuanced rhythms that actually have a profound effect in the songwriting, since each fill and roll from him helps diversify the album and make everything more progressive. Glistening cymbals, complex multi-rhythm beats, and even percussive sections abound the songs while guitarist Douglas Ott produces thick and ethereal lead solos that underlie Michael Geimer's dreamy yet at the same time insanely emphasized keyboard work. Ott has a large and elaborate playing, and is quite possibly one of the most expressive guitarists in American prog rock. Besides his sumblime chord progressions, which change from lush acoustics to dynamic electric leads, it is mostly the way he chooses to finish his solos. The ending riffs on both the dark-tinged "Catharsis" and the acoustic ballad "Acquaintance" suggest intensity of the highest order. While most guitarists in the genre either overplay or run out of ideas in their solos, it seems Ott only climaxes in his final note leaving the listener's jaw wide open. What's more is he also possesses a great sense of immediacy in his phrasing, giving the songs an almost live feel, best seen on the fast-paced and hard-rocking "East of Eden", which sounds like Alex Lifeson cutting it loose in an overcrowded Rush concert. This song also features a fantastic bass solo by Ed Platt whose restrained yet ever-present input explodes like a dynamite halfway through the piece.

"Oasis", now one of Enchant's most classic anthems, is catchy, rocking, and utterly progressive at the same time, and demonstrates a breathtaking duel between fierce guitars and striking synth leads. On the instrumental "Mae Dae", creepy keyboards generate thick atmospheres with a repeated guitar theme that builds on eternally until the breaking point, which once again, is the last second. "Nighttime Sky" is the other piece with Steve Rothery on lead guitars communicating with Douglas Ott. The song contains an infectious chorus that sticks and never lets go, siren-like keyboard wails, and a beautiful passage filled with finger-picked Latin acoustics. The song then secretly breaks into a two-hand tapping harmony accentuated by a soaring lead guitar tone where two guitars are layered on top of each other. The epic instrumentation on "At Death's Door", defined by thoughtful lyrics, is comprised of a marching trumpet and grooving bass motif, before nuances of tribal percussion work and a vaguely folk-flavoured harmony is detected. How all these unrelated elements are blended into a single song is beyond me.

My copy of A Blueprint of the World contains an acoustic bonus track of "Enchanted", but it's a bit shorter than the original version. As a matter of fact, the original pressing of this album contained only nine tracks, but when the band signed to Magna Carta they added "Open Eyes" and then finally the acoustic number. Try to get the most recent version if possible. The packaging is awesome too.

one word : masterpiece.......2005-10-15

I'll be very very objective : A Blueprint Of The World is one of those albums you'd take with you on a desert island. Although this was not my first introduction to Enchant, I quickly became addicted to this CD.

Some people would think it's a marillion rip-off and blah blah. Ok but this record deserves a fair share of listennings. In more depth. You'll discover Ted Leonard's amazing vocals (similar to Steve Walsh), Benignus' appropriate key parts, a wonderful ryhthm section with and underrated bass player Ed Platt. But beyond all of this great amount of talent, the guitar playing of Douglas A.Ott is worth BUYING the CD. Who could craft such melodies and licks like this ? Ott is in the continuation line of guitar wizards like Steve Rothery, Alex Lifeson and Brian May. Great mix of technique and melody and not so much shred.

The 90's saw the rising of Dream Theater, Pain Of Salvation, Spock's Beard but Enchant deserves much more exposure. If you're looking for some mix between technique and melody (ok there's dream theater but forget them for a while) definitely go for it you won't regret. Each time I recommended it people loved so why wouldn't you like it ?

Music CD:

Music CD

Music CD

Music CD

Swing Waltz ~ Bjorn Klakegg, Harald Skullerud

Hymns of Blood ~ Allegiance

Love Rears Its Ugly Head ~ Living Colour

Yin Music ~ Shanghai Chinese Traditional Orchestra

Tremendo Cumban ~ Machito Y Sus Afro-Cubanos

Music of the Caribbean ~ Various Artists

Da Fonte ~ Vitto Meirelles

Ghostbusters II ~ Oingo Boingo

Planet of the Apes ~ Original Soundtrack , and Jerry Goldsmith

Anglia ~ Out of Grace