Wounded

Enchant | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 20, 1997)
• Original Release Date: May 20, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Magna Carta
• ASIN: B000003ZBJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,709 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Below Zero

2. Fade 2 Grey

3. Pure

4. Broken

5. Hostile World

6. Look Away

7. Armour

8. Distractions

9. Missing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Challenging, but rewarding., October 27, 2001

By 

Lord Chimp (Monkey World) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wounded (Audio CD)

With Wounded, Enchant takes their music in a more challenging direction than the brilliant debut, A Blueprint of the World. This is a great work of music, so good in fact that it is a very emotionally draining experience. Each song possesses an amazing degree of compositional depth, but the side that leaves me exhausted is the tremendous lyrical poignancy the band hits me with.

I love the debut. Songs like "The Thrist" and "Oasis" were elating, inspiring pieces of music. Here, the songs abandon the hopeful outlook and take a darker approach. Look at the cover: A nail driven into a heart. If you look closer, you can see the distinctive form of North and South America. The cover fits, as Wounded deals with suffering, in one form or another, sometimes brought on by the world's vice. "Below Zero" demonstrates the self-loathing of a man whose apathy has isolated him from others. "Missing" shows the guilt-laden inner torment of a man whose infidelity has broken the heart of the woman he loves. "Look Away" is about fearing inner reflection because of what it might reveal. "Fade 2 Grey" is about someone who suddenly finds that his life has slipped through his fingers. "Distractions" is richly metaphorical, about a man who can't manage to follow the path he wants in life. Without exception, the band handles all these issues very well. I suppose the only unfortunate consequence of the album's morose subject matter is that I can't find myself listening to it when I'm in a good mood. That's unfortunate since I'm usually pretty happy. This is heavy stuff.

A sense of invariably is taking over this review. Again, I must recycle a common adjective. Musically, the album isn't exhausting - it is, as I said, challenging. Songs play out for an average of seven minutes, and for the first several listens the songs just kind of blends into the background. The melodies are more evasive than on A Blueprint of the World. "But hey," I thought, "this is Enchant." So I listened. And listened. And listened. I became attached to the songs, memorizing the lyrics, noticing the wealth of nuance present. Guitarist Douglas Ott is an awesome player who uses chops and emotional intuitiveness to create wrenching guitar solos. All of them are excellent, but the ones that come to mind first are the ones from "Pure" and "Look Away," which both hit me with plenty of chills. I have come to find this album as memorable as anything the band offers, even though it is certainly their most testing release so far.

If you've never heard Enchant, I would describe them as a brilliant melodic/progressive rock band. The Rush comparison is the easiest one to make, but Enchant manages to isolate a unique sound for their music (when lots of bands these days just end up sounding like someone else). Each Enchant album offers something different musically. Wounded takes the band's standard qualities - laudable technical skill, intricate drums, crunchy chords, and subtly layered synths - and concentrates them on a gloomy theme that, while initially nondescript, becomes as endearing as the band's other excellent work.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great musicians playing great music!, June 11, 1999

By 

Douglas Tidwell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wounded (Audio CD)

I'm very pleased to have discovered this band. I can't believe they are not more popular. Great drums, very solid guitar, keys, and crystal clear vocals... The music is well written and the band by no way sounds like they're trying to clone anyone. A definite must for the progressive music fan!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marillion meets Rush., June 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wounded (Audio CD)

Enchant is a California-based quartet whose style is reminicent of Marillion or '80s-era Rush. Paul Craddick has certainly been influenced by Neil Peart. "Wounded is the band's second release and an outstanding, cosistent effort. "Pure" is a true classic with guitarist Douglas Ott leading the charge with a very Rothery-esque solo. Top-notch, a must-have.