Enchant
Live at Last

April 2005
Released: 2005, SPV Records
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Waspman

Just about all progressive music fans have heard of San Francisco’s Enchant. Over the course of the more than decade long career, the band has released seven albums to much critical acclaim. LIVE AT LAST, as the title implies, is the band’s first live recording, and they have made the most of it, making it a double live album that covers a full 23 songs from their catalogue (there is also an accompanying DVD available). My personal experience with Enchant is quite limited – only a few songs – but I’ve liked what I heard (especially “The Thirst”), so it was with some anticipation that I put on this album.

After the extended intro of “Mae Dae” sets the stage, the band breaks into “At Death’s Door” off of their debut CD, A BLUEPRINT OF THE WORLD. Even though I haven’t heard the original, I’m sure it is a flawless representation, as the band sounds very energized to finally be recorded. The song itself is good, but nothing mind-blowing, and not particularly heavy to boot. Unfortunately, that last sentence basically sums up my thoughts on the rest of the 21 songs offered, as almost all of them failed to really capture my ears and make me pay attention – and with progressive music, that is absolute death. I mean, the talent is obviously there, but for me at least, something is missing.

As for the all important technical stuff, the sound of the recording is great, and very clear. Ted Leonard proves himself a capable frontman, chatting with the crowd and generally conveying a welcoming atmosphere, and of course the band is as technically proficient as you’d expect. For their part, the crowd sounds like they are having a great time. And still, something just doesn’t connect. Ah well, I’m sure that the band’s fans will wolf this down and happily beg for more, but count me as a guest at the table, not quite ready for the full meal.