lukretion Enchant’s 6th full-length, Blink of an Eye, attempts to follow the same template of their previous LP, Juggling 9 or Dropping 10, released two years earlier and still regarded by many as the high point of their discography. However, one big change occurred between the two records: long-time band member Paul Craddick left Enchant and was replaced by Sean Flanegan. With Paul’s departure, Enchant did not only lose a phenomenal drummer, but also a gifted songwriter who had penned many songs in their previous albums. On Blink of an Eye guitarist Doug Ott took charge of all the songwriting and, although he himself has written some fantastic songs for Enchant, the lack of a songwriting partner is a clear drawback that bogs the album down somewhat.

The main problem with Doug’s material for this album is that is too homogeneous and, for the most part, formulaic. The new record features the classy arrangements and top-notch musicianship that one can find in all Enchant’s albums. However, the songwriting is slightly safer and less adventurous, with fewer contaminations with other styles. The key influence on Blink of an Eye seems to be Marillion circa 1990s, with a lot of focus on layered arrangements and mellow e-bow leads that create a dense but unobtrusive background allowing maximum space to Ted Leonard’s voice. New drummer Sean Flanegan is perfect for this type of material, as he is a straighter drummer than Paul Craddick, more visceral and groovy, but also less imaginative and nuanced. Occasionally, Enchant unleash their proggy side and let loose in fun instrumental breaks that bring to mind Spock’s Beard, but overall Blink of an Eye is considerably less prog-oriented than Break or Juggling 9 or Dropping 10, favouring texture and atmosphere over complexity and displays of technical proficiency.

The general toning down of progginess wouldn’t be a problem per se, if Blink of an Eye could supply strong and memorable vocal melodies on top of its mellow soundscapes. Alas, the band’s Achilles heel has always been their inability to write really catchy melodies, and Blink of an Eye is no exception. Most melodies are slightly convoluted and dull. No matter how many times I listen to the album, the songs are elusive and hard to memorize. Inevitably, a lot of the material flows away inconspicuously, blurring together. Only a handful of songs stand out. “Under Fire” may be the strongest of the lot in terms of accessibility and quality of the melodies. “Monday” is proggy and fun, dialling up the Spock’s Beard influences. “Follow the Sun” veers into mainstream rock territory and features gorgeous vocal harmonies, while “Despicable” provides an energetic and engaging closure to the album.

Overall, Blink of an Eye is a step down compared to the beautiful Juggling 9 or Dropping 10 and it is probably slightly inferior to Break as well. Despite the continuity in terms of sound and style relative to those two albums, the material included here feels somewhat generic and uninspired. The dearth of truly compelling tunes makes the 54 minutes of the album somewhat a chore to sit through, but the quality of the playing and the class of the arrangements are undeniable and ultimately save the record from a lower score.

Warthur Enchant's sixth album, Blink of an Eye, comes amidst a time of changes for the band. For their first five albums, their lineup had been fairly stable; bassist Ed Platt had, for reasons I've not been able to track down, not been involved in the recording of Break, but he was back in the fold for Juggling 9 and Dropping 10 - at which point longstanding keyboardist Michael Geimer departed, followed by drummer Paul Craddick a while after that.

This release would see Sean Flanegan take over at the drumstool, but the band did not yet have a permanent replacement keyboardist; Douglas Ott filled the gap for the time being, with guest Phil Bennett stopping by to add a few extra touches here and there. (Subsequent to this release, Bill Jenkins would join to take up the keyboard post long-term.)

Of course, musicians join and leave bands all the time - it's par for the course. However, as well as being their original drummer Craddick was also one of Enchant's key songwriters, making extensive contributions to all their prior albums on that front. In fact, he'd get at least a co-writing credit on the majority of the songs on more or less every previous album except Break (where he still wrote music for four of the ten songs).

As such, losing him didn't just mean losing a drummer - it also meant the band lost a key creative mind, and whilst Flanegan seems entirely competent behind the drumstool, he doesn't step in to fill the songwriting gap here. (He wouldn't get credited with any songwriting on the followup, Tug of War, either, but would get cowriting credits on four songs on the reunion album The Great Divide.)

I don't say this as a slam on Flanegan - if you're the new guy coming into a band which has just lost a couple of long-standing measures it can be sensible to hang back a little and get a sense of the group's internal chemistry before you start pushing your own ideas. However, the upshot of Craddick leaving is that only Douglas Ott and Ted Leonard get any songwriting credits on this album, making it the Enchant album with the least number of distinct individuals contributing to the songwriting. (The songwriting pool would widen again with Tug of War.)

That might explain some of Blink of an Eye's issues. In some cases, narrowing down the range of people contributing to songs can be a smart move; it can help to focus your sound and hone in on a distinct creative vision, rather than sprawling to try and accommodate everyone's ideas. In other situations, however, losing someone from a songwriting team is a net negative: what you might gain in some respects you ultimately lose through the simple fact that you have one less person throwing ideas into the pot.

In Enchant's case, I would say the latter situation applies. Enchant's sound prior to this was based on a smorgasboard of influences - neo-prog like Marillion, IQ, and Jadis, prog metal and heavy prog like Dream Theater or Rush, and from Break onwards an increasing influence from melodic alt-rock. That's at least two distinct flavours of prog, plus influences from outside of prog, all representing distinct strands in their music; you can see how it would be a challenge to come up with musical ideas which cover all those bases at once.

By comparison, to my ears the sound of Blink of an Eye feels like it's just a little bit blander than usual. Little musical development over Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 is evident, and for a band which had made an admirable show of significantly developing and shifting its music from album to album that's unfortunate. To the extent there is a change, everything sounds a little bit more same-y than it did before - which is not a positive development -and it feels like the Rush influence that had cropped up frequently has been dialled back a lot. (If Craddick was responsible for a lot of the Rush-isms, that might be why - he'd hardly be the first drummer to look up to Neal Peart, after all...)

Don't get me wrong, this isn't flat-out horrible - you don't put it on and think that Enchant have suddenly lost all ability to play their instruments. It's nice, entertaining melodic rock with heavy touches here and there and some prog sensibilities... but it's one of those albums where I can sit here and listen to the entire thing start to finish, and when the final track ends I cannot remember a single goddamn part of it. It's pleasant enough in the moment, but there's nothing here which'd stay with you, and as such it feels like a comparatively lukewarm effort by Enchant's standards.

Pelata Enchant is a band that cannot be denied. The talent and songwriting of this band is stunning. Their combination of melody, mood and technical excellence is unlike any other. They're dark, yet hopeful. Subtle, yet brimming with virtuosity. Soothing, while still conjuring moods heavier than some metal bands. 'Blink Of An Eye' sports all of the elements that have caused Enchant's industry buzz for several years now while bringing in a few surprises that do nothing but add to their arsenal.

One of the most noticeable changes is the subtle upping of the guitar crunch. This newest offering boasts some of Ott's heaviest riff work to date. Not that Meshuggah is in any danger, mind you, but the guitars are certainly more present. There is simply not a bad song on this album. Opening track "Under Fire" is classic Enchant. It's melodic, provocative, emotional and extremely catchy. Vocalist Ted Leonard is very convincing in his delivery here and on every record I have heard him on. His smooth, high-end vocals lend themselves perfectly to Doug Ott's moving, heart-wrenching musical weavings. These two guys are the perfect combo. Together they create the Enchant sound. "Flat Line" starts out with some great staccato shredding on the intro before delving into another passionate melody from Leonard. The chorus here is one of the record's strongest with its deep hook and smooth backing vocals. "Despicable" begins with a Police-like jumping rhythm before cascading into an airy vocal melody on the verse. Another great chorus makes its way into your heart with this one.

One of Enchant's many strengths has been their lyrics, and 'Blink Of An Eye' is no exception. The aforementioned "Under Fire" speaks of one man's personal guilt and scars of war. "All's fair in war they say, but later as I try to sleep I just can't help but replay...in the blink of an eye, I took someone's life". "Monday" is an ode to those who sacrifice their dreams for "real life". "I don't want to be one more calf who's suckling the Cash Cow...dressed like a corporate freak, begging the clock to give me the chance to be me...when dreams die you can chalk it all up to a Monday...and all that used to define you serves only just to remind you of the man you'll never be...".

To put it as simply as possible, I love this band and 'Blink Of An Eye' is a marvelous record. The world of prog rock/metal is a better place simply by having Enchant as a part of it.