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Enchant - Biography


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1998-

1995-1997

Biography

For almost one and a half decades, San Francisco based Enchant are celebrating their typical American mix of neo prog, classic and melodic rock. With seven albums the band around guitarist and main songwriter Doug Ott has gained themselves a continually growing fan community, on this side of the Atlantic as well as in their native country. High time to finally release a live album. The place in their home town Oakland was well choosen: fans arrived from all over the world to give them a glittering reception when recording machines and cameras were turned on inside the iMusicast venue. The house is ready for Enchant live in concert!

For almost two and a half hours the band presents a cross-section of their complete ?uvre live on stage - with material from the debut work "A Blueprint of the World" up to their so far last studio album "Tug of War", including a few previously unreleased acoustic versions of popular songs. Singer Ted Leonard - whom many compare to Steve Walsh of Kansas thanks to his pitch level and variability - is convincing everybody; Doug Ott lets his guitar sing and reminds of Saga's Ian Crichton and Marillion's Steve Rothery, and in complex passages also of Rush's Alex Lifeson; and Bill Jenkins on keyboards, bassist Ed Platt and drummer Sean Flanegan provide some dense mood and a proper groove. Enchant rocks!

A look back: Enchants origins reach back to the end of the 80's but the actual launch only comes when Steve Rothery became aware of the San Francisco based band: he helped produce "A Blueprint of the World" in England in 1993 and joined in as guest musician. A small German label had previously secured the rights for this debut album.

In the same summer the first tour of Europe and the change to InsideOut Music followed. Since then everything happened in quick succession. Prog fans as well as the media were enthusiastic about "Wounded" (1996). "Time Lost" is released for a tour with Dream Theater, an album compiled of four new tracks and previously unreleased material. In 1998 "Break" is released which is promoted live on stage with Spock's Beard and afterwards with Marillion. With "Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10", "Blink of an Eye" and "Tug of War" Enchant reinforced their status which guarantees sophisticated songwriting and a distinct keen playing. In 2003 the band tours Germany together with Spock's Beard and the California Guitar Trio.

"Live At Last" is released as a double CD as well as a double DVD set. Both versions contain the complete Oakland concert, the DVD additionally features interviews with the band and fans, shootings of rehearsals and soundcheck. You can also find a photo gallery with impressions of the concert in California and of Enchant's European tour 2003.

(source: http://www.enchantband.com/)