Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Enid, The
Label: Operation Seraphim
Release: 2016
Length: 42:37
Rating: 3.5/5
Ever since the symphonic prog rockers The Enid reunited in 2007 under the baton of their chieftain and sole original member Robert John Godfrey, they’ve put out a new studio album almost every year. In all that time they haven’t burned out yet, quite the opposite. The indestructible keyboardist, composer and arranger Godfrey has been battling a whole list of illnesses for years now, and he knows full well that he doesn’t have much time left to realize the many musical ideas he’d like to present to his loyal followers before the end of the road. In March 2016, to the disappointment of the fans, he announced his farewell to the concert stage. Singer Joe Payne and new keyboardist Zachary Bullock will try to fill his shoes, but of course it won’t be that authentic The Enid live experience anymore.
Luckily, Godfrey is still active in the studio as the central orchestral arranger, composer and keyboardist. Without him there would surely be no new The Enid album called »Dust«, the follow-up to the solid »The Bridge«, which it even slightly tops, though once again you can’t really talk about any artistic breakthrough, especially considering their mighty studio legacy. Anyone expecting some kind of sonic innovation from The Enid’s latest effort is going to be sorely disappointed. Innovation stopped being one of their virtues ages ago; for years now, at the wish of most of their fans, they’ve clung to the tried-and-tested symphonic rock recipe in a decidedly pompous and slightly operatic fashion, so they’d rather not risk any changes.
Lavish orchestral arrangements and brilliant choral vocal harmonies once again play the lead role on practically every composition on the album, while Joe Payne, without a doubt The Enid’s biggest gain in the last ten years, confirms his vocal excellence at every turn. His melodramatic voice, paired with the choral harmonies and pompous symphonic arrangements, leaves nobody cold and is the driving force behind everything on »Dust«. Most of the compositions on the album are fairly similar in structure and atmosphere, which is both good and bad. You can’t accuse The Enid of inconsistency yet again, but it wouldn’t have hurt if they’d shown a bit more eclecticism now and then, because after the splendid opening with »Born In The Fire« the album gradually starts losing ambient intensity, while rhythmic passivity often begins to take over. It only gets more interesting again with the last two tracks.
The drums have never played any major role in The Enid, but still, Dave Storey, who (on and off) is the band member with the longest tenure besides Godfrey, having first joined back in 1974, could have shown a bit more liveliness. The rhythmic passivity is felt especially on epic pieces like »1000 Stars«, which at times lack a more flexible drum performance that would let the listener enjoy them the whole way through. Guitarist Max Read is a lot more active, and now and then likes to put together a juicy solo. The highlight of »Dust« can definitely be declared the excellent »Trophy«, which has everything a classic The Enid composition should have, and you can’t accuse it of lacking energy, either. The closing piece, »Heavy Hearts«, has atypical electronic patterns in the background, which are drowned out by mighty choral vocal harmonies that can’t be praised enough, so it earns a big plus as well.
With »Dust« The Enid have made a more than decent album, but one that will only send the biggest diehards into euphoria, since it has few moments that can match the ambient intensity of their best past work. The Enid, who were joined by new bassist Josh Judd in May 2016, have become pretty predictable in recent years, and there are practically no real surprises left in their music. Apart from the most faithful fans, whom the album is primarily meant for, hardly any prog rock lover will reach for it, and they won’t be missing out all that much. Still, all credit to the band’s chieftain Godfrey for keeping the original spirit and vision of this cult but all too often overlooked group alive, with an exceptionally loyal fanbase behind it. Of all the ‘old school’ prog rock bands still active, The Enid are one of the last that still swear by their original sound and don’t deviate from the successful formula, despite some justified criticism.
Line-up
Robert John Godfrey – keyboards and orchestration
Joe Payne – lead vocals
Jason Ducker – guitar and bass guitar
Max Read – choral harmonies, vocoder, programming
Nic Willes – bass guitar and orchestral programming
Dave Storey – drums
Dominic Toffield – drums on “Someone Shall Rise”
Zachary Bullock – bass guitar, keyboards on “Monsters”
Production
Max Read and Joe Payne
Track list
1. Born in the Fire (8:00)
2. Someone Shall Rise (5:11)
3. Monsters (5:25)
4. 1000 Stars (7:01)
5. When The World Is Full (5:20)
6. Trophy (6:00)
7. Heavy Hearts (5:31)
