Tears of the Sun

Album Review

Tears of the Sun doubles as both a marvelous introduction to England's the Enid and as a worthy voyage through this talented band's repertoire. Although the Enid have been making albums since the mid-'70s, Tears of the Sun collects 13 of the best tracks from all points in their career, showcasing their evolution through progressive rock from their debut album In the Region of the Summer Stars to their 1995 release entitled White Goddess. Composed of classical elements, atmospheric rock passages, and an encircling orchestral sound, the Enid's work is based on intricate arrangements that fluctuate between powerful and subtle, but their music became some of the most colorful examples of keyboard-led progressive rock to emerge from the '70s. The most impressive cuts on the disc come from the Something Wicked This Way Comes album from 1983. With their dark impressions about nuclear war and the end of the world, tracks such as "Then There Were None," "Jessica's Song," and "Evensong" come off as wonderful mood pieces that are well stocked with originality and are brilliantly interpretive. While The Spell wasn't one of the Enid's masterpieces, its best track is offered up in "Spring," with its ideals centered around the life cycles that all living beings inherit. The title track was made especially for this set and it fits in nicely with the rest of the Enid's material, and songs such as "Sanctus," "Sundialer," and "Elegy for Piano" reveal the wide musical spectrum of lead member Robert Godfrey as well as his infatuation with the universe, the workings of the mind, and the elaborate composition of classical music. Tears of the Sun serves as an excellent inaugural point into the band and, although the album is brief, the songs can be used as effective stepping stones that lead to their deeper parent albums.