'Enchant'

(CREDIT: to the obvious folks. not me for sure. ^_^)

My Rank: 5 out of 5 <- a lifesaver

Finally, I get to write a review about one of my favorite musicians of all time so far! (That was oxymoronic, wasn't it? ^_^')

This album saved my life last year. I was taking Honors Chemistry and struggling to get a decent grade on [what seemed to be] simple homework and long lab reports. Most times, I chilled on my bed and wrote out my recitations while Enchant played at top volume from my headphones, lying next to me. Sometimes she played during lab report nights, but frustration told me to blast a few Marilyn Manson tracks (I was experimenting with his stuff back then.) HIM would never cut it because I would get far too distracted by the desire to look up interviews.

Maybe I'm too attached to this album because it helped me so much in the hardest class I had ever taken in my school career up to this point. But this was perfect enough for me to focus on my work and not suffer a massive breakdown.

I can't fully describe what kind of music Emilie Autumn makes. She's crazy enough for a rock fan, upbeat and electronic like today's pop music, but adds a punch with amazing performances with violins, pianos, and harpsichords. Her voice isn't too bad as well. Opheliac clearly has these elements, plus a good overdose of asylum-esque insanity, but Enchant is different. This is a calmer, sweeter Emilie Autumn ("Across the Sky," "Juliet," "Save You") but still having a bit of spunk ("Chambermaid," "Rose Red," "Secondhand Faith").

Like every album, two or so songs aren't so fantastic here, but they never took away the experience of this album. This semi-metalhead willingly and happily accepted this short vacation from headbanging, aggressive screams, and guitar solos. I really can't explain how much this album has captured me. A trip down memory lane, when I used to thought fairy tales were not so embarrassing to dream of ("Juliet" did this to me for sure)? Now that I am no longer in Chemistry, I haven't listened to Enchant in its entirety in a while. Emilie Autumn, thank you for this masterpiece, this lifesaver.

Pandora Internet Radio says that fans of The Birthday Massacre, Evanescence, Within Temptation, and Epica. If you like female singers like Amy Lee, Sharon den Andel, Simone Simons, or other similar chicks in rock and metal, you might like Emilie. The Birthday Massacre is only similar due to slight gothic atmosphere, electronic influence, and their singer Chibi. Otherwise, this can be debated. These comparisons can be useful for Opheliac, but Enchant sounds too "folky."

I highly recommend Emilie Autumn as an artist to give a try. Opheliac and Enchant are brilliant, so it doesn't matter what you go by. But note that this is a rare time I will advise DOWNLOADING the albums. ESPECIALLY Enchant, because physical CDs are out of print. Have fun. :P

You know, why am I sitting and listening to Type O Negative right now?! *grabs iPod to look up Enchant...*