The old saying of "it is grim up North" may well be true when describing the North of England but that grimness has spawned some of the finest exponents of Doom / Death metal known to the genre. There must be something in the rain, mist and dampness that permeates into the soul to produce that somber mentality it takes to produce music dredged from the pits of despair, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema have all at one time or another been lumped into the Doom / Death fold at some time or another, either by the media or by their own volition. The name Enchantment is however very unlikely to roll so quickly off the tongue when talking about Northern based Doom metal bands.

The sole output from the Lancashire 5 piece was the 1994’s “Dance The Marble Naked” and then like smoke in the air, the band were gone. It is some how apt that Peaceville Records have chosen to reissue this long lost Doom / Death gem given that the same label launched the careers of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema and it is these bands who unquestionably had the largest influence on Enchantment. 15 years on from the recording of the album and it is still an assertion of mine that had the band not split soon after the albums release they could well have become a huge influence in the genre.

Thrashy guitar riffing and thunderous drums marry seamlessly with the slower moments to create a shining example of early Doom / Death metal. “Dance The Marble Naked” lacks the refinement of later Paradise Lost or My Dying Bride releases but has an atmosphere akin to “Gothic” (which can never be a bad thing)! Singer Paul’s pained style and lack of articulation does take some time to attune to and will turn some off, but bearing with it is worth while. A product of it’s time and representative of where the genre had reached in 1994; “Dance The Marble Naked” is a mature and impressive debut offering and should have been just the start of a long and productive career. This was sadly not to be the case but as a parting gift “Dance The Marble Naked” leaves quite a legacy.