The first Enigma album features quite a bit of Gregorian chant. Someone else probably pioneered the use of Gregorian Chant in mainstream music, but I believe this is the first commercially successful album of its type. There are also some world sounds throughout the album. This is actually my least favorite Enigma release (edit: Voyageur is now in the running). My impression is that this was a bit of an experiment for Cretu, and while the overall concept worked very well, some particular aspects did not. A prime example is The Voice and the Snake(5), which sounds nothing but bizarre, and really doesn't appeal to me at all.

Tracks such as Mea Culpa(4) and The Rivers of Belief(7) easily compensate for the bad, though. The best news is that you can probably find the CD very cheaply without looking too hard. I found a copy of the "Limited Edition," which includes the music video mixes of four tracks, for a mere $1 at my local Half-Price Books.

In my eyes, this is the genre-defining album. It includes an ample helping of world fusion, and the songs are all uniquely memorable. Of course, Enigma's biggest hit, Return to Innocence(3), is on this album. My other favorites are I Love You ... I'll Kill You(4) (I've heard rumor that it was used in the movie Sliver, and the lyrics have something to do with a stalker... I don't know, I just like the song) and Dream of the Dolphin(6). If you don't already own this album, it should be the next you buy. There's really nothing more to say.

NB: A reviewer on Amazon seemed rather disgruntled that everyone assumes the World vocals on Return to Innocence(3) are Native American. According to this reviewer, they're from one or more elderly Taiwanese singers. I don't have a reference to back this up - if anyone finds an authoritative source for this, please let me know. At the bottom of this Deep Forest fan-site is a discussion of Difang (the singer) and the settlement.

The songs on this album gel together a bit too well - only TNT for the Brain(8) really stands out to me, and that's mainly because I like the video. I usually just put this one on in the background and listen passively - in contrast, I like to focus my complete attention on Cross of Changes and Screen Behind the Mirror.

There's really nothing out of the ordinary to describe - good beats, lush atmospheric sounds, unusual world vocals, and emotional lyrics. Don't be misled by my lack of commentary - an "ordinary" Enigma album is really quite an awesome thing.

This is Enigma's most thematic album, in that a great number of the tracks contain samples, or even revolve around "O Fortuna," the first and last movement of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana (Orff was an early 20th century composer - he was big on percussion and education - if you played with those little wooden xylophones and various other percussion instruments in elementary school, you can thank/blame him). My favorite track, without question, is Gravity of Love(3) - its has great female vocals, and is extremely moving. I'm also quite fond of the odd and sensual music video, which I mention below.

For some reason, critics really don't seem to like this album. That's okay with me, though, I because I really don't like critics for the most part. I'd like to defend myself by saying that I'm just an amateur, not an actual critic, but I'm really just being hypocritical. If you don't like it, make your own web site ;) Seriously, I feel this album is nearly as good as Cross of Changes - its only relative shortcoming is that the songs aren't as varied. This should be near the top of your shopping list, right after Cross of Changes and perhaps Delerium's Karma.

Michael Cretu basically said that Enigma had run its course, and he wasn't sure he was going to release another album under the Engima name. He decided to release this one at the last minute, stating that it was a departure from Enigma's style up to that point. More specifically, he created the majority of the sounds on the album himself, rather than drawing on World samples. The result is definitely a Cretu production, but it lacks some of the spirit of its predecessors. I only consider the final track, Following the Sun(11), to be up to Enigma's standards. Then again, consider what high standards I hold for Enigma. I don't think I would give this album a very good review if it were released by a different artist, but I really can't be sure I'm not just biased. If you want second opinions, there's always Amazon.

The typically brief opening track has been replaced on this album by a full-length song, and a great one at that (don't worry, the "Enigma horns" theme is still featured). The interplay of analog synths and, according to Cretu, a completely synthetic voice is both beautiful and fresh. Unfortunately, the rest of the album fails to maintain this high standard - but only by a small margin. Like the third Enigma album, the tracks flow together very well, making the album as a whole a pleasure to listen to, but no one song makes you stop what you're doing and listen. That is, until the end. Goodbye Milky Way(12), the album's closing song...well, if I talk about it, I'll over-hype it. I'll just say that it's worth hearing.

Cretu has implied that this album doesn't have a thematic musical element like the earlier albums, but I clearly perceived one on the first listen: analog synths. As I mentioned, Eppur Si Muove(1) (the first track) features a synth melody - I'm listening to the album as I write, and I hear similar, prominent melodies and countermelodies on about half the tracks.

I think many Enigma fans will view A Posteriori as a return to form after its slightly disappointing predecessor. I certainly do.

With his seventh album, Cretu has moved slightly in a bombastic direction. In general, this albums' drums seem a little heavier than A Posteriori's. In particular, the title track Seven Lives(2) features a forceful orchestra string line, and Hell's Heaven(6) integrates some uncharacteristically sharp-edged synths into Engima's generally smooth and mysterious sound. On the whole, though, the album's tone is very much in line with the rest of Enigma's discography, including plenty of expertly-produced synthesized atmospheres and a smattering of mutlicultural elements.

It's not at all unusual for an Enigma album to have some sensual elements, but this album seems more sexually charged than any since MCMXC A.D. The aptly named Distorted Love(8) ventures into some strange territory. I'm not sure whether it's about platonic or romantic love or, as the name implies, some confusion of the two, but lyrics like "Touch me, I'll be your daddy, Smell me, I'll be your mommy" strike me as a little creepy. I've convinced myself that this comes of Cretu's lack of familiarity with English idioms - please don't disillusion me.

Unfortunately, there's no really strong "single" along the lines of Return to Innocence or Goodbye Milky Way; I get the impression they're not Mr. Cretu's favorite type of song to write. While there are no extreme highs, though, neither are there any extreme lows (excepting the lyrics mentioned above, if you can't tune mentally tune them out like I can). This is a solid Enigma album, and while there are a few I would recommend above it, it's a solid addition to any Enigma lover's collection.

This is a collection of music videos from the first four albums. Since I've reviewed the albums containing these songs above, there's no need to rehash all that - needless to say, Cretu picked what he felt were the best songs for videos, and most fans would agree with his choices. The videos from MCMXC A.D. are fairly erotic, especially The Principles of Lust (no shock there); the videos for the other albums are a bit tamer as a rule, but there are some exceptions. According to Amazon reviewers, there was some controversy in the early 90's about the combination of sexuality and religious imagery/chants.

If you've ever seen a Cirque du Solei show, you'll be prepared for this DVD - there are a lot of strange images, which are probably supposed to be symbolic of something. I find the imagery to be very beautiful, and if you like artsy footage and don't mind a little suggestive sexuality, you will probably enjoy this DVD as well. It gave me a new appreciation for all the songs included.