After Enigma

Enigma

MCMXC A.C.

The first Enigma album features quite a bit of Gregorian chant. Again, I don't know if someone else pioneered the use of Gregorian Chant in mainstream music, but I believe this is the first succesful case. There are also some world sounds throughout the album. This is actually my least favorite Enigma release. 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 Voice and the Snake, which sounds nothing but bizzare, and really has no appeal at all.

The Cross of Changes

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, is on this album. My other favorites are I Love You ... I'll Kill You (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. If you don't already own this album, it should be the next you buy. There's really nothing more to say.

Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!

This is the middle album in both chronology and quality. That's funnier if you read it aloud - don't be shy. Anyway, this album hangs together a bit too well - only TNT for the Brain really stands out in my mind, 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 Change 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 - a "ordinary" Enigma album is really quite an awesome thing.

The Screen Behind the Mirror

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 - 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, 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 shoppign list, right after Cross of Changes and perhaps Delerium's Karma.

Voyageur

Michel 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 album 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 defenitely a Cretu production, but it lacks some of the spirit of its predecessors. I only consider the final track, Following the Sun, 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.

Remember the Future (DVD)

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, that 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.