Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces (2 CDs)

2008 Limited Edition includes bonus disc. Seven Lives Many Faces is Enigma's seventh album. This album expands the sound catalogue of previous releases and it is expected to lead to a new Omni-Cultural wave. The lead single "Seven Lives" is a powerful fusion of modern and classical elements. Enigma is an Electronic musical project founded by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson in 1990. Cretu is both the composer and the producer; his former wife Sandra often provided vocals on Enigma tracks. Jens Gad co-produced and played guitar on three of the Enigma albums.17 tracks. Album Description

Enigma's Return to Glory.

Five songs into Seven Lives Many Faces, I was convinced that I would never buy another Enigma CD again. The CD started with the obligatory horns and breathy, spoken-word vocals followed by two of the most mediocre Enigma songs I had ever heard. Track number 4, "The Same Parents" was interesting, but a little too cliche in its message. As I listened, the death of Enigma was nearly sealed with "Fata Morgana", an absolutely forgettable composition.

But as "Fata Morgana" transitioned into track 6, "Hell's Heaven" my ears took notice. "Hell's Heaven" opens with a heartbreaking chord progression that gives way to a sinister bass beat and then into rising string stabs. The truth is that Enigma has never done anything this interesting or experimental on any of the previous six albums. Another reviewer here has derrided one of the sound samples in "Hell's Heaven", describing it as "a telephone throwing up". I think this is the perfect description for the sound, but I don't see it as a negative. The "Hellish" sounding effect is brilliantly (and intentionally) balanced at the end of the song by a choir of angelic voices singing over a soul-wrenching string arrangement.

"Hell's Heaven" had peaked my interest and the song that followed, "La Puerta del Cielo" honestly blew me away. It was like I was living in 1990 again, listening to MCMXC a.d. "La Puerta del Cielo" is the closest Michale Cretu has ever gotten to revisiting his breakthrough genius.

Now I was hooked, and Seven Lives Many Faces did not disappoint. Cretu has organized the tracks in a way that keeps the drama building all the way through to the end. "Deja Vu" is an extremely clever concoction of sonic elements from some of Enigma's previous albums that only the most tuned-in fans will pick up on. "Je T'Aime Till My Dying Day" features a crunching beat layered with warm, muted strings and Andru Donalds, who usually oversings his vocals, giving the best performance he's ever given on an Enigma album. "Between Generations" and "The Language of Sound" round out the set, making it clear that Enigma is not part of the past, but still looking into the future.

As the CD started over at track 1, I had a new appreciation for the first five songs I had initially disliked, now that I had a context in which to put them. "The Same Parents", which had initially peaked my interest on first listen, now seemed to fit into the overall story of the album and took it's place as the great song that it is.

Seven Lives Many Faces is probably the most musically risky Enigma album to date; yet somehow, it still feels comfortable. From "Hell's Heaven" on through the end, the album is pure genius. For those of you who wrote off Enigma several albums ago, this is the rebirth you've been waiting for. November 16, 2008

!!! Trojan Horse Virus Downloader.Generic8.BGR Found in the CD's EnigmaStarter.exe !!!

Bought ENIGMA "Seven Lives Many Faces" (2008) CD and placed the CD into my computer and got an AVG Anti-Virus program warning that it found a Trojan Horse Downloader.Generic8.BGR in the CD's EnigmaStarter.exe. This rating is only about the Capitol Records' part of it, not the artist's. November 11, 2008

Seven Lives Many Faces - Enigma

Very fast delivey to Great Britian. Well packaged and as described. Many thanks for your custom. November 10, 2008

everything went smooth

I got my order without any complications ,everything went smooth.Amazon is the best.The new cd Seven Lives Many Faces by Enigma was awesome.It is as good as their recent cds November 10, 2008

I would still buy it!

Yes, indeed it has some boring moments. But the thing is: the first time I listned to Voygeur I almost threw it out the window (I still have some difficulties with Boom Boom!). I guess my point is: it will grow on you.
The art work is brilliant and the Bonus CD has one interesting thing: try to find out which song has the same chord scheme, time signature and tempo as Following the sun.

Best Enigma album: A posteriori
Album to buy if you're new to Enigma: The Cross of Changes
November 9, 2008

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