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Not only does the combo just not work, but Cretu actually brings the entire thing to a full stop at the halfway point of the song before awkwardly introducing a key change. Once the obligatory opener passes, we’re led into “Seven Lives”, which tries desperately to combine synthesized violin stabs with a beatboxed beat and some vocals by Andru Donalds, who sounds like a cross between Peter Gabriel and Barry Gibb. It’s the hollow feeling of a Rubik’s Cube solved by sticker manipulation, recognizable as a work of art but not indicative of any sense of cohesion or mood. It is impossible to relegate to the background, but falls apart when subjected to close examination. Unlike Enigma 3, however, the effect of Seven Lives Many Faces is that of seasickness. In hindsight, Seven Lives Many Faces, Cretu’s latest take on the Enigma name, is most like the excellent Enigma 3, in that the sole thing that holds these tracks together is the search for an emotional hook emphatic vocal passages are softened by sedate instrumentals, chant returns (if in a reduced role), and Cretu appears to be trying to meld as many styles of music together as he possibly can. This is not for lack of trying The Screen Behind the Mirror tried for a running theme, but faltered in having to borrow that theme from a too-recognizable source (Orff’s “O Fortuna”), while A Posteriori tried a different take on the stark simplicity of the first album. Enigma 3: Le Roi est Mort, Vive le Roi! was where it all came together, where Michael Cretu’s project found an intensity and a beauty that simply hasn’t been matched since. Much of that potential was dropped on The Cross of Changes in favor of twinkly noises and saccharine vocalisation, though again, “Return to Innocence” was a hidden treasure that hinted at untapped potential. The first album, MCMXC A.D., wasn’t the most impressive album in the world, though “Sadeness” and “Mea Culpa” hinted at a combination of spirituality and sensuality that was awfully enticing. Despite the largely deserved “new age” scoffing that an awful lot of people seem to do when they hear the name “Enigma”, there was a time when there was something exciting about a new Enigma release.