As I mentioned in my previous entry, this is the album that made me appreciate Enigma and the talents of Mr Cretu. Once again I will be playing the recent 180g repressing included in the "Complete Studio Albums" box set.
In 1993 it felt like I heard "The Eyes of Truth" almost every day. It wasn't necessarily played on the radio much, but it seemed to feature on every TV programme, advert or trailer I saw. Despite using the same Shakuhachi sample as the previous album, the beats have progressed and the Gregorian chants have been dialled back.
Another single "Return to Innocence" comes next with its enormous "When The Levee Breaks" loop and unique Amis tribe vocal. This is a great track that proved Enigma were about more that Gregorian chants, TR-909 beats and Emulator II samples. Cretu took the songs distinctive vocal from recordings of a Taiwanese tribe in the belief that it was in the public domain. However, much like Jean Michel Jarre with "Revolutions", he ran into trouble when the original artists objected. Unlike Jarre, Cretu reached an 'out of court settlement' that allowed him to continue using the sample and thankfully the song remains intact here. It would have been a shame if such a vital component had been removed and the song left as an empty shell (à la "Revolutions").
Another great track follows with the nine minute opus "I Love You... I'll Kill You". This track continues to provide evidence that Enigma have moved on from their debut and even the guitar solos are pretty spectacular.
Whilst this isn't a concept album, it does have a general theme: the 'conquest' of the Americas and European colonisation. "Silent Warrior" brings the subject matter into sharp focus by weaving atmospheric pads, drum machines and ethnic textures alongside Cretu's vocal lament of: "Tell me, is it right, in the name of God, these kind of
changes?" (sic).
Things take a bit of a dip with the piano kitsch of "The Dream of the Dolphin" before "Age of Loneliness" comes thundering through. Based upon a recording of a Mongolian folk song, this track resurrects the Gregorian chants and Shakuhachi samples to stunning effect. Admittedly there is nothing new here, it's just recycling the ideas of the first album, but it does sound good. "Out From the Deep" is starts with gentle guitar arpeggios and gradually builds into something akin to a traditional rock song. The title track is a gentle coda in which Sandra tells us that the eyes of truth are always watching us. Good stuff. 4/5
