The Cross of Changes

The Cross of Changes was released in 1993 and marked Enigma’s next important step. Where MCMXC a.D. fused Gregorian chant with hip-hop rhythm, the second album moved into entirely new territory: rock loops from the 1970s combined with ethnic voices from across the world, accentuating each stage of Enigma’s continuing musical voyage. Inspired by the science of numerology, the album charts a course through ritual, belief, and the cycle of life.

The first single Return to Innocence became a worldwide #1, built around an indigenous Taiwanese folk vocal traditionally sung to celebrate birth and to mourn death. The Eyes of Truth turns toward Nepal and the ultimate religious question, the existence of a higher power: “That’s why we are here. To learn to love, to learn how to live.” Across the album, spiritual motifs prevail, promoting a higher cause without imposing belief: “There’s a universal justice, and the eyes of truth are always watching you.”