I just got it in the mail today and I'm contemplating whether I should superglue it into my cd player so that it's always there! I can't even count how long I've been waiting for the fourth Enigma album! I have all of them and I have to say that I like this one the most. It is the moodiest and by far the most powerful of all! Gravity of Love just sends a shivering wave down my back! Endless Quest is probably the trademark soundscape of Enigma incorporating the amazing panflute sounds that have become synonymous with Enigma. The cd opens like the other 3 which gives a very satisfying unity. You can see this if you listen to all four of them in sequence. Smell of Desire is probably the most mellow track which borrows the female vocals from the first album's Mea Culpa. This is one of those ambient, afterhours songs that is definitely destined to become an Ibiza favourite! After all, the Enigma cd's were all recorded on the island. This is definitely the music to live life with! Don't even dare to hesitate bying it!

After 3 years of waiting, Enigma 4 finally starts a new story. With the last album Le Roi Est Mort ending a Trilogy, The Screen begins a new journey into what Enigma is about: being mystical and beautiful. Although this album requires some getting used to, once one is in the zone,each tune sounds like a ticket to a strange and mysterious world. "Push The Limits" starts the album off with a bang and the haunting "Gravity Of love" with vocals from Olive set the stage for a classic album. The "Smell Of Desire" works as a combination of elements from all 3 albums so far and "Modern Crusader" lifts the energies. The album is by far the most instrumental so to date and also the most different, which is good to see. Enigma have never been boring, they are bad at it. The strong theme of the album is made powerful by Carl Orffs Carmina Burana sampled several times. The theme of the album: listen, feel, learn and understand, the album is meant to be felt rather than spelled out. SO what if a song is called "Silence Must Be Heard" or Traces(Light & Weight), look a little deeper, maybe you'll know what Enigma mean!

What a fun recording! If you already enjoy Enigma, then you won't be disappointed. If you're not sure, this may sway you. Along the lines of their earlier eclectic albums, Screen Behind the Mirror offers more of the same flavor and strong moving pulse. Overtones of Orff's Carmina Burana float and sometimes break through the recognizable Enigma fare in an unusual haunt. Overall it's a great CD-I've listened to it five times within 24 hours of receiving it and it still leaves me wanting more. Good job!

I agree with a previous reviewer who commented that this latest Enigma project left the listener wanting more. It is the final track Silence Must Be Heard, with vocals by Ruth-Ann from Olive, that reminds me of working out before going to bed; It leaves you in overdrive with nowhere to go. Screen Behind the Mirror is definitely miles away from the last Enigma album ( Le Roi Es Mort, Vive Le Roi ! )which was weak. Screen has more bass and driving percussion as well as a handful of"up-tempoed" songs or instrumentals. The reason why some may have found the tracks a bit busy with sound and samples is because if one listens to the tracks with vocals, the vocals are faint and sort of blended in with some type of electronic synth-vocalizer. Also, singer Andru Donalds' voice is somewhat similar to Michael Cretu's. The vocals are used mainly as part of the instrumentation( with exception of Gravity of Love and Silence...) and not at the foreground such as the two previous Enigma albums. Yes, there are samples and familiar sounds from the first two Enigma c.d.s but no Gregorian chanting (shucks). Also, for the listener who has heard Ruth Ann Boyle sing before with her group Olive, it is evident why Cretu chose her for some of the vocals; Her own group has that slight hip-hop or trip hop feel to it with an edge of ambience or techno. Ruth Ann's vocals have been compared to as a cross between Sophie B. Hawkins and Sade; throaty( not in the Stevie Nicks sense) yet soulful.

The #1 complaint is the absence of vocals by Louisa "This Is the Voice of Enigma" Stanley replaced by another woman with a less effective and passionate tone. Stanley's was very seductively soothing and convincing. The #2 complaint is not allowing or having Sandra Cretu do any lead vocals (actual singing--not whispering or breathing) on any one of the tracks as rumored earlier on from other entertainment media sources. Sandra's vocal abilities have made her a great sensation back in Europe. For anyone who has not purchased her import c.d.s, they should give her a try.

So, the question is, "Does Enigma/Cretu have a hit?"--ABSOLUTELY ! However, it remains to be seen if it lives up to or surpasses Enigma's debut from 1990 . Only the charts and masses will tell...

I loved the first Enigma cd, but the two follow-ups left me cold. The Screen Behind The Mirror is indeed an incredible return to form. From the moment the cd begins with that familiar "Voice of Enigma" music, it is enchanting. Ruth Ann from Olive is an exciting addition and provides the cd with two of its best songs, "Gravity of Love" and "Silence Must Be Heard." If you've never heard her from Olive's "Extra Virgin" album, get that one too. You'll be wanting to hear more of her. My other fave tracks (at the moment) are "Push the Limits" and the title track. Unlike some of the other reviews, I enjoy the fact that Cretu returns to some of his themes from the past albums. And although this cd is a bit shorter than the other three, it still packs an emotional wallop. Good job all around, Mr. Cretu.