"The first is the father. The second is the mother. And the third... is the child." So describes the seductive female voice on Enigma's third album, intimating that its release completes a thematic trilogy. Indeed, the soundscapes which traverse "Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!" steal threads from Enigma's previous work -- the Gregorian chants, the hypnotic rhythms, the suggestive smatterings of French -- and add new flourishes, including Celtic Uillean pipes and haunting Gypsy wails. As on "MCMXC a.D.," these new songs flow together to create a comprehensive piece of work, meditative enough for the yoga mat, yet evocative enough for more earthly pursuits.

-- Beth Winegarner

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle.