The Enigma Division - "The Enigma Division"

An ambitious self-titled debut that I'm pleased to have on this year's list of releases

(We’re leaving the cover art large on this one so that it may be properly appreciated)

The Enigma Division’s debut album is ambitious and sweeping Prog Metal. In incorporates a wide variety of prog elements and sounds across its 65 minute playtime (compressed into only 8 tracks, so they tend to run pretty long).

The album kicks off with its shortest, and lightest, track, which clocks in at only just over three minutes and spends that time building your ears up to the actual launch of the album in cinematic fashion. The meat of the album is very much a broad stroke of Prog Metal delivered in a sci-fi tone, with heavy use of synthesizers and computerized elements. It wouldn’t be out of place in a Mass Effect soundtrack.

The album closer actually takes up almost a third of the album’s length, however, at 19:51 in playtime, and is entirely an instrumental. It should be noted that opener (“1977”) and closer (“1977 (Ad Infinitum)”) are meant to bookend the album. The closer clarifies the why for choosing the year 1977 as a titular element on such a sci-fi-sounding album - it’s the year Voyager I launched; the closing track is periodically interrupted - punctuated - with audio snippets of commentary on Voyager as it flies through the solar system and eventually leaves it, along with the necessary, philosophical ‘pale blue dot’ commentary. And while that has been done, repeatedly, it is the sort of commentary that does not get stale; it can’t be possible to become bored of the idea of infinity.

It’s an effective framework, and I clearly feel that there’s more to uncover with this album. I can’t commit to Blue just yet, but this one is very good.

Rating: Teal Blue