THE ENID was formed in 1974 by composer and pianist Robert John Godfrey in Northampton, UK and they are best know for their large-scale fantasy-inspired instrumental pieces. These guys were the first to ever self-fund their recordings with contributions from fans in advance. Wow. That's a pretty large feat. After a long hiatus in 1988, Godfrey started back up in 2008, reforming THE ENID.  "Invicta" is THE ENID's 13^th studio album originally released in 2010 comes in with nine tracks and a listening time of just over 52 minutes.

The opening track "Anthropy" is Atmospheric and drenched in Symphonic elements, but there is also an outer space feel that heightens the creepiness but also the awesomeness if this track right up there. This one minute and fifteen second instrumental opener has a glorious and cryptic feel.

"One and the Many", track two, comes in at a stunning ten minutes and twenty-four seconds, and I can see why. Not only is this a beautiful track, but also a composition. This is what all other music is composed of. It comes in slowly with a perfect Folk embodied daydream that leads into the piano and then the angelic opera-esque vocal. Her falsetto and the baritone vocals of the male backers help bring this piece to life. Then, all of a sudden, it changes. The focal vocal is male, and everything becomes a little lower in tone. This track is something I would imagine hearing in a movie that has ballroom dancing at the royal court. While this isn't what traditional Metal sounds like, there has to be an understanding that this genre we have come to love so dearly is directly influenced by music such as this.

Track five, "Witch Hunt" is fast and furious. As you would expect a witch hunt to be. There is a definite rock influence in this track and the guitars take the lead on that realm. The percussion is also something to really admire here. There is so much here to hear and the incredible amount of uniqueness that is displayed in this track alone leaves me to believe that THE ENID has incredible talent among their roster.

"Heaven's Gate", track six, is another fairly long track coming in at just over nine minutes. This one starts off slow and has a little more of that sci-fi feel to it. It gives you that otherworldly feeling. This striking track is a lot more heavy on the electric guitar, however, it's not the distinct play we know it as, it's much more subtle and beautiful and completely intertwined with the rest of the composition. All the elements are beautifully paired.

Track seven, "Leviticus", is a much stronger track in the terms of its more Rock roots. There is an incredible guitar piece that not only the guitar is strong in, but the rest of the musical elements are incredible as well. The vocals are male, clean, and still more opera than anything else.

The final track, "The Whispering", makes me think of springtime. Like at the very moment the flowers open and reach for the sun. It's a softer track that sings hello and sighs goodbye. This particular track, also reminds me of something my grandparents would have slowed danced to in the kitchen. Maybe not so much the lyrics, but then again it could be, they aren't exactly cold or dishonest. This is a beautifully nostalgic piece.

"Invicta" is beautifully written, performed, and it shows incredible musicianship and talent. There is a bit of Folk and Symphonic elements carried through the entire album, which will be appealing those who enjoy Symphonic Rock and Folk Metal. There are tons of softer elements that create emphasis on the hard more emotional aspects of the album. This is an incredible album that has so much to offer.