"The Cross of Changes" was recorded in 1993 at A.R.T. Studios. Cretu retained many of the elements from the first album, but "wanted to have a completely different experience. I wanted to mix as much as possible rock elements and ethnic and classical". Numerous samples were used, including from songs by Genesis, Black Sabbath, Vangelis, and U2. Cretu made a conscious effort to reduce the amount of Gregorian chants incorporated into the album. Cretu based much of its lyrics on the concepts behind numerology, and read books on the subject. "The Cross of Changes" was released in December 1993, and reached number one in the UK and number 9 in the US. Four singles were released in 1994: "Return to Innocence", "The Eyes of Truth", "Age of Loneliness", and "Out from the Deep". The former became an international top-10 hit in 12 countries and is certified gold in the US for selling half a million copies. "The Cross of Changes" sold an estimated 8 million copies worldwide.