SilentScream213 Angra were not quite the inventors of Symphonic Metal – that accolade would have to go to X Japan – but they were absolutely at the forefront of its development. What’s more, the style of Symphonic Power Metal first crafted on “Angels Cry” is a style that has carried on to the present day. The genres tend to go hand in hand now, rarely one existing without some element of the other, no doubt the legacy of this majestic work.

Something that is immediately apparent is that this album is incredibly rich and developed for a debut album. The symphonic elements are in full swing, there’s a strong variety of sounds all pulled off quite well, and the music is quite frankly impressive. This band knew exactly what they wanted to do from the get-go, and they hit the ground running. Another interesting factor is that this is a debut album from Brazil of all places, yet the production is very good, as if it were a popular band with a big budget. Of course, the guest appearance of Kai Hansen of Halloween and Gamma Ray fame is testament that this band was not totally unknown and must have had some notoriety.

One slight weakness for me is that the vocals can be quite pitchy at times, and always stay at the very high end of the registry. Despite that, the guy definitely has impressive range and technique, just doesn’t always suit my taste. The two part closer is also not anything amazing, meaning the album is bookended by its weakest tracks if you include the intro.

Overall, amazingly impressive and cohesive debut album, hasn’t aged a day.

lukretion Rebirth: it would have been hard to find a more fitting title for Angra’s fourth full-length album, the first after the band split in two and was left for dead at the time by many specialized magazines. Singer Andre Matos and the entire rhythm section comprised of Luís Mariutti and Ricardo Confessori departed to form Shaman, leaving guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt to pick up the pieces. The duo recruited Felipe Andreoli (bass), Aquiles Priester (drums) and Edu Falaschi (vocals) to try and keep the Angra ship alive. But the album does not feel like a rebirth just in terms of its revolutionized line-up. It is also a musical rebirth, after a record, Fireworks, that was probably too ambitious for its own good and ultimately felt a bit like a mixed bag.

Rebirth does not waste any time to let the listener know that things have changed. In this sense, opener (after the obligatory orchestral intro) “Nova Era” is a strong statement of intents. The Brazilian folk experimentations of the past line-up are considerably toned down (though they still surface on a couple of songs) in favour of a more direct and fast-tempo speed/power metal approach that immediately showcases the talents of the new line-up, particularly of drummer Aquiles Priester and singer Edu Falaschi. Although Falaschi does not have the unique charm of Matos’ voice, his range is impressive and his crystalline delivery shows that Angra have found an excellent substitute for their iconic former singer. Elsewhere the album moves in more progressive territories, with songs (“Millennium Sun”, “Unholy Wars”, “Running Alone”) built around complex structures, tempo changes, extended instrumental passages, and great orchestral arrangements, courtesy of Günter Werno from German prog metallers Vanden Plas.

These tracks are what elevates Rebirth above the standard power metal sound that one can find aplenty on albums released in the late 1990s / early 2000s. At the same time, the music is more streamlined, direct and powerful than what typically characterizes a prog metal release. In this way, Rebirth walks the fine line between the two worlds, pleasing fans of standard European (and especially Italian) power metal as well as those of more progressively-inclined bands like Queensrÿche and Dream Theatre.

In large part, Rebirth is a success story as the tunes are pleasant, accessible and at the same time sufficiently varied and multifaceted to keep things interesting. But, as a prog metal aficionado, I cannot help but miss the drive to experiment and push things forward and in unexpected directions that had characterized the earlier work of the band. It is particularly songs like “Acid Rain”, “Heroes of Sand” and “Judgment Day” that haven’t aged very well: lacking a strong melodic presence and deprived of interesting forward-thinking moments, these tracks fall a bit flat and bog down an album that remains nevertheless better than average.

[Also posted on progarchives.com and metal-archives.com]

DippoMagoo It’s not often you see a singer or musician involved with two different albums from two different bands being released within a month of each other, but that’s exactly the case for famed vocalist Fabio Lione, who has certainly been very busy in recent years, since leaving Rhapsody of Fire. Earlier this month, he released a collaborative effort with Alessandro Conti, and now his current main band Angra are set to release their ninth full-length release, ØMNI, this coming February. I’ve had my struggles with Angra in the past, not enjoying their first couple of albums much at all and even finding most albums with Edu Falaschi to be solid but forgettable, outside of career high point Temple of Shadows, but I had hoped they would finally win me over with Fabio joining the band, as he’s by far my favorite of their three singers. Unfortunately, their previous album Secret Garden didn’t do much for me, so I had just about written the band off until I received the promo for ØMNI. Even then, I had my doubts after a couple of listens, but after giving it some more time, I have to say, this is the first time the band has truly impressed me outside of Temple of Shadows, and while it may not quite reach the heights of that masterpiece, it’s definitely a great album that can stand alongside it as by far my two favorite Angra releases to date.

While Angra is generally described as a power metal band, they stand out from most bands in the genre by having very diverse songwriting and by including some unexpected elements, such as a unique kind of percussion they include on many of their albums, as well as some very unique melodies. Their songs often stay in a more relaxed tempo than many power metal bands, and while this can work out well, I generally find their albums lack a lot of energy, which was especially a problem with Secret Garden, an album which I thought had some huge highs, but far too many lulls for my tastes.

With ØMNI, the band really hasn’t changed much, as the percussion is definitely in full effect on some tracks, the melodies are certainly unique and a bit bizarre at points and the songwriting is certainly varied, with many softer sections, but overall it definitely packs more of a punch than its predecessor, with the heavier sections really standing out in a positive way, giving the album a much-needed energy boost. Compared to Secret Garden, the prog elements are fully intact, and if anything this release has some much more complex compositions as well as even more technically impressive musicianship, occasionally reaching close to Dream Theater levels, and of course the symphonic elements still appear from time to time. The biggest difference is that where the previous album had shockingly little power metal compared to other Angra albums, this album has about the amount listeners would expect, with three full tracks of speedy power metal and many speedy bursts found on other songs. The songwriting is quite varied, as ever, and while the second half definitely is softer and slower paced, on the whole, there are enough heavier sections to keep it engaging this time around. Obviously, performances are strong all across the board and the production is flawless as always. It’s also worth noting that this is a concept album, based around a futuristic setting in the year 2046, though personally, I don’t find the lyrics to be either a selling point or a negative: They’re just kinda there.

One thing that’s definitely a selling point for me is vocalist Fabio Lione, who has to be the most prolific power metal vocalist in the world at this point. Seriously, it’s getting hard to find bands in the genre he hasn’t been involved in at least some way or another at this point. Regardless of how active he is, though, his voice still sounds as strong as ever, carrying the melodies perfectly as always and bringing in some extra power to enhance the heavier tracks. He gives an emotional performance that really lifts one particular track I’d probably find a bit lacking him and simply does an outstanding job all around. There’s also help from guitarist Rafael Bittencourt on a few tracks, as with Secret Garden, and he does a solid job, though I definitely prefer Fabio’s vocals over his. There are also some guest vocals on one track, which I’ll describe a bit further, but needless to say, they’re a real treat.

Moving on to songwriting, which tends to be my biggest problem area with most Angra albums, but this time around that isn’t the case. Opening track “Light of Transcendence” is a blazing fast symphonic power metal track with uplifting melodies, wonderful guitar work, a super catchy chorus, heavy riffs and an excellent guitar solo in the second half. It’s an amazing track that really got my hopes up for the entire album the first time I heard it. Next is lead single “Travelers of Time”, which is a pretty interesting track. It starts off with some of that percussion I described earlier as well as some very heavy, almost djent like riffs which carry on throughout the verses, but then as the chorus hits the track goes full speed away and becomes another epic, speedy power metal track that’s sure to please fans of the genre, with Fabio delivering some amazing vocals as always. The track gets heavier again later on and Rafael delivers some of his best vocals, which lead to a pretty memorable guitar solo, followed by an even more epic final run through of the chorus. Between this track and the opener, fans are treated to one heck of an awesome one-two punch to start the album.

After that strong start, we get one of the more bizarre and interesting tracks in “Black Widow’s Web”, which opens up with some very soft but quirky and kind of unsettling female vocals, which are very effective in setting the mood for what turns out to be a dark, heavy and very intense track. It’s more mid-paced compared to the first two tracks, though it does speed up at points, and it has a memorable chorus. The most notable feature of the track, though, aside from the uncharacteristically heavy, and again almost djent like riffs, is the inclusion of some very powerful and intense death growls, which show up frequently during the verses and chorus. Later on, there’s a section where the music gets even crazier and heavier, with the death growls being the sole focus. I’m sure some folks may be turned off by this track, but I find it to be one of the best on the album, and it’s certainly something I wouldn’t have expected from Angra.

After that, the album settles down somewhat. Next is “Insania”, another more mid-paced and progressive track, which still has some heavier sections, though it’s much calmer and melodic compared to the previous track, with its speedy and fun chorus being its best feature. It’s another epic track, with a nice use of symphonic elements, interesting drum patterns, great vocal melodies and some of that classic power metal feeling in the chorus. Following that is the first ballad, “The Bottom of My Soul”, which is led by Rafael. It’s a solid track in its own right, with a nice chorus and a nice use of symphonic elements, as well as an epic guitar solo later on, but I find it to be the weakest on the album overall. The pace picks up again after that, though, with “War Horns” being another fast-paced power metal track, falling somewhere in between the heavier “Travelers of Time” and the more melodic “Light of Transcendence”. It has some punchy guitar work, strong vocals, and another catchy chorus, as well as occasional voiceovers, which thankfully don’t distract much from the music. Definitely another one of my favorites on the album. Perhaps the biggest oddball on the album and one that took several listens for me to fully appreciate, is next, that being “Caveman”. It starts out with some odd rhythms, more of that djent influenced guitar work, and it features some of that unique percussion as well as some very odd chanting. Initially, I wasn’t really feeling the track and thought it was a big misfire, but over time I’ve come to appreciate the early parts as an interesting experiment and then after a while Fabio takes over and track becomes more melodic before eventually speeding up and delivering an epic power metal chorus. The instrumental section in the second half is very interesting and has a lot going on, and overall it’s certainly an interesting and very progressive track, which has actually become of my favorites over time, though I can see it being hit and miss for some folks. One thing’s for sure, though: That chorus is incredible, and easily the best on the entire album.

Moving into the last few tracks, the pace drops off a bit. Next is “Magic Mirror”, probably the most progressive track on the album, and one that brings Dream Theater to mind at times, with some of the complex guitar work in the second half, as well as the chorus. It also has a slight touch of retro prog rock during some of its softer moments, and it’s a pretty calm and melodic track overall, though it has one explosive heavy section in the middle, where the pace picks up. It’s definitely a very complex and engaging track, that shows how much the band has evolved over the years. After that is “Always More”, the second ballad, and while it starts off feeling a bit boring, with verses sung decently by Rafael, once Fabio jumps in to sing the chorus the track really picks up, as he delivers a very emotional performance that lifts the track to new heights. The final run through the chorus, in particular, is incredible and really enhances the song. The last full metal song is next, with the first part of the title track “Infinite Nothing.” It’s another progressive, mostly mid-paced track which has some great instrumental work, especially from the guitars, and of course, Fabio does an amazing job on vocals as always, delivering another emotional chorus. It’s a bit calmer than I’d expect for an epic length track, but it has quite a few memorable sections and is a great track overall. Lastly, we have “Infinite Nothing”, the second part of the title track and an orchestral piece containing melodies from all the previous tracks on the album. It’s a nice way to close the album and definitely brings Temple of Shadows to mind.

Overall, ØMNI is a pleasant surprise, being the second Angra album that has fully impressed me, and it comes right after their previous album left me feeling quite disappointed. It features the usual trademarks of the band, while also including some much heavier guitar work than expected at times, as well as some extremely varied and effective songwriting that helps lift it up to greater heights than most of their other albums. I expect longtime fans to be divided on it, but I’d highly recommend it to fans of power metal and prog who want a more varied and challenging album to listen to, as well as for anyone who can’t get enough of Fabio Lione.

originally written for myglobalmind.com: https://myglobalmind.com/2018/01/28/angra-omni-review/

Kingcrimsonprog The Brazilian Heavy Metal band Angra’s debut album Angels Cry had sounded somewhere in the area of like a mixture between early Helloween and Queensryche. Three years later the band diversified their sound, with a sort of Dream Theater flair in places, a lot less Power Metal, and the introduction of what would come to define the band in the eyes of many… lots of Brazilian indigenous folk music influences, additional percussion and classical influences in there too for good measure. Where the first album had a lot more speed, this album mixes it up. It’s a lot more rhythmic, based on interesting patterns. They upped the amount of keyboards, orchestral arrangements and percussion for sure, and there’s some sound effects here and there (boat and water sounds to fit with the theme), but the biggest difference is in how the songs flow and are structured.

Its also a concept album about their Brazilian homeland and its early history. Not your typical character-driven concept (usually about a fictional rockstar). It makes for interesting listening and adds an extra layer of intrigue to the proceedings.

The style has changed a little since the debut, but what hasn’t changed is the band’s talent. The vocals and lead guitar alone are phenomenal and then you have the really powerful rhythm section who shower this album full of impressive bass runs and tricky fills and manage all the tempo and time sig changes effortlessly making the complexity feel smooth and natural.

The superb production job by Power Metal producer-extraordinaire Charlie Bauerfeind (Hammerfall, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Primal Fear, Blind Guardian, Freedom Call etc.) is the icing on the cake that pulls together the spectacular songwriting and performances and makes you appreciate everything all the more.

Highlights include ‘Nothing To Say’ which is beyond catchy, ‘Carolina IV’ and perhaps my favourite of all, ‘Z.I.T.O’ which starts off in an Angel’s Cry mould and then goes off on one.

Overall, this is a really good album from a talented band. If you like your Prog Metal or your Power Metal then you need to check out Angra, and if you like Angra then Holy Land is pretty essential listening.

DippoMagoo Despite being a very major band in their country, and really melodic metal in general, Brazilian group Angra has never been one of my favorites. I’ve always enjoyed their music, but aside from their masterpiece Temple of Shadows, I tend to like them but not love them. So when their newest incarnation was revealed, with a new drummer and vocalist, I was neither overly excited nor upset, instead just interested to see how much their sound would change, and whether or not they could come close to matching their one truly great album. Well, their 8th full length release Secret Garden is now here, and as usual with Angra, I enjoy the album, but still find myself thinking it could have been better.

Angra fans tend to be divided into two camps: Those who prefer their early releases, led by vocalist Andre Matos (Angels Cry and Holy Land are especially popular among these fans), and those who prefer their later albums, with Edu Falaschi. There are some who like both, but in general I find there to be somewhat of a divide between fans of either singer. As stated above, I can’t claim to be the biggest fan of either era, though technically I fall closer in line with the latter, in part due to my dislike of their first two albums, and because Temple of Shadows happens to be the second album from the Falaschi era.

As expected, Secret Garden is more in line with their later albums, especially their previous album Aqua, but if anything it goes even further with the more progressive direction, and for the most part their power metal elements have been left behind. This results in a surprisingly restrained and laid back album, with barely any heavy parts in the entire back half. The first half is mostly dominated by mid tempo melodic metal tracks with strong prog leanings, while the second half gives way to a whole lot of balladry, and while the songs are generally enjoyable, I find having so many of these songs thrown together causes a severe lack of energy. While I would have preferred more speed throughout, I enjoy the first half quite a bit, as new drummer Bruno Valverde does a great job during the more offbeat portions, and he also mixes in some of that unique Brilliance percussion found on most Angra albums, using it effectively on songs like “Newborn Me” and “Final Light”, plus I have to admit the musicianship is great all around, especially during the more progressive songs, which have some excellent instrumental portions. The middle portion of “Newborn Me” is especially good.

I found Edu Falaschi’s departure from the band somewhat refreshing, in that it seemed to have been completely his decision (he noted that his upper register wasn’t the same anymore, so he no longer felt comfortable singing some of their back catalogue,) but regardless, he had become an important part of the band over the years, and so replacing him was going to be difficult. Amazingly, the band managed to pull a fast one by bringing in none other than the always reliable (and extremely busy) Fabio Lione, a move that immeidately made me at least somewhat optimistic for the album. As expected, Fabio sounds great, though his vocals are largely dialed back compared to normal, showcasing more of his lower register. Of course, on the two speedier tracks he shows that he’s still one of the best power metal singers in the world. He’s far from being alone, though, as this album features guest appearances from Simone Simons and Doro Pesch, along with several vocal contributions from guitarist Rafael Bittencourt.

Album opener “Newborn Me” is one of the highlights, for sure, as mentioned above. It features great instrumental work, and also proves that Fabio Lione fits in great with the band. He sounds even better on the melodic, keyboard driven “Storm of Emotions”. My two favorite songs are unsurprisingly the two speedier, more power metal oriented tracks “Black Hearted Soul” and “Perfect Symmetry”, with the latter in particular being simply fantastic, and providing a nice change of pace during the at times dull and plodding second half of the album. The more complex, progressive track “Upper Levels” is a bit inconsistent, but it has enough memorable parts to make it enjoyable, and the percussion is particularly effective. One final highlight is the title track, a really nice ballad sung entirely by Simone Simons, who does an amazing job as always. Some editions of the album also feature a cover version of “Synchronicity II” by The Police, which is a surprisingly fun take on the song, giving it more of a modern sound white still staying fairly close to the original.

There’s really only one song I don’t like, and that is the duet “Crushing Room”. I like Rafael’s vocals on all the other tracks where he appears, but on this one I find he slightly over sings, which makes the already cheesy chorus sound even worse, and for some reason Doro’s voice sounds kinda awkward to me and just doesn’t seem to fit the song too well. This is likely a personal preference, but either way I simply don’t like the song much at all. Other slower tracks like “Final Light”,“Violet Sky” and the closer “Silent Call” are nice but not particularly memorable.

I’d say those last few words would make an accurate description for Secret Garden on the whole: It’s a solid album with excellent performances all around, flawless production and some great melodies, but aside from a few standout tracks, the songwriting is just not strong enough for it to be considered anything more than nice, but not particularly memorable. Existing Angra fans are sure to like at least some of it, though I suspect most will still prefer either the Matos albums or the Falaschi albums. As for me, I like this more than any of the Matos albums and I’d place it somewhere in the middle of the Falaschi albums, maybe slightly ahead of Aurora Consurgens, and behind Aqua, with Temple of Shadows still far ahead (I actually haven’t listened to Rebirth, yet.). For the record, I do prefer Lione over either of their previous singers, so I do hope he stays around, and that the band can do better work with him in the future.

(originally written for myglobalmind: http://myglobalmind.com/2015/05/26/angra-secret-garden-review/)

Kingcrimsonprog Angels Cry 20th Anniversary Live is a 2013 concert Blu-ray by the Brazilian Progressive/Power Metal band Angra. It features the line-up with Italian singer Fabio Lione (ex-Labyrinth, Rhapsody of Fire) on vocals performing material from all eras of the discography passionately – with some interesting guest appearances including Tarja Turunen (ex- Nightwish), Uli Jon Roth (ex-Scorpions), Amilcar Christófaro (Torture Squad) and the Familia Lima string section.

This set has quite high production values. Visually; the thing is an absolute gem. Top notch image quality, great camera work with tasteful editing, and the actual stage show contains interesting video screens with eye catching imagery. Its all just great for the eyeballs, which is why you’re getting a video recording and not an audio recording anyway, right? Well this is totally worth every penny in the visual department.

Sonically, the recording is crystal clear. You can hear every single note, every different drum and cymbal. Its like a Rush concert or something – brilliant clarity and definition. The only thing that’s not absolutely perfect is that in the stereo mix, the rhythm guitar is not as heavy as some of the studio versions, but it is still a brilliant mix nonetheless. Best of all; The performance is beyond stellar; Fabio nails it recreating the band’s different singers’ work well and injects some of his own flair into the proceedings. The guitar solos are out of this world and the tireless drumming of Ricardo Confessori sounds great. Listening to and watching the interesting music is an absolute joy.

Highlights include the fantastic renditions of ‘Evil Warning,’ ‘Nothing To Say’ and the fantastic set closer ‘Nova Era.’ The enthusiastic São Paulo audience seem really into it.

Overall; Its an absolutely great concert DVD on a technical level, and better still it’s a great concert in and of itself. The line-up is strong, the setlist is great and the guest musicians add an extra layer of interest. I highly recommend this to fans of the band, fans of this end of the musical spectrum, and fans of good quality concert recordings. It would be an unquestionable treat for existing fans but would also work really well as a first purchase for newcomers