Larry's Music - Angra
		Homepage: Reaching Horizons - Angra Official Website Angra lit up my world in 1997 when I despaired of having any good music. Before that I only listened to progressive music such as Dream Theater and Fates Warning. Angra more or less introduced me to Classical-influenced power metal. The name "Angra" comes from the name of the Fire Goddess among the Guarani and Tupiniquim tribes of the Brazilian Amazons. With this in mind, it's not coincidence that Angra hails from São Paulo, Brazil, and plays melodic power metal with Classical and Brazilian influences. Angra has four major releases under their name (with a few other EP's and demo's flowing around): Angels Cry (1993) Unfinished Allegro Carry On Time Angels Cry Stand Away Never Understand Wuthering Heights Streets of Tomorrow Evil Warning Lasting Child Andre Matos - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Luis Mariutti - bass Ricardo Confessori - drums Amazing melodic power metal with a ton of Classical music thrown in but sped up to a sonic boom.   Holy Land (1996) Crossing Nothing to Say Silence and Distance Carolina IV Holy Land The Shaman Make Believe Z.I.T.O. Deep Blue Lullaby for Lucifer Andre Matos - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Luis Mariutti - bass Ricardo Confessori - drums To me this is Angra's masterpiece. The theme of Holy Land is Brazil, and the album flows like a collection of stories from 1499 to the modern day. The album starts with a soft choral piece and sounds of the ocean, and then thunders into "Nothing to Say" which tells the bloody conquest of the Americas. The search for redemption grows into a yearning for exploration of the sea in "Silence and Distance", which flowers into the masterpiece "Carolina IV". The song "Carolina IV" is a complex amalgation of Brazilian, Classical and Metal parts, but strangely it works really well. The next song, "Holy Land", carries the same Brazilian-Classical-Metal mix, but the theme shifts from exploration to Brazil itself. It tells of a Golden Age where the scar of the Conquest is mended and the Brazilian culture emerges from the various peoples that settled Brazil. "The Shaman", on the other hand, tells a story of an indigenous shaman performing rituals to save his tribe from supernatural demons, predators in the jungle, and the encroaching civilization. Midway through the song there's a recording of an actual shaman speaking in Tupiniquim and probably performing the ritual! "Make Believe" takes a slower tempo, and is a more introspective composition. The pace picks up again with "Z.I.T.O.", which has an uplifting spirit about building a better world. The ballad "Deep Blue" takes the listener back out to the sea, which segues perfectly into "Lullaby for Lucifer", a simple acoustic track about the past and the future. At the song ends, it leaves you in a dock somewhere in coastal Brazil with the ocean waves coming and going.   Freedom Call (1996) Freedom Call Queen of the Night Reaching Horizons Stand Away Painkiller Deep Blue Bonus Tracks: Angels Cry (acoustic) Chega de Saudades (acoustic) Never Understand (acoustic) Andre Matos - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Luis Mariutti - bass Ricardo Confessori - drums This is an EP with lots of "miscellaneous" stuff. The first song, "Freedom Call", should've been on Holy Land, because it talks about slavery and thus is part of the history of Brazil. The version "Queen of the Night" here has added orchestral arrangements but is still a true power metal tune showcasing Andre Matos's amazing vocal range. "Reaching Horizons" is from Angra's 1992 demo of the same name. It's a nice balad that got them the record deal but is not terribly memorable. "Stand Away" and "Deep Blue" are alternate versions of the same songs found on Angels Cry and Holy Land. The bonus tracks are live recordings from the Holy Land tour.   Holy Live (1997) Crossing/Nothing to Say Z.I.T.O. Carolina IV Unfinished Allegro/Carry On Andre Matos - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Luis Mariutti - bass Ricardo Confessori - drums A slice of the tour. Not too interesting unless you're a die-hard fan (which I am and that's why I have it).   Fireworks (1998) Wings of Reality Petrified Eyes Lisbon Metal Icarus Paradise Mystery Machine Fireworks Extreme Dream Gentle Change Speed Bonus Track: Rainy Nights Andre Matos - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Luis Mariutti - bass Ricardo Confessori - drums Fireworks is the third full-length album from Angra, and probably their worst (although worst in Angra standards is still higher than 99% of the music out there). The biggest problem is that the record is inconsistent. There are some really good songs, such as "Wings of Reality", "Petrified Eyes", "Lisbon", "Metal Icarus", and "Speed", but there are also songs that don't work for me. The title track "Fireworks" is unmemorable. "Paradise" drags on too long. "Mystery Machine" and "Extreme Dream" are such generic power metal tunes that they could come from Halloween.   Rebirth (2001) In Excelsis Nova Era Millenium Sun Acid Rain Heroes of Sand Unholy Wars Rebirth Judgement Day Running Alone Visions Prelude Edu Falaschi - vocals Rafael Bittencourt - guitars Kiko Loureiro - guitars Felipe Andreoli - bass Aquiles Priester - drums Angra broke up in 2000, with Andre Matos, Luis Mariutti, and Ricardo Confessori leaving to form Shaman. The remaining band members recruited Eduardo Falaschi, Felipe Andreoli, and Aquiles Priester to continue on with the name Angra. I'm still waiting for this album to be released in the USA but nowadays with the magic of online file sharing I got to listen to all the songs. After a few listens, I'd say that Rebirth is a good album, more in the vein of Angels Cry with slight Brazilian influences, but still not comparable to the masterpiece Holy Land. However, since this is a nearly new crew, I'll give them the benefit of doubt and wait to see how their next album fares.