In 2004 I bought my first Angra CD and had high expectations of the band. I didn't know the story behind these Brazilians, but many things I had heard about them months before quickly intrigued me. Two of South America's most talented vocalists are said to have walked within his lines, while containing a heavenly musicianship inspired by old-school power metal combined with constant alien-sounding cameos, particularly samba, blues, salsa, jazz and many others. styles of music brought to life what is reputedly the most respected act in Brazil. Of course, they had to share this title with the thrash metal band Sepultura.
As anyone who embarks on the Angra ship knows, the band's history is divided into two distinct periods: the first, directed by Andre Matos in almost every corner (lyrics, music, instrument selection), began with his extraordinary debut .The angels are crying, and ended with his brilliant masterpieceFireworks. This is the era we need to know (for now), and it started with 1993angels cry, considered by many to be Angra's best release to date. Many others pay tribute to his successor.holy land, and the rest (including myself) think it's simply the best album of the Andre Matos era, but not of the band's discography (cheers mighty Shadow Hunter!). However, there is one more important fact that needs to be pointed out.angels cryIt was the album that revolutionized the way power metal was done up to that year.
I personally defineangels crylike a progressive power/metal release, with many interesting elements that make it unique and solid. There are songs that contain symphonic pieces, influenced by musicians like Niccolò Paganini or the baroque composer Vivaldi. This strange combination of extremely different musical genres was later adopted by other bands because Angra proved that it worked beautifully. Another notable element was the duo of guitar virtuoso Kiko Loureiro (co-founder and shredder) and Rafael Bittencourt (co-founder and second guitarist). They seem to have been connected to each other since birth and let go of their virtuosity in the exciting and at the same time melancholic atmosphere of skillfulangels cry, with exciting solos that only a few pieces of the scene can top. The steady drumming of the double bass won't let anyone down as it ramps up, slows down, speeds up, or gets out of the way when needed.
However, there was something about Angra's early days that always dwarfed the musician's abilities. This "something" is called André Matos. One of the previous reviewers mentioned a great truth. Anyone who's sampled Angra's early albums can hate Andre's voice for the over-the-top and often annoying falsettos he unashamedly sings whenever he can, even when they're unnecessary. Mr. Matos' pitch can make you unnerved, like watching a fag danceCha Cha Cha. On the contrary, he can be commended for his never-ending creativity in the field of songwriting, which he pours into every corner of the record to talk about themes of modern life. Don't get me wrong though, his high pitched voice also works well at various points on the release, but I'm always more neutral and harsh when asked my opinion on Andre's singing skills. In the early stages of his career (which included his earlier company, Viper), he could not fully control his voice. That's the bottom line, like it or not. I'm not in that group of stupid fans who idolize Andre Matos and even compare it to the legendary Michael Kiske, nor am I a shallow person who thinks the band died when that guy left. Anyway, let's check it againangels cry, before continuing to hurt some sensitive children.
Unlike other debut releases, this one is free from any flaws. It's an interesting way of showing how mature the band was despite their little experience recording a studio album. As far as song building goes, they are definitely way ahead of their compatriots who have ventured into the genre and couldn't even write a decent verse. Many of the tracks' tempos undergo unexpected but efficient changes, allowing the orchestration to step in and do the rest. As you can see, this release isn't a 100% Metal build, but it wasn't as noticeable as it would later be.holy land, where Angra almost loses its metallic sound.
angels cryIt opens with "Unfinished Allegro", the band's most well-known instrumental intro, the main element of which is the keyboard, and it's a brief relaxation for what's to come. The symphonic intro is fully tied to "Carry On," the expected explosive headbanger that starts out like any other average power metal song, but then descends into catchy progressive passages embellished with keyboards and trumpets, while Kiko Loureiro delivers a memorable shredding delivers . wisely attacking the listener. His music conveys many positive feelings and inspires you to overcome any problems that you may have in your life. Many believe this to be the definitive Angra anthem, and it quickly became an all-time fan favorite that the band had to play at the end of their shows to wrap it up properly. After this epic five minute piece, we move on to "Time", a heavier track that starts with a gentle acoustic guitar solo and immediately descends into a mid-tempo melody, with an excellent performance by Mr. Matos and his unmistakable falsetto character (the don't bother here). It's slowly growing and it's also one of my favorite songs on the album. I don't understand why many don't like it as it goes straight to the point with a simple but professional build. His modest guitar break gives us further recordings of the tremendous talent that both Loureiro and Bittencourt possess and we don't want the song to end. The band members actually had the time of their lives recording it and anyone who dared to call the song a waste of time was wrong.
With the title track "Angels Cry" it's time to get back to the epic. true epic. Once it kicks off, the guitars invite celebration as the song inevitably picks up steam for a delicate guitar solo, which is then followed by another tempo change (The One Who Gave It To Life) that reigns until its catchy bridge. . ends so you can accelerate again. Sounds interesting right? It goes without saying that this is one of the progressive tracks on the album and the singer is pushing his voice to new limits, but in some parts of the chorus his screams make you want to cut his balls off. (Wait a minute, wouldn't that make Matos scream even more? Damn!) I can only find two words to describe how his voice sounds there:
. Sorry I couldn't find a better adjective, but that doesn't change the fact that I said before. "Angels Cry" is incredible, has even more depth than "Carry On", the choruses do a good job and the band flirts with other musical genres.
It's very important to mention another highlight that translates to the name "Streets of Tomorrow", perhaps the heaviest song on the release, peppering your head with aggressive bass solos (courtesy of Luis Mariutti) while keeping the same structure . until it is finished. Everything sounds great here. The vocals, the drums, the bass solos, the keyboards and of course Loureiro's impressive shredding that once again enchants the senses. "Stand Away" and "Lasting Child" are two decent ballads, on the first Matos captivates you with his flutes and the great orchestration adds interest as the song picks up speed and builds into a massive power ballad that one presented by Andres best vocal performances. Split in half, “Lasting Child” is a bit boring and moves too slowly (Matos gets annoying at times too), but it has a fairly lengthy instrumental finale, where violins, flutes and keyboards help create a magical atmosphere generate. Fairy tale. There is a third ballad, also considered a controversial song on the album, called "Wuthering Heights". This is a cover of 80's pop singer Kate Bush. Well, if you've heard the original version, you know that Kate's voice sounds like a cute, disturbed cat. Matos gives the song a new romantic flavor but totally abuses the falsettos that actually make up the entire chorus. Yes, it's clear that Andre's inflated ego caused him to include this cover just to show "what a son of a bitch he was". The chorus is repeated about ten times, and by the end you end up hating this bizarre attempt at opera. If you disregard these comments, you might as well love the song. If that's not the case, I'm predicting a dangerous boiling point of two minutes.
Too bad that "Neverunder", the only song that contains melodies with later defined Brazilian influencesAngra-Sound, after four minutes it becomes repetitive and boring. It starts with a melodic riff and catchy bass lines. I love the whole mix of acoustic guitars and exotic Brazilian sounds because it makes you feel like you're in an ancient tribal ritual. Too bad the excitement is about to end. When you feel the song nearing its peak, everything grinds to a halt and fades into a throwaway, angry prog bass shred that immediately makes you want to skip it.
And finally, oh my god! Let's get to the last masterpiece of pure Power Metal on the record! Its name is "Evil Warning" and I've always kept it below Gold Highlight status as it combines everything that went into the design of "Angels Cry" and "Carry On". Just add a touch of speed metal in the larger than life Judas Priest lineup.Analgesic, in addition to a majestic neoclassical substance explored at its best. So what is the result of all this? A maddening super classic that opens with a delicious chorus conducted by Matos and then it all explodes in a supersonic headbanger that never stops. The keyboards (played by Matos) are also more involved here than on the rest of the album.
angels crywas well received by audiences in the early '90s, although thedirtywave had already begun its irreversible chain of devastation in music. The band's video for the song "Time" was shown on MTV and also received a warm reception. (Yes, there was a time when MTV wasn't bad.) Angra was one of the few bands that never abused the genre, but instead took it under its arm and elevated it to unimaginable levels. This isn't another ordinary power metal release. This is a brilliant achievement from the early 90's that was far more elaborate than 80% of the releases produced today.