Angra
Angels Cry

THE REVIEW

A masterpiece, no other words come to mind when listening to one of those albums destined to change music forever, leaving a mark as deep as it is appreciated: 'Angels Cry' is all this.

Produced in the distant 1993, the album made a name for itself for various reasons, the first of which being the band that played it, Angra, a Carioca band named after the ancient Brazilian goddess of fire: formed by Andre Matos (one of the most beautiful and crystalline voices that heavy metal has ever known), Rafael Bittencourt and Kiko Loureiro (one of the strongest guitar duos in today's scene) along with Luis Mariutti and Ricardo Confessori in the rhythm section, the six of them shocked the world with the extremely high technical/melodic rate they managed to create in their tracks, which were structurally complex and difficult to play for "normal" people, yet they were (and are) also rich in melodic parts and, if desired, easy-listening.

The album opens with Schubert's unfinished symphony (Schubert, Unfinished allegro), here slightly rearranged by the keyboard, which leads us directly to the first real track of the album, and one of the greatest musical masterpieces ever conceived by the human mind, Carry On: a progressive-inspired guitar riff kicks off the dance, merging with a pulsating bass line and drumbeats that set an unmissable tempo; but then, after a few seconds, Matos's voice appears, elevating the track to a maximum masterpiece, reaching absolutely extraordinary tones (heard only until today with the Italian Michele Luppi). Another strong point of the song is certainly the solo part, which is particularly refined and tasty.
To follow, we find another Angra classic: Time, introduced by a classical guitar arpeggio to which once again, the inevitable Matos joins, hitting slightly lower notes, but certainly much more emotional ones. Excellent are the choirs that recall something of Queen's production. After the calmer first part, the song explodes into an extremely engaging and heartfelt prog/power piece, leading us to the listening of the title-track, one of the most exquisitely crafted pieces of the entire metal scene; fast parts interspersed with strong pauses, melody, and lots of technique will accompany you for over 7 minutes of true music.

Again a classical guitar intro is found with Stan Away, surely the deepest and most heartfelt track of the entire album: here the vocal interpretation becomes the true protagonist, dividing screaming tones with absolutely unearthly vocal peaks (especially when Matos pronounces the words "This Fire Still Burn") and other lower and richer ones; adding to this, we find a particularly esteemed rhythm section, composing tight parts to which more controlled tempos are linked. Folk percussion, bass, and guitars introduce us to the album's easiest, but also most prog piece: Never Understand, a track rich in fresh melodies (exaggerating a bit, also summery) to which the "siren-like" voice is well linked (do not misunderstand, it is clear it's a male voice) of the ever-present vocalist. The track then develops into a high-sized technical/melodic exercise, presenting itself full of tonal and tempo changes, accelerations, and endless solos.

Finally, we arrive at the cover of the album: one of the best covers ever made, Wuthering Heights by the angelic Kate Bush, fantastically reinterpreted by an otherworldly Matos. Days Of Pounding Emptiness: streets of tomorrow... the most power-driven track of the album, the fastest and least melodic of the album, perhaps a bit predictable but no less beautiful for it: the only defect aside from predictability is also a certain musical stasis and an excessive schematic simplicity, without excessive refinements.
The album's closure is instead entrusted to another strong point of the entire production of the carioca: Evil Warning is a rapid piece, offering no escape for the listener, leaving them glued to the speakers, presenting a wealth of pyrotechnic solos, unconventional rhythmic parts, uncommon vocal peaks, and lots and lots of passion.

The album ends here, but I find it necessary to spend some words also on a production that proves to be truly of high quality, professional and perfect for the type of album, which I will never tire of saying is one of the greatest masterpieces in the metallic field.