Angra
Aqua

To recover from the resounding flop of "Aurora Consurgens," Angra took four years. Despite many having already sounded their death knell, the Brazilian band has returned with an album "Aqua" which, although it does not bring them back to the glories of the past, even recent ones (see "Temple of Shadows"), still manages to stand on more than acceptable levels: a good album, with some moments of excellence (but also a couple of unnecessary fillers).

The strength of Angra has always been the ability to merge a power and prog soul. The problem is that, at times, the former overtakes the latter, ending up simplifying the monstrous technique of its executors (especially the guitar hero duo Loureiro-Bittencourt). In other words, if Angra flattens out to the standards of Helloween or Gamma Ray, then you might as well listen to the latter. Inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest, "Aqua" still manages to amaze. The usual choral intro in pure classical style is followed by the speed, by no means original but nevertheless pleasant, of "Arising Thunder." So far, the reference to Temple seems obvious: the first two tracks inevitably refer to the historic pairing "Deus Le Volt"+"Spread Your Fire." Edu Falaschi's voice positively surprises, which Matos' nostalgics still consider an intruder. Technically Falaschi is even superior to his illustrious predecessor (who, after leaving Angra, did not exactly cause a stir, quite the opposite) and it shows on the album. The problem is the live endurance: after the first handful of songs, the voice goes south. The result is that the wall of sound from the rhythm and guitars ends up drowning him out (this closely recalls Coverdale's difficulties with the Scorpions, especially in recent years). As for drumming, Confessori's, who returned to the band after about ten years, is certainly precise and fast; but, given the perspective of a band that would like to lift itself from the shallows of a banal power, the creativity and versatility of Priester (whose departure was anything but peaceful) are sorely missed.

If the first part of "Aqua" is illuminated mostly by the melodic oasis of "Lease of Life," the second half of the album features at least three superior level tracks: "Spirit of the Air," with the admirable acoustic guitar intro by Kiko and a classical-style crescendo (the choral bridge in the middle of the song is quite evocative) up to Rafael's thrilling solo and the sweetly fading finale. Another gem, especially for the lyrics, is "A Monster in Her Eyes," which speaks to the impossibility of being loved as a condemnation to unhappiness, while the concluding "Ashes" is almost a journey of the soul, from a life of pain to the promise of redemption after we have returned to dust.

A positive return for the Brazilian combo, hoping that this is only the first step of a complete revival.