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Rating: Great artists are recognized in difficult moments, during which one must prove their worth and be able to emerge from a heavy situation that has weighed on the band: being great artists means producing an album like "Temple Of Shadow"; it follows that Angra, pioneers of Brazilian metal, represent the true essence of great artists. Bolstered by excellent performances with the new lineup, the two guitarists Kiko Loureiro and Rafael Bittencourt (both endowed with enviable technique and musical taste) bring yet another masterpiece to life; "Temple" turns out to be a turning point for our musicians, who steer towards even more power-oriented coordinates, with the adoption of a more aggressive and less clean voice by the talented Eduardo Falaschi, with a greater presence of double bass drum layers by Priester and a lively bass that frames a rhythm section that presents itself varied and articulated throughout the album.
The album is composed of 13 episodes, all (or almost all) well-crafted, without major drops in style at any point, instead presenting peaks of significant compositional beauty (the foremost being Wishing Well); the album's theme tells of a white crusader named Shadow Hunter, who begins to question the ideals for which he is fighting (the holy war in the name of the Pope), and ultimately finds valid answers to his questions, and of course manages to fall in love. The album opens with "Deus Le Volt!", an atmospheric and majestic intro that introduces the first real song of the album: "Spread Your Fire"; the song opens fast and aggressive, with excellent solos from the guitar duo, which introduce truly uncommon singing for Angra's production; indeed, Edu embarks on aggressive and lower tones compared to the past. Drums and bass offer a solid and well-paced rhythm, which never shies away from changes in tempo and magnificent accelerations; excellent the instrumental part, in which the four musicians showcase all their class and technique. The final part is also good, which raises the tones, until fading out with a female operatic voice accompanying Falaschi's good voice. The third song, "Angels And Demons," continues on the same coordinates as the previous track: however, in this episode, we find better cues, the bass finds more space, the drums travel on much faster coordinates, suddenly changing tempos, the guitars offer a heavier contribution, but even in the solos they are praised for precision and speed. The voice partially returns to what was heard in albums like "Rebirth," with significantly higher and cleaner vocal peaks. The direction changes dramatically with "Waiting Silence," a track with strong progressive influences, which while maintaining a good dose of power, distances itself from what has been heard so far. The rhythmic section is very good, as well as the guitar melody. The instrumental part is compelling, with an excellent bass solo, accompanied by excellent drums developed more on the cymbals. We then move on to what seemed to me the best episode of the album: "Wishing Well," a very easy and melodic song, with an airy chorus, accompanied by a well-crafted choir. The simplicity during listening makes this song a little gem to listen to and listen to again.
We return to the purest power with "The Temple Of Hate," a very fast song that so much recalls the early Blind Guardian: the violent and rapid track is a crescendo of emotions, which explode in the excellent chorus, led by the vocalist who doses the voice particularly well. Once again, the instrumental section is excellent, with particular praise to the guitars that always do a very good job. With "The Shadow Hunter," an attempt is made to return to the era of Matos: the song, enriched by percussion and elements from Brazilian music, presents itself as an ideal meeting point between power/progressive and Brazilian folk. The intertwining between classical and electric guitars is excellent, but so is the rhythm section. The accompanying choirs to Falaschi's crystal-clear voice are also very enjoyable. We then move on to "No Pain For The Dead," a song that didn't quite thrill me, despite being full of emotion and excellently conducted in the instrumental part: the song, affected by a chorus not quite among the best, never manages to fully take off. The only note that stands out is the adoption of a female voice, which, although not exploited to its fullest, still gives a special touch to a song that doesn't shine like the others. "Winds Of Destination" turns out to be one of the best episodes: the track opens with an electric violin, then explodes into a speed track of notable charm. Strong this time are the references to classical music, which are more noticeable in the central part of the song, in which a fine piano accompanies Falaschi's theatrical voice. Brazilian rhythms open "Sprouts Of Time," a song as particular as it is beautiful: typical progressive tempos and South American melodies will accompany us on a fascinating 5-minute and 9-second journey to be discovered, accompanied by the sultry and warm voice of the vocalist. The bass lines are excellent. Percussions and a solo by Andreoli open "Morning Star," an almost "cheerful" song, which in the chorus is upended due to a very aggressive singing and a heavy guitar riff. A dreamy arpeggio of classical guitar introduces "Late Redemption," a reflective and calm song, in which Falaschi's good interpretative ability stands out. Although not particularly shining (due to not-so-splendid choirs, even if sung in the charming native language), the song is still pleasant to listen to.
The end of the album seemed particularly noteworthy: an imposing instrumental fantastically conducted by various instruments, making the song a true gem of music with a classic/modern flavor. The album concludes, I apologize for the length of the review, but it seemed necessary to say a few words (maybe a little more than a few) about this album, which I consider on the level of masterpieces like "Angel's Cry" and "Holy Land." Also excellent is the album's production and the overall performance of the musicians.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Spread Your Fire (04:25)
EDU: Woke up to life not long ago
You think your mind is in control?
God will take it back someday
It's not so hard to understand
They say the world has good and bad
Father Universe brings Love and Hate
Glorious - You'll lead the way
To free the world from these chains
Glorious - Your story now begins, Oh!
Fire!
Unleash the angel of the Light
Thank him for bringing us to life
Lucifer is just a name!
We are the only ones to blame
Just look around, I'm not insane!
Satan is a child of our God
Glorious - Don't be afraid
To lead the way with thy sword
Glorious - You are the chosen one. Go!
Spread your fire
SABINE: Salve ara, salve victima
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: De passionis gloria
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: Qua vita mortem pertulit
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: Et morte vitam reddidit
Glorious - Don't be afraid
To lead the way with thy sword
Glorious - You are the chosen one. Go!
SABINE: Salve ara, salve victima
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: De passionis gloria
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: Qua vita mortem pertulit
EDU: Spread your fire
SABINE: Et morte vitam reddidit
05 Wishing Well (03:59)
Close your eyes, what do you see?
Takes a while to believe
Feel the wind kissing your chin
Hold your cries make your wish
Dream away, breath...
Why did it take so long to understand?
Black sheep of the flock will soon be banned
Don't lose your hope, wish away
(Journey to the sacred
ground of Dreamland)
To one's heart's content I'll be free again
(Visions telling secrets on the Dreamland)
And my fortune ends
in the Wishing Well
Close your eyes what do you feel?
Hold your cries keep it still
Where am I? Why am I here?
Reasons where
Reasons why
(Journey to the sacred
ground of Dreamland)
To one's heart's content I'll be free again
(Visions telling secrets on the Dreamland)
And my fortune ends
in the Wishing Well
Oh! Who knows the truth
in this world?
(Journey to the sacred
ground of Dreamland)
To one's heart's content I'll be free again
(Visions telling secrets on the Dreamland)
And my fortune ends
in the Wishing Well
Close your eyes,
what do you see?
Make your dreams
come true again
Where am I? Why am I here?
Dreaming is believing,
your wishing well
06 The Temple of Hate (05:13)
Nations battle on the field across the lands
Ruthless - stealing territories from our hands
Anger throwing down the victims to the ground
Cold blood younger soldiers weeping with no sound
Revolution striking down right now!
Blind fools fighting for the power to command
Flag poles threading down the freedom of our men
Innocence dying by the fury of the sword
Poor men falling before saying their last words
Revelation code eleven
Striking over us
Sounds of revolution
Freedom is proclaimed
Bells announcing changes for the better
in the temple of hate
The Temple of Hate!
Satan awaits!
Revolution we have waited
Burning down our souls
Sounds of revolution
Freedom is proclaimed
Bells announcing changes for the better
in the temple of hate
Satan awaits!
The Temple of Hate!
08 No Pain for the Dead (05:05)
EDU: Standing by his coffin
Thoughts have gone astray
Life is just a burden
Carry yours away
Wipe the tears that fall
Moments recalled in the
Child's eyes
Watch the world go by
Flying through the stars
Won't hide the scars
Always
Mourning cries
Wasted in this world
I'd never realized
Smiles in the falling rain
Wash the tears away
Face the angel of death
Soon your time will be over
Your salvation is ahead
That's why I said
There is no pain for the dead
Dying now
Hourglass counts down
Laeaving this world
Your destination is
Hiding mourning time
Face up to the world
Another day passes by
Living our minutes in vain
Wipe the tears away
SABINE: Triumph for the martyrs of the war
Fallen for the causes of the others...
Worth the sacrifice?
Heroes are dying now
Hearing their mothers cry
Heaven is a metaphor
Free your mind and spirit
E: Mother Earth, do you part take my
soul, oh no!
Water, wind and fire...
Will take our spirits away
SABINE: (Victims of Sacrifice)
EDU: Face the Angel of Death
SABINE: (Struggling to survive)
EDU: Soon your time will be over
SABINE: (Revolution remains)
EDU: Your salvation is ahead
BOTH: It's not so sad
EDU: There is no pain for the dead
SABINE: (Struggling to survive)
EDU: Liberation of soul
BOTH: It's not so sad
EDU: There is no pain for the dead, oh!
...No pain for the dead
09 Winds of Destination (06:56)
HANSI: Blood is flowing on the ground
Like a river branching red lines
Anguish is all around
Hope yielding to despair
EDU: Life is a circumstance
Any minute slips away
God, please look upon us all
Do you give a damn?
EDU: Dancing in the air
HANSI: Spinning leaves in circles giving
pleasure to my eyes
EDU: Sadden my delight
HANSI: When the joy is over laying scattered
on the ground
EDU: Oh! The sun will rise
The beginning of creation
HANSI: Oh! Into the skies
On the Winds of Destination
Carry us away...
EDU: Secret ark of Solomon
Hidden in the temple wreck...
for the king
Many years and centuries
Till seven knights from the order
EDU: Down the tunnels of the past
Learning from the undisclosed...
all the way!
Holding dreams on zealous hands
All those archives
Lost and wasted
Somewhere in the battle fields
EDU: Farewell to common world
Templars are watching
and guarding the scrolls
Shields of faith the knights behold
All Manuscripts of the sacred
laws are there
HANSI: Dancing in the air
EDU: Spinning leaves in circles
Giving pleasure to my eyes
EDU: ...arise!
HANSI: Oh! The sun will rise
The beginning of creation
EDU: Oh! Into the skies
On the Winds of Destination
Carry us away
Old leaves will be falling
Old trees will remain
Whirlwind carries you away
For tomorrow be the same
12 Late Redemption (04:55)
EDU: You wasted all your chances
To find yourself lost and lonely
Were so foolish
You were selfish
Much too blind to realize
You messed up your own life...
MILTON: Eu vou contando os dias
E já, já não tenho medo
Eu lhe peço
Eu imploro
QUando a minha hora chegar
Meu descanso minha paz
MILTON: Cante uma canção desconhecida
EDU: Posioning with hope
the hearts around you
MILTON: Plante mais lembranças na sua vida
EDU: Death is calling you
(Now or never!)
MILTON: Nada além do amor é o que parece
EDU: Please the ones you love
before you miss'em
MILTON: Toda a minha dor na minha prece
EDU: Win my chances back cause
Life is short but it's never late!
(Tempo que passou)
It's time to find Redemption
(Não vai mais voltar)
Only love defies the Resurection
(Tudo que se foi)
Mark my words: God's abandoned this
world!
EDU: Would I live again?
What's the new religion? Yeah!
And what shall be the bread?
Really I don't give a damn!
never wanna live again
In this vain emotion
Over for me!
Sing a lullaby now I remember
(Tempo que se foi e não se esquece mais)
Memories are twisting in my mind
Win my chances back
Cause life is short but it's never late
(Tempo que passou)
It's time to find Redemption
(Não vai mais voltar)
Only love defies the resurrection
(Tudo que se foi)
Mark my words: God's abandoned this
world!
(Toda a minha dor)
My destiny is over
(Nunca vai voltar)
And this hope above your
comprehension
(Tempo que se foi)
Is the love you've been dreaming so
long
Over for me.
Nunca...
...tudo se acabou.
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Other reviews
By dying_sun
Temple of Shadows is sincerely promoted and deserves the purchase.
Angra has shown bravery and been rewarded, and as a result, so are we.
By Dreamtheater
"With this album, I changed my mind: it’s really well done, there’s everything... variety of instruments, good melodies, high-level metal tracks, skilled musicians."
"A CD with a thousand faces and colors, varied and enjoyable... an excellent CD for lovers of the genre."
By Dreamtheater
"Truly well done, it has everything... variety of instruments used, good melodies, metal tracks up to par, skilled musicians, rhythm changes, and naturally... references to Brazilian sound."
"A CD of a thousand faces and colors, varied and pleasant. Maybe there is too much shift from power to melody... but this is a typical characteristic of Angra, otherwise an excellent CD for fans of the genre."
By ilfreddo
If the banal power with dragons and muscular heroes on the cover is a McChicken or BigMac at the fast-food, Angra are a dish at a restaurant to be savored with due calmness.
The true masterpiece of Temple of Shadows in my opinion is 'The Shadow Hunter'—a triumphant moment to be savored by simply cranking up the volume.
