Hellviz

Listenable

When one puts in commitment and good creative energy, essential requirements for the creation of a concept album, Angra knows how to work, and thus they manage to present, at last, an album with new, powerful, and fast sounds (power and speed, indeed), melodically effective and sharp riffs. The qualitative leap so long hoped for in Rebirth has finally taken place with this album, which deserves to remain in the top 10 of the best metal albums of all time, in my opinion.

An unintentionally concept album, yet musically and sonically, it showcases every facet of a well-made concept album: Angra delivers their best, with a power/speed metal that is surprisingly refined, infused with Brazilian dance rhythms and sounds that brilliantly blend with the aggressive and effective power sound. An album that deserves at least a listen even from those who don't appreciate the band. A must for anyone wanting to have a clear idea about the group.

A good start that, however, does not deserve more than a mediocre pass since I would personally discard certain songs right from the first listen (first and foremost, a rather shabby and pointless pseudo-classical intro that has little to do with the band and the rest of the album, followed by the cover of Kate Bush - good idea, quite tacky execution).

A highly debated album by the band. In my opinion, it’s a decline in style as they abandon the effectiveness of the Brazilian mix, opting instead for an approach (not very successful as it is musically predictable) to a power-progressive sound that recalls Dream Theater in their early days. In my opinion, it all sounds like a self-congratulatory showcase of the technical skills of the various members. An album I can gladly do without. What a shame.

The change in formation is noticeable, just as the desire to return to the indigenous musical roots that were clearly defined in the band's first two albums. Nevertheless, everything still sounds a bit outdated and ineffective, failing to bring out the beloved Angra from "Holy Land." It's a listenable and enjoyable album for various offerings (such as the classic Nova Era, Rebirth, Visions Prelude), but a bit dull and repetitive overall. It bodes well to hear the quality leap.

MiniCD that is truly worth having only for the first two songs (actually unreleased). The style of Holy Land is excellently repeated, and both Freedom Call and Queen Of The Night deserved to be part of a full-length album that better showcases them instead of this "collectors' gem" that few possess. What a shame.

A Mr. Live, whom you listen to and appreciate once or twice, only to end up in the drawer of nice CDs that you have no use for. After all, it's still a live recording, so one can only acknowledge that the performing skill of each member, audible on compact disc, is equally remarkable in live concerts; but the tracks are of no use to you, sounding exactly like the album. An item that is not indispensable except for fans and collectors.

Flawless live for all the members except Falaschi. It confirms that the new frontman manages to save himself with a corner kick during "PGR." A live performance that, in itself, makes little sense if not to amplify the nostalgia for Matos to the N-th degree. If only they had done it during the "Temple Of Shadows" tour, damn them...

An album that has never attracted me, so much so that I could never listen to it with great interest. I refrain from giving it a rating, but if I had to, I would be torn between a 2 and a 3: melodies that, in my opinion, are rather ineffective and a somewhat repetitive style. They try to keep the spirit of Temple Of Shadows alive, but I believe they fail by redirecting the listener into a concept album idea that had already ended with "Gate XIII". An album I often want to revisit but find a bit disappointing.

A collector's gem. The acoustic versions are beautiful, although the recordings are a bit poor despite being produced in 1998 (and not in Burundi). In itself, it's an album that could have not existed in Angra's discography, but on the other hand, it's only found in the "Holy Box" set, so its sole and obvious commercial purpose was also expected.