Label: Atomic Fire Records
Release date: 3. 11. 2023
Production: Dennis Ward
Running Time: 58.20 min
Genre: Progressive Metal
Rating: 8/10
English:
»Fabio’s Resurrection«
Father, I must confess, for I have sinned and am still sinning. I admit that Fabio Lione (Fabio Tordiglione, Joe Terry), singer of thousands of bands, master of the unmistakable Italian accent and faithful user of the most powerful vibrato techniques, has never, really never, been and never will be at the top of the list of my favorite power metal singers. Or metal singers. Or singers in general. And not only is he not at the top of these charts, he’s somewhere at the tail end in the company of models ala Andi Deris (blasphemy, I know, I know) and the newer version of David DeFeis (forgive me, almighty!).
And yet I can vehemently assert that Cycles of Pain belongs to the top 3 Angra albums together with the legendary Rebirth and Temple of Shadows. Not quite there like those two, but pretty close. I will leave the albums with Matos on vocals out of this review, because they belong to another story.
When Fabio joined Angra in 2013, I cursed everything alive, even the house number, because I was sure that the downfall of my favorite Brazilian band was coming. But hey, when I first listened with trepidation to album titled Secret Garden from 2014, I had to admit that Fabio didn’t sound too bad. On the contrary, the whole sound worked somehow … complete. Angra upgraded their sound a bit in 2018 with the Ømni album. And then a long, far too long silence. Were they broken by the departure of guitar wizard and Rafael’s indispensable partner, Kiko Loureiro, to Megadeth? Marcelo Barbosa replaced him at Ømni, maybe it didn’t work out?
Well, this year we got a new album and what do we hear?
We hear Angra in its greatest splendor and sonic superlatives. Fabio blended into the sound environment and in some places strongly resembles Edu Falaschi. It’s hard for me to admit, but nobody misses Kiko anymore, guitar solo duels, heavy riffs and exchange of ideas between Rafael, the band’s mastermind, and Marcelo are all that a true Angra fan and prog/power metal fan in general can only wish for. The rhythm section consisting of Felipe (bass) and Bruno (drums) is exactly what a top prog/power band should be able to afford: top notch.
Dennis Ward took over the production for the first time since 2006 (Aurora Consurgens album) and the sound is exactly the same as on the Rebirth album, with a significant upgrade. It seems that the man has realized that there is sometimes bass in metal production. And boy you can hear it, and Felipe, as if waking up from a long-term coma, shows what a virtuoso bass guitar can contribute to music.
What about songs, you ask? Fortunately, the fast, anthemic pieces, full of double bass drums and melodic choruses, which had been sorely lacking from the albums since Aqua, returned. The first single Ride Into the Storm is already one such example, three more songs are in the same style, my favorite being Generation Warriors.
Surprisingly, the title piece is the most inexpressive one, somewhat tired sounding.
The main part of the album is represented by Angra’s typical prog/power compositions, interspersed with Latin rhythms and glimpses of world music, the most typical representative of which is Vida Seca with guest singer Lenine. The highlight of the album is the progressive cacophony titled Faithless Sanctuary, where extravagant patterns of double-pedal rhythms, roaring bass, sparkling and at the same time mysterious guitar phrases and Fabio’s fascinating vocal lines intertwine. Yes, this same Fabio from the first paragraph of this review. The guy just seems calmed down, relaxed, like he’s finally found his place in the universe. And with that, he took this newer version of Angra to a higher level.
A dark duet with the omnipresent (pun intended) Amanda Somerville, Tears of Blood, closes this album. This one sounds very Nightwish-esque, but at the same time it doesn’t lose its Angra identity. Here, Fabio uses lower, baritone registers of his voice that perfectly complement Amanda’s operatic vocals.
The length of the record is a perfect 58 minutes, the songs fluctuate between five and six minutes, so you never get bored.
This album is so good, I really want to see Angra live after a long time, I hope they come by.
Since Dave apparently kicked another guitarist out of the band, after Maiden and Helloween, we may be in for another “triple axe attack”. That would be a living madhouse, I tell you!
Author: Igorac
“Fabio’s Resurrection”
Father, I must confess, for I have sinned and am still sinning. I admit that Fabio Lione (Fabio Tordiglione, Joe Terry), singer of a thousand bands, master of the unmistakable Italian accent and faithful user of the most powerful vibrato techniques, has never, and I mean never, been and never will be at the top of my list of favorite power metal singers. Or metal singers. Or singers, period. And it’s not just that he’s missing from the top of those lists, he’s lurking somewhere near the tail end, in the company of models like Andi Deris (blasphemy, I know, I know) and the newer version of David DeFeis (forgive me, almighty!).
And yet I can say with full conviction that Cycles of Pain belongs in the top 3 Angra albums, together with the legendary Rebirth and Temple of Shadows. Not quite up there with those two, but pretty close. I’m skipping the albums with Matos on vocals here, since they belong to a different story.
When Fabio joined Angra in 2013, I cursed everything that lives, even the house number, because I was convinced the downfall of my favorite Brazilian band was coming. But holy cow, when I nervously gave the 2014 album Secret Garden its first spin, I had to admit Fabio didn’t sound all that bad. Quite the opposite, the whole sound somehow worked … complete. Angra upgraded things a bit more in 2018 with Ømni. And then a long, far too long silence. Did the departure of guitar wizard and Rafael’s indispensable partner Kiko Loureiro to Megadeth break them? Marcelo Barbosa replaced him on Ømni, so maybe it didn’t work out?
Well, this year we finally got a new album, and what do we hear?
We hear Angra in all their glory, in sonic superlatives. Fabio has melted into the soundscape and in places strongly recalls Edu Falaschi. It’s hard for me to admit, but nobody misses Kiko anymore. The guitar solo duels, heavy riffs and exchange of ideas between Rafael, the band’s mastermind, and Marcelo are everything a true Angra fan, and a prog/power metal fan in general, could wish for. The rhythm section of Felipe (bass) and Bruno (drums) is exactly what a top-tier prog/power band should have: top-notch.
Dennis Ward is back in the producer’s chair for the first time since 2006 (the Aurora Consurgens album), and the sound is exactly like Rebirth, with a major upgrade. Looks like the guy figured out that there’s sometimes bass in metal production, too. And you can hear it, big time, with Felipe, as if waking up from a years-long coma, showing what a virtuoso bass guitar can bring to the music.
What about the songs, you ask? Luckily, the fast, anthemic bangers, loaded with double bass drums and melodic choruses, which albums have sorely lacked since Aqua, are back. The first single Ride Into the Storm is one such specimen, three more songs are in the same vein, and my favorite is Generation Warriors.
Surprisingly, the title track is the most nondescript, kind of tired-sounding one.
The bulk of the record is made up of Angra’s trademark lively prog/power mixes, laced with Latin rhythms and flashes of world music, the most typical example being Vida Seca with guest singer Lenine. The peak of the album is the progressive cacophony Faithless Sanctuary, where extravagant double-pedal patterns, rattling bass, sparkling yet mysterious guitar phrases and Fabio’s fascinating vocal lines all intertwine. Yes, that very same Fabio from the first paragraph of this review. The guy simply seems calm, as if he’s finally found his place in the universe. And with that, he’s lifted this newer incarnation of Angra to a higher level.
The album wraps up with a dark duet with the omnipresent (ha, ha) Amanda Somerville, Tears of Blood. It sounds very Nightwish-y, but at the same time it doesn’t lose its Angra identity. Here Fabio uses the lower, baritone ranges of his voice, which complement Amanda’s operatic vocals brilliantly.
The record runs a perfect 58 minutes, with songs hovering between just under five and a little over six minutes, so you never get a chance to be bored.
This record is so good that, for the first time in ages, I really want to see Angra live. I hope they swing by.
Since Dave apparently kicked yet another guitarist out of the band, after Maiden and Helloween we might be in for another “triple axe attack.” That would be a living madhouse, I tell you!
Author: Igorac
Tracklist:
1. Cyclus Doloris
2. Ride Into The Storm
3. Dead Man On Display
4. Tide Of Changes – Part I
5. Tide Of Changes – Part II
6. Vida Seca
7. Gods Of The World
8. Cycles Of Pain
9. Faithless Sanctuary
10. Here In The Now
11. Generation Warriors
12. Tears Of Blood
Line-up:
Fabio Lione – vocals
Rafael Bittencourt – guitars & additional vocals
Marcelo Barbosa – guitars
Felipe Andreoli – bass guitar
Bruno Valverde – drums
Additional vocals:
Fernanda Lira
Angel Sberse
Karina Menascé
Mayara Puertas
Vanessa Moreno (5,10)
Lenine (6)
Amanda Somerville (12)
Juliana D’Agostini – piano (12)
