We now have ourselves an Angra thread. woo!
So yeh. It actually took me a while to get into Angra as much as I am now, I didnt bother looking into them properly for a long time. But I am very glad I did now.

I started with their first album, 'Angels Cry' and after a couple of listens I loved it, so then I got 'Temple Of Shadows' and I didnt quite love it so much and so my Angra exploration ended there for a few months after listening to 'Holy Land' and not thinking much either.

Then not all that long ago from now, I listened to 'Temple Of Shadows' and wow! hahahaha
I cannot believe I didnt love it the first time I heard it.
I think 'Temple Of Shadows' is one of the best power metal albums of all time now!

So then I ended up getting all Angra albums and giving them all lots of attention and all the rest of it.
My 'Angels Cry' is the french special edition that has the bonus disc with three acoustic live tracks on it - and the book is signed by all the members of the band (in 1996) which was an extra bonus while buying the CD.

So then you have got to ask the question 'which Angra do you like best?' - the Angra that made the first three albums, or the one that made the last two.
It is a very hard quesion because I love all their albums (even 'Fireworks')
'Angels Cry' and 'Holy Land' are really special albums, but I think I prefer the extra 'pomp' of the new Angra
'Temple Of Shadows' is really fantastic and 'Rebirth' is a good albums too. 'Nova Era' has been in my head for days and days before.

So what do you all think of the band, the band before the big change and the current band - and which do you like best?
also any thoughts on favorite album or anything else are welcome!
Thanks!

My favourite one is Temple Of Shadows, powefull, orchestra, melodic, with well-written lyrics. 'Spread Your Fire' is a masterpiece. The 'Rebirth' album is very good too, but as the new line-up had to be accepted by the fans at that time (especially Edu), they made a "old-line-up-like" one. Now they're accepted, they can compose with their new style. I hope they will continue like this. But the old Angra is still great. Btw, I don't like Shaaman very much. It's not I can't stand them, but I just can't get into their music.

i have only heard the latest Shaaman album and i have to say i wasnt very impressed with it either, although the Sisters Of Mercy cover is good - and the first song on the album is catchy
maybe i just need to give it a bit more attention

but yeh. i cant wait for a new Angra album, especially if it is in the same vein as 'Temple Of Shadows'

I have listend to Temple of Shadows , and it was my first album from this band.
And may i say that this band is great. Most of you told here that this album is one of the best from Angra but i am still curious about other stuff from this band

yeh - you'll like their other albums as well
'Rebirth' is the most similar one to 'Temple Of Shadows' even though it is a bit different

the first three albums are all quite different from them two because there is a different drummer, singer and bass player
out of the first three i prefer 'Angels Cry' - i think that is the more solid album, but a lot of people like 'Holy Land' more
'Fireworks' is good, but no way near as good as the rest of them

Yes! Great threat, Angra is one of my favourites bands, and what can i say, i like all the albums, with Andre and with Edu, even Fireworks which is indeed the most critized. I love Temple of Shadows although like Baz Anderson said it was hard to get into, but once you do is an mazing experience. One thing i love about Angra is their kind of original powermetal, mostly in their older albums, where they add a lot of ethnic, and kind of latino feel to their music, so they are something special to me.

Angra are awesome! A lot of their early stuff with the old line-up is amazing, but I definitely prefer the last two albums. Rebirth is one of my all time favourite albums. It does seem like a lot of the fans from the early days were disappointed to see Edu (or anyone!) replace Andre, but they dismiss him too quickly. Both are great vocalists, and Edu really does fit Angra. I was lucky enough to catch them on their only visit to the UK (so far!), and standing right in front of Kiko they blew me away!! Awesome band!

I love Angra myself...I love their Kate Bush remake...I have three of their albums...Holy Land, Rebirth and Temple of Shadows....I actually need to listen to them...

i wish i had seen Angra when they came here. i dont even know when that was
i bet it was to London though, so i wouldnt have been able to get there anyway

the 'Kate Bush' cover was one of the things that kept me listening to them when i was getting into them
i just thought it was so strange they had covered that, but it sounded so good as well

I only know Holy Land and Angels Cry, i adore them both, which other one can i take?

I haven't heard much of their later stuff but this band certainly are one of the best to come out of Brazil. I love the album Angel's Cry and the song itself is amazing, so emotional. The backing vocals are one to look out for on that track.

Freezer: well the only other Angra album wit hthe same drummer, singer and bass player is 'Fireworks' and that isnt as good as the first two
the last two albums 'Rebirth' and 'Temple Of Shadows' are well worth looking into though! - 'Temple Of Shadows' most!

Daru Jericho: you've got to trust me - 'Temple Of Shadows' after a couple of listens is one of the best power metal albums ever!! haha

One of my favourite bands!! the power metal with the progressive touches... oh... just rules!! I like that brazilian rythms too =)

well ive been into angra for a long while now and althou i really like their two last albums nothing is even comparable to Matos voice and power, i mean angels cry is a masterpiece and i dont see why do you refer like that to fireworks(baz anderson) i mean that album has really awesome songs (Metal Icarus, SPEED(for gods sake), rainy nights) excellent album indeed, and well ive been to two of their concerts one n their rebirth tour and one on the last tour and well the band has awesome energy specially kiko, rafael and aquiles, but IMO the best moments where when they played the old Angra songs, such as Carry On, Angels Cry, Nothing to say and on their last concert my all time favorite angra song Never Understand..

so in this Old Angra, New Angra matter Id personally go with older Angra. IMO matos voice is more natural than Edu's and also more distinctive and well ...cool hahahah lol. But i also have to say i do like theyre more progness in their songs Unholy Wars for example is really powerfull and i like the blend of brazilian music with metal every now and then.

what a great band what more needs to be said!

They were great live in Australia! I love the latest album and Fireworks the best.

One of my favorite bands. Unfortuneatly it's a little hard to get their cds here but my favorite tracks by them must be 'Carry On', 'Heroes Of Sand' and 'Temple Of Hate'

yeh - it is impossible to get anything that i have here from the shops, they are useless
when i travelled dowo to a big city, i got a load of CDs there - like my Blind Guardian ones and Helloween ones, but that was ages and ages ago and i use amazon for everything now. haha
its is a lot cheaper and almost everything is on there. i am very chuffed i decided to trust internet shopping

You ask waht is the best Angra : Before Andre Matos, After ANdre Matos, well is just a really difficult question, because they had to work to find someone that fit the matos shoes and thee others musicians (that i think they were better), but i think the question is that they are doing this well, so they do with a different vocalist and other muscians, and they'e doing well.

The best work for me is the temple of shadows (in wich appears milton nascimento, a great musician) and angels cry (More symphonic), while rebirth have great songs and more progresive (Nova Era, Rebirth, Hunters and Prey), fireworks is directed to the heavy.progressive way.

Oh, and the acoustic bonus disc in angels cry is amazing, with sounds of bossa nova and latin rythims, amazing.

Keep rocking my friends

No way! The best album is Holy land!

It has the distinctive sound of angra, the sound of the latin metal (brasilian percussion, quena, sampona, etc). Thats their best work not like Angels Cry and Rebirth that is the typicall power metal european band.

Thats why I think that Holy Land is their best work (is an album of fast acces with beauty ballads, powerfull songs, and the best song of Angra: Carolina IV), and I had listen to everys Angra's album: Angels Cry is a master piece but it doesnt have anything speciall in its style, the same thing with Rebirth that is good but is like power metal band and nothing more speciall, Temple of Shadow is their best work before Holy land it has bossanova touch, the spanish touch of the shadow hunter. So temple of shadows is in more in the vein of holy land but worst of it. Like Rebirth that is the copy of Angels Cry (Nova Era sounds the same as Carry on of Angels Cry).

Thats why I prefer the old Angra than the new. I hope that the next album will be more sorprising.

And I prefer too Shaaman than the new Angra (Reason another masterpiece that sorprised me a lot with its heavy style, and Ritual is in the vein of Holy Land but its not a copy with such good songs as: For Tomorrow, Distant Thunder, Over Your Head, Here I am, Fairy tale. In Reason the best are: innocense, iron soul, trail of tears, born to be, rough stone)

Andre Matos is the genius of Angra!

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Excuse my horrible English !!!

Holy Land is one of the best power metal album of all time!!!!

Temple of Shadows too of angra and ritual and reason form shaaman too!!!

Well, Angra is my favorite band on earth, even when I'm more into thrash metal, Angra has all my respect. And after all, they're my fav band even when Andre Matos isn't a band member anymore.

I was one day wandering the streets, and I entered a metal store. And I saw Angels Cry in there. At that time I was a MSer but didn't posted too much. Anyhow I recall the reviews for that band I saw here, and therefore, I bought the album. After Carry On, I was simply amazed!!!! The same day, in the afternoon, I went back to the store and asked the shopkeeper to bring me all the other albums.

Between Andre Matos' era, and Edu Falaschi's era, I have to say that I liked the old style the most (Matos), it had a more "latin" style. Anyhow, Edu's times are as good as the old ones. My favorite album is still the first one I listened, Angels Cry. But I've found myself listening pretty often to Rebirth lately. I don't like Temple of Shadows as much as the other ones, too much of everything IMO.

Written by Dark Cornatus on 15.06.2006 at 08:25

They were great live in Australia! I love the latest album and Fireworks the best.

Whoah. Whoah! WHOAH! Angra toured?! Man I'd love it if they came back .

Written by [user id=5584] on 10.07.2006 at 04:36

Well, Angra is my favorite band on earth, even when I'm more into thrash metal, Angra has all my respect. And after all, they're my fav band even when Andre Matos isn't a band member anymore.

I was one day wandering the streets, and I entered a metal store. And I saw Angels Cry in there. At that time I was a MSer but didn't posted too much. Anyhow I recall the reviews for that band I saw here, and therefore, I bought the album. After Carry On, I was simply amazed!!!! The same day, in the afternoon, I went back to the store and asked the shopkeeper to bring me all the other albums.

Between Andre Matos' era, and Edu Falaschi's era, I have to say that I liked the old style the most (Matos), it had a more "latin" style. Anyhow, Edu's times are as good as the old ones. My favorite album is still the first one I listened, Angels Cry. But I've found myself listening pretty often to Rebirth lately. I don't like Temple of Shadows as much as the other ones, too much of everything IMO.

If you loved the old Angra you will love Shaaman too. Is the current band of Matos, Confessori and Mariutti.
If you like thrash metal, you will like the brother of Mariutti that plays thrash metal style.

@Pianoman: yeah Shaaman is a great band. Very similar to Angra and no wonder Matos being ex-Angra.

Written by [user id=6192] on 12.07.2006 at 02:24

Written by [user id=5584] on 10.07.2006 at 04:36

If you loved the old Angra you will love Shaaman too. Is the current band of Matos, Confessori and Mariutti.
If you like thrash metal, you will like the brother of Mariutti that plays thrash metal style.

I know Shaaman a long long time ago. I can't see thrash metal into Mariutti's style, but anyway, I really like Ritual, not the same with Reason anyhow, and Andre is my fav singer also ^^.

i have not heard the 'Ritual' album, but i do have 'Reason'
maybe if everyone thinks that isnt the best one, that is way i dont think Shaaman are all that brilliant
i mean it is a good album, but i havent really connected with it
the Sisters Of Mercy cover is quite good though

Andre matos is a genius there's no doubt about it

Shaaman rules! For me is better than Angra!
That doesn't mean that Angra is still being god!

Written by Freezer on 09.06.2006 at 02:00

I only know Holy Land and Angels Cry, i adore them both, which other one can i take?

Holy land for me is far the best album of Angra but you can check the album ritual from shaaman (Andre Matos actual band) that is in the same level as Holy Land for me.