Band:	Angra
Album:	Temple Of Shadows
Style:	Progressive power metal
Release date:	September 06, 2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. Deus Le Volt!
02. Spread Your Fire [feat. Sabine Edelsbacher]
03. Angels And Demons
04. Waiting Silence
05. Wishing Well
06. The Temple Of Hate [feat. Kai Hansen]
07. The Shadow Hunter
08. No Pain For The Dead [feat. Sabine Edelsbacher]
09. Winds Of Destination [feat. Hansi Kürsch]
10. Sprouts Of Time
11. Morning Star
12. Late Redemption [feat. Milton Nascimento]
13. Gate XIII

I'm a fan of Angra, since the beginning and I must admit that their "split" if I can use this word was a really big disappointment for me. Their first album through the new area of the band "Rebirth" wasn't a good one for me, not because of the new musicians, but it was just uncoloured in comparison of the others albums of the band. But on the other hand, I totally understand that it's not easy to release a great and amazing album just after a real turnover in the line-up of a band. Then, I was waiting a lot this new album "Temple Of Shadows", and damn that's totally different... Yeah I must say it, this time I just took a big good nice kick in my ass? "Temple Of Shadows" is just an amazing and beautiful album?

"This record describes - in a few words - the saga of a knight crusader known as The Shadow Hunter, who joins the army of the Pope on the late XI century". This little sentence says it all, the new Angra is a concept album, a pure book of History which relate stories about crusaders during the XI centuries. This time of course, no Andre Matos for all the writings, but three men, Falaschi, Loureiro and Bittencourt for the music and the lyrics. With in addition of course we can't forget the two others members Felipe Andreoli for the Bass [he is very good you will see it with some really excellent fretless solos], Aquiles Priester on the Drums, and a legion of guests, Mr Hansi Kursch & Kay Hansen, Mrs Sabine Edelsbacher, Denis Ward and even Milton Nascimento [a very famous Brazilian singer?].
I think that Angra choose two follow two different lines this time. On a side, "Temple Of Shadows" sound certainly more Power Metal than before, but don't worry that's good Power Metal not a pale poor copy like we have every time these days, and on the other side, this album is certainly more Progressive. If some songs like the great "Spread Your Fire" or the excellent Winds Of Destination [with Hansi] really sound Power Metal, some other songs like "The Shadow Hunter" with his fantastic Flamenco arpeggio or "Sprouts of Time" with an excellent Salsa break and "Late Redemption" which it touches of Bossa clearly sound more Progressive and avant-gardist. Believe me that's good sometime to forget a bit the frozen plains of the north to have some good songs born in the moistness of the Latin lands. Of course some songs are in the pure vein of the old Angra a bit more classic, but in fact this album is complete you have a lot diversity in it and that's really good.
Angra musicians are all very good, the two guitarist will impressed you with their very technical solo, and even Edu Falaschi with his voice which is a lot deeper than the one of Andre Matos, is not bad at all? Then of course that's hard to compare him to one of the best singer ever, but if he was not convincing on Rebirth, this time he is clearly more than ok, and I have the feeling that he is really taking self assurance, that's a good point for the band.
The production of the album is really good too, even if sometime all that is a bit over-produced on some songs but well honestly we are near of the perfection and I don't talk about the booklet and the cover?
Well my only regret with this album is maybe the fact that we don't have any real killer songs, don't misunderstand me, this album is great and all the songs are more than good and catchy, but we don't have any "Carry On", "Carolina VI", or "Nothing to Say" ? Of course I suppose that the band don't want this kind of comparison, but well WE the fans can't avoid it? These songs are Angra songs after all?

But anyway, this new album is a really good one, and I can only recommend it to all the fans of great Heavy Metal and also to all the ones who, like me, was disappointed by their precedent album. If "Rebirth" wasn't a real [or good] rebirth [if I can say that?] this time with this "Temple Of Shadow", Angra is definitely back. Then you know what you just have to do, go to your records shop and buy this "Temple Of Shadow". Me, well I already have it, then I'm just waiting impatiently the next gigs of the band which will be all over the world next year for its new tour?