Band:	Shaman
Album:	Reason
Style:	Progressive power metal
Release date:	May 2005
A review by:	Jeff

01. Turn Away
02. Reason
03. More [Sisters Of Mercy cover]
04. Innocence
05. Scarred Forever
06. In The Night
07. Rough Stone
08. Iron Soul
09. Trail Of Tears
10. Born To Be

I will always remember the split of Angra, damn it was one of my favourite band but well when I think about it now, when I see the different releases of the two bands, I don't feel so bad actually. "Ritual" was a good first release with a lot of Hits on it and I suppose that a lot of would like to know if the new album of the Brazilian combo "Reason" will follow the way of their first shout? Don't worry that's the case but with some differences however?

The first big difference is the name of the band, you're all reading well, that's Shaaman now and not Shaman!!! That's just a little detail but in my opinion maybe that it's also showing that the band is changing, that the band is taking a new road. I mean that "Ritual" was the "same music" than Angra, do you know "Time Will Come" or "Distant Thunder" is it not in the spirit of Angra? I think so, but with "Reason" that not the exactly the same, the album is a bit more progressive and the songs are also a bit more complex. That's not so direct as the first album and not so easy to enter in the album but it doesn't mean that it is bad at the opposite.

Another time we have the luck to have some powerful songs like "Turn Away" and some nice ballads like "Innocence" (the album follow the classical form, Heavy speedy songs and break with ballads). The album is one more time really varied but not so easy of access as I said before, and maybe that some of the songs will not be so efficient live. That's something that I want to see because "Reason" is darker than "Ritual" and a bit sad actually and that's not a surprise if we have an amazing cover of the hit of the Sisters Of Mercy "More". This song actually can be considered as a good definition of this album, really dark and deep but catchy and above all classy. One more time the talented Andre Matos and his band mates prove that they are bests among the bests.

"Reason" doesn't suffer of any production problem, the sound (Sacha Paeth's work), like the musical plays of the artist are perfect and no doubt that this album will finish in the Top 5 of the best Progressive/Power release of the year. The Brazilian act just confirms its great potentiality and "Reason" confirms all the hopes that I had after the release of "Ritual". That's a must no doubt?