Angra has done it again: another brilliant album like Holy Land, Angels Cry, and Rebirth before it. This is the best new release I have purchased in years. It is another concept album, but this time the concept is much more solidified than what they did on Holy Land, which was more thematic in my opinion. Temple of Shadows is the 2nd album with the current lineup, and it is very different than the Rebirth, as well as all albums that preceded it. One thing great about Angra is the way they reinvent themselves each album, while still keeping the core Angra sound. This release is no exception.
First, the vocals are outstanding; for me, they are the highlight of the album. From the timbre of Edus voice, to the extremely smooth melodies, it just makes me listen to the album again and again. He has such power and emotion to his voice that you cant help but be transfixed. Edu shows yet again that he is one of the best all around metal vocalists in the scene today.
Having guest vocals was a cool addition too. The female vocals (Sabine Edelsbacher) on Spread Your Fire really give it an interesting feel on the chorus. Winds of Destination features Hansi Kürsch from Blind Guardian; he has a unique voice that really gives a nice complement to Edus tone. Though, I think the dueling vocal highlight has to be Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray, formally Helloween) and Edu when they go back and forth on the extremely energetic The Temple of Hate. All I can say is, WOW!.
Another thing Ive always liked about Angra are their backing vocals. Live, they have 3 people sing backing while Edu belts out the lead. In the studio, Rafael did most of them this time, but man does it sound amazing. Yet again, their backing vocals deliver a nice counterpart to the lead vocals with perfect mix and blending. The harmonies melt together into a nice, cohesive mixture of sound.
Of course, we have speed as well. The harmonized guitars on Spread Your Fire will even impressive fans of who think Yngwie is the speed god. And Aquiles Priester drumming is so incredibly fast, that my legs cramp up listening to it!
For the Prog enthusiasts, we have odd times (5, 7, and more), as well as layer upon layer of texture and sound. The nice thing is that it is all done so tastefully, so that it could go unnoticed by the untrained ear. Then there are the many genres Angra blends into their music. Aside from the obvious Power/Prog/Classic Metal genres, most notably are Brazilian-style tribal music, classical, Spanish, and more. Wishing Well is a great example of metal expanding its boundaries into new territory while not becoming something else. This song is definitely a favorite for me the melodies (vocals, guitar solos, etc.), the rhythms, the textures, the groove, etc. all add to an amazing listening experience.
I think the engineering, mixing, and production are all top notch as well. Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69 aka PC69) does another great job getting the best he can out of an amazing band.
Though the whole album flat out rocks, highlights for me include Angels and Demons, Waiting Silence, Wishing Well, Temple of Hate, and Morning Star. Angra is one of those bands, like Pink Floyd, where you can hear something new each time you listen. The layers are very impressive. I know people are here because they like prog/metal, which generally is known for musicianship, hard work, layers, complexity, etc. Well, Angra has all this as well. I really want to encourage people to buy this album to help support a GREAT, hard working band, who deserves all the success they can get in the world!
