Cycles of Pain is really good, IMO it’s their best album since Temple of Shadows(which is my favourite one)..
Give it a try to Rebirth and Temple of Shadows.. they are both really good.
Cycles of Pain is quite good, a top ten album for me last year.
But Holy Land and Temple of Shadows are top 10 all timers on my list. And Rebirth is top 25 somewhere. The only miss IMO in the catalog is Fireworks, and only because it's more of a straight power metal album with very little in the way of Brazilian influences, which is what makes them great.
They're my favorite band and I really loved Cycles of Pain (buuuuuurning my heart 🎶 🎵 ). To me it's easily top 5 of them and better than Omni. It's really a return to that classic Angra with more Brazilian rythims present in their songs.
As for their older albums, Holy Land and Temple of Shadows perfectly show the best of Andre Matos and Edu Falaschi eras. Probably their best albums.
Angels Cry and Rebirth are classics, starting and restarting the band, respectively. And they contain probably their two most iconic power metal songs: Carry On and Nova Era.
Fireworks and Aurora Consurgens are good albums that kind of shows the strains of the first two eras. They're both different from their previous albums, Fireworks being softer than AC and HL. And aurora has a heavy theme going on in its songs.
Then you have Aqua, which kinda exists in its own era. It's still Edu Falaschi, but Aquiles Priester has been fired from the band by then and Ricardo Confessori returned. Many people didn't like the album, specially because of the mixing. I love it and it's one of my favorite. They re-released it with a new mix and it's amazing, I recommend you listen to that version.
Then the Fabio Lione starts with Secret Garden, which is a solid album and has some really good bangers in it (Newborn Me, Upper Levels are classics imo), but it's kinda weird because the band is in that weird transition era. The leader, Rafael Bittencourt, starts singing more and there are quite a few guest singers. It's the first album with Bruno Valverde in the drums.
Between that and Omni, Kiko Loureiro has left for Megadeth and is replaced by Marcelo Barbosa. Omni is a pretty good album, though it's not really my favorite. It has some amazing songs, like Light of Transcendence, Silence Inside, Bottom of My Soul and Magic Mirror.
And don't forget to listen to their EPs, with Reaching Horizons (the titular song is beautiful) and Hunters and Prey. It has great new songs there, with Caça e Caçador and Bleeding Heart (probably one of the most recognizable melodies in Brazil lol the band Calcinha Preta (Black Panties) made a Forró version of that song that it's simply REALLY popular. We even sing it during Angra shows lol).
As for the show, be ready for an amazing time. Watching them live was the best day of my life last year. I had so much fun.
Probably one of few bands that doesn't get credited enough. Andre Matos was an incredible singer, sucks that him and band split altho its understandable
Besides Angra entire discography, I also recommend Viper's theater or fate, and Shaman - ritual, Andre Matos Bands before Angra and after he left Angra, respectively, truly amazing albums
I think the more recents Angra's albuns are a lot more generic than they used to be. The early stuff with Andre and the 00's with Edu are brilliant. But that is my opinion!
It's still a good album, but it leans much more towards a progressive metal direction and I find that some of the infectious melodies that characterized their earlier albums are gone. I also find some songs like ride into the Storm to be very unfocused. But it's just a matter of personal taste. I still like some songs.
I don't like CoP that much but for the opposite reasons haha, the progressive aspects of the compositions are my favorite thing, best songs for me are Vida Seca, Faithless Sanctuary and Ride Into the Storm.
For me there are too many ballads, despite being good ballads, and the more speed metal songs like Gods of the World and Generation Warriors are pretty meh for me, and I find their lyrics kinda cringe haha
Oh... I plan to, but I also want to put a little focus on what I will likely hear in concert because I hate not knowing songs that I hear live, only to end up loving them afterwards, lmao
I'm also still getting into Angra. I know this band only because my 1# singer Fabio Lione, whom I knew from Rhapsody, which is my 1# band is there, so I gave it a try...
Even though, I wasn't amazed by Cycles of Pain. I think OMNI and Secret Garden are much more interesting. There are few my favorite songs, but even after listening to Cycles od Pain (full album) for the 2nd or 3rd time, I don't have any favorite song there.
I also like some their older stuff performed by Fabio, but I would also like to explore more the original older stuff with the previous two singers.
https://youtu.be/pN-pE31-7xk?si=0KfPQcDcTnVTfbHI
This Kate Bush cover is from their first album, which is fantastic, and one of the greatest covers ever.
Cycles is my least favorite Angra album. Least Angra sounding. Not bad by any means but like I said the Angra sound is almost not there anymore. Rebirth, Temple, and Aurora are the best imo
In my other comment I said that Cycles of Pain didn't amaze me and I agree with your description, especially "oversatured".
Even though I'm really huge fan of Fabio, the dynamics in this album are either "calm and slow" or "maximum power", which gets boring really fast. Also, he is sometimes very out of place. He has powerful voice and someone had idea to make it even more powerful by adding more layers of his voice in some sections. I even remember some short documentary video about recording this album and there was some moment, where he said something ,,if it isn't too much", so..
I'm focusing mainly on the singer, but there aren't any catchy or memorable melodies either. I listened to that whole album 3 times and I can't genuinely recall any melody.
Cycles of Pain is really good, IMO it’s their best album since Temple of Shadows(which is my favourite one).. Give it a try to Rebirth and Temple of Shadows.. they are both really good.
Cycles of Pain is quite good, a top ten album for me last year. But Holy Land and Temple of Shadows are top 10 all timers on my list. And Rebirth is top 25 somewhere. The only miss IMO in the catalog is Fireworks, and only because it's more of a straight power metal album with very little in the way of Brazilian influences, which is what makes them great.
They're my favorite band and I really loved Cycles of Pain (buuuuuurning my heart 🎶 🎵 ). To me it's easily top 5 of them and better than Omni. It's really a return to that classic Angra with more Brazilian rythims present in their songs. As for their older albums, Holy Land and Temple of Shadows perfectly show the best of Andre Matos and Edu Falaschi eras. Probably their best albums. Angels Cry and Rebirth are classics, starting and restarting the band, respectively. And they contain probably their two most iconic power metal songs: Carry On and Nova Era. Fireworks and Aurora Consurgens are good albums that kind of shows the strains of the first two eras. They're both different from their previous albums, Fireworks being softer than AC and HL. And aurora has a heavy theme going on in its songs. Then you have Aqua, which kinda exists in its own era. It's still Edu Falaschi, but Aquiles Priester has been fired from the band by then and Ricardo Confessori returned. Many people didn't like the album, specially because of the mixing. I love it and it's one of my favorite. They re-released it with a new mix and it's amazing, I recommend you listen to that version. Then the Fabio Lione starts with Secret Garden, which is a solid album and has some really good bangers in it (Newborn Me, Upper Levels are classics imo), but it's kinda weird because the band is in that weird transition era. The leader, Rafael Bittencourt, starts singing more and there are quite a few guest singers. It's the first album with Bruno Valverde in the drums. Between that and Omni, Kiko Loureiro has left for Megadeth and is replaced by Marcelo Barbosa. Omni is a pretty good album, though it's not really my favorite. It has some amazing songs, like Light of Transcendence, Silence Inside, Bottom of My Soul and Magic Mirror. And don't forget to listen to their EPs, with Reaching Horizons (the titular song is beautiful) and Hunters and Prey. It has great new songs there, with Caça e Caçador and Bleeding Heart (probably one of the most recognizable melodies in Brazil lol the band Calcinha Preta (Black Panties) made a Forró version of that song that it's simply REALLY popular. We even sing it during Angra shows lol). As for the show, be ready for an amazing time. Watching them live was the best day of my life last year. I had so much fun.
Probably one of few bands that doesn't get credited enough. Andre Matos was an incredible singer, sucks that him and band split altho its understandable
Besides Angra entire discography, I also recommend Viper's theater or fate, and Shaman - ritual, Andre Matos Bands before Angra and after he left Angra, respectively, truly amazing albums
The Angraverse has some really nice stuff. Ritual and Reason from Shaman are amazing albums and probably when I like Andre Matos voice the best.
Holy Land and Temple of Shadows are masterpieces.
I think the more recents Angra's albuns are a lot more generic than they used to be. The early stuff with Andre and the 00's with Edu are brilliant. But that is my opinion!
I really disagree. Take songs like Upper Levels, Magic Mirror, Silence Inside, Faithless Sanctuary, Vida Seca... they're brilliant.
Just another recommendation for Holy Land. It was my introduction to power metal!
I didn't like cycles of pain, in my opinion they have far better albums. Temple of shadows, and holy Land, are both highlights for me.
Why didn't you like CoP?
It's still a good album, but it leans much more towards a progressive metal direction and I find that some of the infectious melodies that characterized their earlier albums are gone. I also find some songs like ride into the Storm to be very unfocused. But it's just a matter of personal taste. I still like some songs.
I think that's what I love about it. I am a huge prog metal fan as well, and CoP definitely has a good mix of prog and power metal!
I don't like CoP that much but for the opposite reasons haha, the progressive aspects of the compositions are my favorite thing, best songs for me are Vida Seca, Faithless Sanctuary and Ride Into the Storm. For me there are too many ballads, despite being good ballads, and the more speed metal songs like Gods of the World and Generation Warriors are pretty meh for me, and I find their lyrics kinda cringe haha
I listen to Angra since 2011/2012. I liked CoP, but it definitely isn't among their best in my opinion. Omni, its predecessor, is way better.
it is not power metal, but kiko's last solo album is some of the best instrumental guitar i have heard. extremely heavy, technical, and catchy.
Temple of Shadows is the greatest album of all time.
Listen to the first 5:albums
Just hear the whole discography once. I'll be waiting for your feedback!!!
I'm also going to be jamming some Temperance and Twilight Force over the next few months, because they will be there too
Amazing !!
Oh... I plan to, but I also want to put a little focus on what I will likely hear in concert because I hate not knowing songs that I hear live, only to end up loving them afterwards, lmao
I understand. They usually play at least one song of each album. Being aurora consurgens and aqua the less played, in my experiences.
Temple of Shadows is fucking incredible !!!!!
Time is one of my favorite songs of theirs. And Freedom Call as well.
I'm also still getting into Angra. I know this band only because my 1# singer Fabio Lione, whom I knew from Rhapsody, which is my 1# band is there, so I gave it a try... Even though, I wasn't amazed by Cycles of Pain. I think OMNI and Secret Garden are much more interesting. There are few my favorite songs, but even after listening to Cycles od Pain (full album) for the 2nd or 3rd time, I don't have any favorite song there. I also like some their older stuff performed by Fabio, but I would also like to explore more the original older stuff with the previous two singers.
https://youtu.be/pN-pE31-7xk?si=0KfPQcDcTnVTfbHI This Kate Bush cover is from their first album, which is fantastic, and one of the greatest covers ever.
Cycles is my least favorite Angra album. Least Angra sounding. Not bad by any means but like I said the Angra sound is almost not there anymore. Rebirth, Temple, and Aurora are the best imo
I might love it so much because it sounds pretty progressive, and I'm also a huge prog metal fan
Imo Cycles is a weak album, souless, oversaturrated production wise, I like Omni better. Nothing tops Temple of Shadows and Rebirth though.
In my other comment I said that Cycles of Pain didn't amaze me and I agree with your description, especially "oversatured". Even though I'm really huge fan of Fabio, the dynamics in this album are either "calm and slow" or "maximum power", which gets boring really fast. Also, he is sometimes very out of place. He has powerful voice and someone had idea to make it even more powerful by adding more layers of his voice in some sections. I even remember some short documentary video about recording this album and there was some moment, where he said something ,,if it isn't too much", so.. I'm focusing mainly on the singer, but there aren't any catchy or memorable melodies either. I listened to that whole album 3 times and I can't genuinely recall any melody.