Well, why not kick Metal Month III off the same way began Metal Month II, by checking out one of the new releases of this year, in the section I like to call
(Note: the alliteration ends this year: for Metal Month IV I'll obviously be dropping the second half of this section's title, so it will become simply “Freshly Forged”.)
2015, like every other year, has been a bumper one for new metal releases. While I can't review every album reviewed this year (or at least, up to now) I do intend to, as usual, have a look at a hopefully varied selection. In a change to last year's format though, I'm streamlining it a little more. This year, and every subsequent year, I'll be going through the year chronologically, taking two albums from each month, up to obviously only October.
So, our first selection from January comes from these guys:
Secret Garden --- Angra --- 2015 (Edel)
Introduction: This one just barely makes it really, having been released in January, though Japan saw it first, in December of 2014. I featured Angra last year under the Brazilian portion of
The International Language of Metal, but I have not heard many of their albums, so whether this is a big departure from their last one or not I don't know. I know Angra had a rebirth of sorts with 2001's appropriately-titled
Rebirth, but what has happened since then is unknown to me. I can tell you that longtime vocalist Edu Falaschi is gone, replaced by the brilliantly-named Fabio Lione, so this is his debut for the Brazilian power metal band.
Track-by-track
Newborn me: Sort of a cinematic, orchestral intro then a big powerful burst of sound, hard guitars and sort of electronic sounds. Like the new singer, good powerful voice with that operatic quality you usually get in power metal. Some lovely Classical or Spanish guitar there later on before the electric kicks back in.
Black hearted soul: Starts off with a chanting choir and then fires off on a fast guitar run. Good vocal gymnastics from Lione.
Final light: More progressive metal than power, very dramatic, slower than the previous tracks but with a lot of punch and energy. Really nice guitar solo.
Storm of emotions: First ballad, nice acoustic guitar and it's good to hear that our Fabio can dial it back when required and still sound really good. Kind of Bon Joviesque in the chorus I feel. Really like this.
Synchronicity II: Yeah you read that right, the Police track. I don't know it that well so I can't say how well Angra cover it, however I do find it odd that this is listed as a bonus track, but is halfway through the album. Weird. Anyway, if you know the song you know what to expect. For me it's a decent rocker but a little below par.
Violet sky: It's a powerful, dramatic song. I just don't really feel too interested or invested in it and it's over before I can really evaluate it.
Secret Garden: The title track features Epica's Simone Simons on vocals, and it's very progressive/goth metal, with heavy strings presence on the keys and a slow, sort of swaying rhythm. Reminds me of Kamelot or her own band. Some lovely piano.
Upper levels: Odd kind of electronic almost funky feel to this, mostly due to the basswork of Felipe Andreoli, but it gets going nicely on a hammering guitar from Rafe Bittencourt. Oddly, Lione sounds like Dio on this track in places. Again, Angra straddle the bridge between progressive and power metal, and this is far closer to the former, with almost way too much funk/jazz for my liking. Ugh. Almost reminiscent of the overindulgences that brought progressive rock crashing down under the weight of its own collective ego in the late seventies.
Crushing room: Another guest vocalist as ex-Warlock frontwoman Doro Pesch steps in front of the mike, and she has certainly a strong voice, very different to Simons. A powerful song, again quite dramatic and more in the prog metal vein. More lonely piano helps to create a sense of bleakness and despair that fits in with the title of the song.
Perfect symmetry: This, on the other hand, is pure power metal, rocketing along on squealing keys and snarling guitars. Very good and dramatic orchestral instrumental section.
Silent call: This is gorgeous. Lovely ballad to end the album.
Conclusion: Not so much a power metal album as one that crosses over from that to prog metal and back, and also pulls in some electronic and even funk influences on the way. An interesting album, but I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to check it out again.