Angra
“Rebirth”
(SPV)
The best frame of reference to bracket this album in is Helloween on the top, Helstar on the bottom, rock on the left hand side and a hard place on the right. The band is collapsing under the weight of its ostensible influences. I see nothing terribly wrong with wearing your musical influences on your sleeve and for Angra it almost works as the guitarist volleys from fast frenetic picking to chunkier riffing moments and back again with nary an acknowledgement from the drummer who invariably keeps the pace going at top speed. Too often on this album the band takes a respite from their power metal ways with piano and vocal interludes that attempt to be sincere and atmospheric but ultimately wastes the listener’s time like a scene segue in a pornographic movie. Like the connecting scenes where porn stars make small talk destroy an erection so to does Angra’s lullabies between hard rocking power metal action cause the spandex pitched tent to fall.
