Even though Fabio Lione has been the singer for Angra for literally 10 years now, it always takes me aback whenever I hear his voice in front of Angra’s music. Maybe because I got so used to listening to him singing about warriors, quests, dragons and swords throughout my teenage years, it is very difficult for me to associate him and his vibrato-laden voice with anything other than his legendary days fronting Rhapsody. ‘Cycles of Pain’ is the band’s 3rd album with Lione on vocals, and their 10th album overall, and I believe they haven’t sounded this inspired and inspiring since they released ‘Temple of Shadows’ almost 20 years ago. Their very specific and melodic brand of Progressive Power Metal that mixes the best of the subgenre with Brazilian and Latin rhythms and symphonic passages hasn’t sounded this good in years.
The album starts with ‘Cyclus Doloris’, a short and atmospheric intro track with some church organs and choirs that briefly take us to the first real song, ‘Ride into the Storm’ which is a very traditional Angra song in every sense. All the elements that have made this band famous are here, the thundering and ultra-fast drum patterns, the intricate riffs and leads that slither their way into every section of the track, the catchy melodies and the virtuosic bridges and instrumental sections. A very good album opener. Next comes ‘Dead Man on Display’ with a brief atmospheric intro that soon turns into a very Power Metal song. With an interesting verse structure, the chorus is the real gem of this track. Extremely catchy and accessible, this is one that should be part of their live settings from now on. ‘Tide of Changes’ is divided in two parts, the first one being a short and calm bass-driven song with some nice vocals on top, but given it lasts a bit more than 1 minute I don’t understand why they didn’t just make it part of the one track. Part II of the song is a very chill piece of Melodic Prog Metal, with a really good vocal performance by Fabio Lione and a bit of a change from the first couple of thunderous and lightning-fast songs of the album. ‘Vida Seca’ is probably the best and most interesting song in the whole album, and I love it for that. It starts with a latin-infused section that reminds me a bit of ‘Sprouts of Time’ from the aforementioned ‘Temple of Shadows’ and some awesome verses sang in Portuguese by Brazilian guest singer Lenine. When the song introduces distortion after a minute or so, it does it in such a seamless and tasteful way that makes the song flow perfectly. Little by little the song builds intensity, never becoming too heavy but always keeping things memorable. Definitely the highlight of the album so far.
After a very diverse and entertaining first half, comes ‘Gods of the World’, an intense and dramatic Prog-Power gem of a song. I particularly like the Hard-Rock style guitar solo in the middle of the song, it breaks the dramatism and makes a nice contrast with the other sections. Title track ‘Cycles of Pain’ is a sappy mid-tempo ballad with awesome fretless bass lines and some really good guitar scales during the verses. The chorus is very enjoyable and the ending introduces some nice string sections to the background, but the song is not as memorable as other tracks in the album. ‘Faithless Sanctuary’ kicks off with an awesome South American Folkloric intro and then a Proggy main riff than adds perfectly to it. This is a very danceable song with tons of Latin groove. It even manages to sneak a few cheeky moments here and there, and they really work well. You can tell the band had a lot fun writing and probably recording this one. It is the longest song in the album, and it goes by in a whim. Next is ‘Here in the Now’, another pretty chilled almost-ballad with a mid-tempo rhythm, an extremely uplifting chorus and an overall soothing atmosphere. It fits perfectly with the previous one, but maybe I was ready for a bit more speed and heavyness at this point, as by the end of this song it has been more than 15 minutes since the last Heavy song. Thankfully my wishes are heard and ‘Generation Warriors; is next, and with it a very solid song that makes me wanna headbang again with its exceptional drumming and an amazing chorus melody that I predict will become a future fan favourite. To close the album, ‘Tears of Blood’ brings a different approach with its totally Operatic/Symphonic melodies that sound more like an off-take from Kamelot’s most recent release than a traditional Angra song. It is a good song, just an odd choice as an album closer, given how different it sounds to the rest of the album, but not judging, as I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Production-wise, this is one of the best sounding Power Metal albums I’ve heard this year, and that is a true feat, especially considering the amount of layers and elements the songs in ‘Cycles of Pain’ have. Every little note, detail, beat, etc. is perfectly audible and clean in this album. Absolutely outstanding mix in my opinion. Now, the album could have probably benefited from a different track order, but I reckon this is the best time I’ve had with any Angra album since their glory days of the 90s and early 2000’s. It is an album that made me feel warm and fuzzy, happy and uplifted, and where the talent of these amazing musicians shines in every corner. Angra has never been (and never will be) one of the heaviest bands around, in fact some of the songs in their repertoire are barely Metal, but after a 30-odd year long career, it is refreshing to hear that they are still very inspired and delivering the goods.
Album highlights: Vida Seca, Gods of the World, Faithless Sanctuary, Generation Warriors
For fans of: Edu Falaschi, Shaman, Symphony X, Aquaria
Angra: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: Atomic Fire Records
Category: Album
Country: Brazil
Reviewed by Roman Ibarra
