SilentScream213 Angra were not quite the inventors of Symphonic Metal – that accolade would have to go to X Japan – but they were absolutely at the forefront of its development. What’s more, the style of Symphonic Power Metal first crafted on “Angels Cry” is a style that has carried on to the present day. The genres tend to go hand in hand now, rarely one existing without some element of the other, no doubt the legacy of this majestic work.

Something that is immediately apparent is that this album is incredibly rich and developed for a debut album. The symphonic elements are in full swing, there’s a strong variety of sounds all pulled off quite well, and the music is quite frankly impressive. This band knew exactly what they wanted to do from the get-go, and they hit the ground running. Another interesting factor is that this is a debut album from Brazil of all places, yet the production is very good, as if it were a popular band with a big budget. Of course, the guest appearance of Kai Hansen of Halloween and Gamma Ray fame is testament that this band was not totally unknown and must have had some notoriety.

One slight weakness for me is that the vocals can be quite pitchy at times, and always stay at the very high end of the registry. Despite that, the guy definitely has impressive range and technique, just doesn’t always suit my taste. The two part closer is also not anything amazing, meaning the album is bookended by its weakest tracks if you include the intro.

Overall, amazingly impressive and cohesive debut album, hasn’t aged a day.

Kingcrimsonprog What happens if you stick Keeper Of The Seven Keys and Operation Mindcrime in a blender? You waste two perfectly good cds of course! However, the metaphor was the first thing that came to my mind after listening to the first half on the Brazilian Power Metal/Progressive Metal band Angra’s classic 1992 debut album Angels Cry.

The album was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Sascha Paeth (what important Power Metal bands haven’t those legendary two worked with, between them?), and recorded in Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray’s studio in Germany. It also features guest musicianship from three Gamma Ray members across two tracks. That’s some serious Power Metal pedigree it has going for it. In addition to bouncy European-sounding Melodic Power Metal however, the band also write incredibly Progressive minded music with odd rhythms, complex transitions and a lot of thought about texture and atmosphere (there’s at least two or three songs on here that seriously feel like missing tacks off of Rage For Order at times, before the choruses kick in), and on top of all that, dip into Neo-Classical territories as well.

All that superb musicianship and songwriting skill is superbly topped off with some seriously phenomenal lead vocals from the beyond-talented Andre Matos. The range, power, melodic sensibilities and enthusiastic performances are something to behold.

The album feels really well balanced, it flows well, and despite having a Kate Bush cover and music by Vivaldi and Paganini, never feels cheesy or gimmicky. You could never tell it was recorded with line-up trouble before, during and after its creation either. Its just one of those extremely solid albums that just sounds and feels important.

Highlights include ‘Carry On’ which is a whole lot of fun, ‘Time’ which has a bit of a Queensryche feel and ‘Never Understand’ which has guest guitar from Kai Hansen, Dirk Schlächter and Sascha Paeth (and despite all that doesn’t feel patchwork). The word highlights is hard to apply though, as its all so good and there’s not a lot that’s worth skipping or ignoring by any means. This is solid from beginning to end.

It may not be as progressive as their later albums, and doesn't really highlight the Brazilian/World music angle as much as later albums, but it is still an absolute gem and I’d seriously advice people to get themselves a copy if they are into either Power Metal or Progressive Metal.

UMUR "Angel´s Cry" is the debut full-length album by Brazilian power metal act Angra. The album was released through Rising Sun Productions in October 1993. "Angel´s Cry" was recorded at Kai Hansen´s (Helloween, Gamma Ray, Iron Saviour) studio in Hamburg, Germany and produced by Charlie Bauerfeind and Sascha Paeth (one part of the prolific producer team Paeth/Miro who have worked with most of the European power metal elite. Most notably Rhapsody of Fire). It´s noteworthy that the drums on the album are played by Alex Holzwarth (Sieges Even, Rhapsody of Fire) as future drummer Ricardo Confessori was not a member of the band at the time when the band recorded the album even though he is featured on the photos in the album booklet.

The music on the album is neo-classical influenced European power metal with the occasional progressive moment thrown in. After listening to "Angel´s Cry" it´s pretty obvious that Angra are Helloween worshippers ("Keeper of the Seven Keys part I and II" era). The fast paced double bass drums, the melodic neo-classical influenced guitars, symphonic keyboards and the memorable, anthemic and melodic vocal lines delivered by a high pitched vocalist are all trademarks in the genre, that Helloween spearheaded in the 80s. So it´s safe to say that the music on "Angel´s Cry" is not very original.

What makes this album stand out from the pack is the quality of the music. And these are generally very high quality compositions. The album features fast paced Euro power metal tracks like "Carry On", "Time" and "Streets of Tomorrow" but "Angel´s Cry" is actually a rather diverse album which also features tracks like the power ballad "Stand Away" (which features some extremely high pitched vocal parts), "Never Understand" (the most progressive inclined track on the album) and the symphonic closing track "Lasting Child: I The Parting Words II Renaissance". There is also a cover version of the Kate Bush track "Wuthering Heights" featured on the album. The cover is true to the original but very well performed. The vocal performance by lead vocalist André Matos is nothing short of amazing on that track. High pitched falsetto delivered with passion and conviction.

The musicianship on the album are on a high level. The guitar playing by Kiko Loureiro is melodic yet powerful but the prize goes to vocalist André Matos. He is an outstanding vocalist who masters his voice and singing style to perfection. He doesn´t invent anything new but he´s got a great voice and a brilliant technique.

The sound production is professional, clear and powerful although the drum sound at times could have been a bit more powerful. So all in all "Angel´s Cry" is a great album in all departments. Professional and clever songwriting (even though it´s not terribly original), brilliant musicianship and a well sounding production. In other words a high quality release by Angra fully deserving a 4 star (80%) rating.