Brazil's Angra has been laying out their
brand of progressive metal for more than a decade now. Aurora
Consurgens meshes several styles, including power and
prog metal, folk and classical. No player is listed, but as
in most power metal bands, keyboards are also used. Sounds
and instruments from their roots add further depth.
Aurora Consurgens was the title of a manuscript by
Saint Thomas of Aquin. Although not a concept album, the lyrics
deal with the relationship between alchemy and psychological
transformation. Also of note is the album's cover, which is
an interpretation of a drawing in the original work. Now onto
the music, right?
As described above, Angra's music might have power metal fans
thinking Blind Guardian. And that is an accurate comparison. Aurora Consurgens has the same type of production
and sound as Blind Guardian's latest release, A Twist
in the Myth. Even lead vocalist Edu Falaschi sounds similar
to Hansi Kursch. The main differences are the native elements
Angra incorporates and, at times, a more aggressive style.
“The Course of Nature” is the perfect opening
track, with several of the mentioned elements present and
a memorable sing-along chorus. There's even a thrashy breakdown
to get your heads banging. “Ego Painted Grey”
takes us on a musical ride from its power ballad opening notes
to prog parts and excellent soloing. “Salvation: Suicide”
and “Window to Nowhere” are lightning-fast, guitar-lover
power metal songs, while “So Near So Far” contains
an interesting intro with tribal sounds and percussion. “Scream
Your Heart Out” brings Dream Theater to mind and the
album closes with a nice acoustic number called “Abandon
Fate.” This is a diverse mix from start to finish.
Angra, like Blind Guardian, is willing and able to experiment
and find levels of success. Aurora Consurgens keeps
your attention throughout, keeping you guessing about what
will happen next. In terms of power metal albums, this one
is relatively strong, though more songs like the more straightforward
“The Course of Nature” would have made a better
album.
Recommended for fans of Blind Guardian, Dream Theater, and
Sonata Artica. |
