Search - Angra :: Holy Land

WOW

Haik | Seattle, WA USA | 04/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is really a great album.

Actually, to be honest, it has a few forgettable tracks.

But it also has a few masterpieces which more than make up for it. Alright, in my opinion.



The masterpieces:

ZITO - Great melody, great feel, and great energy



Carolina IV - The best song on the album, about ten minutes long, really amazing how it progresses, great opening and stays strong throughout the whole song, its really the best Angra song. It also has the Brazilian rhythms and drums which add to the theme of the album.



Nothing to Say - Reminds me of Carry On/Angels Cry, great guitar intro, again a brazilian feel like Carolina IV, I would say this is one of the best Angra songs, and its very catchy.



Make believe - Unbelievable song as well, its a bit softer but very emotional and sounds very cool, really grows on you



Lullaby for Lucifer - Just a short little song at the end, but its the perfect closer for the album



Forgettable tracks:

Deep Blue, Silence and Distance. They aren't bad, but they just don't grip me like the other songs.



There are also 2 songs that are pretty good. Holy Land and Shaman, and of course crossing in the beginning too. They are also great songs, just not as unbelievable as the ones I listed.



Overall, I would still give it a 5/5 despite a few more boring tracks because the guitars are amazing, the vocals are very good (in my opinion), great songwriting with a few exceptions, and a great feel to it with the South American music blended into a few tracks."

Boys from Brazil stretch out

Paul Lawrence | Australia | 11/07/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Angra really stepped outside the square with this album, a slab that hits the mark in a range of ways. To think Angra put out an album like this at a time when grunge and pop-punk were the ruling subgenres of hard rock/metal shows how this sort of music is obviously a labour of love for these dudes.



Firing off on a tangent is perhaps a good way of describing this album. From the balls to the wall opener of Nothing to Say, with a riff you could use to chop down some more of the Amazon with to the ethereal wanderings of the title track to the tribal rhythms of Carolina IV this is a highly diverse rock album. As per with Angels Cry a number of the band get writing credits though this time around we don't have so many guest musicians in terms of outside metal acts, merely players who did the orchestral instruments. And on Holy Land Angra hit the listener with a whole bunch of them - flute, viola, congas, djembe, clave and even the didgeridoo among others.



While it's fair to say that this album is less of a committed rocker than Angels Cry the two still somehow gel together. In fact the two were released in some territories as a compilation. This is probably assisted by the production again being down by Sashca Paeth and Charlie Bauerfield who did Angels Cry.



What shines through is the feel of the band, something beyond specifics about the music. Not an album easily digested for the newcomer but a number of the tunes open up on repeated listens. Another good release from Angra."

Breathtaking

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 04/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It took me a long time to discover Angra, but once I did I got into them in a big way. I could tell that Angra was something special from listening to Angels Cry, but I had no idea they were capable of the masterpiece that is their 1995 album Holy Land.



Where Angels Cry was more of a power metal album with progressive elements, Holy Land is a progressive metal album with not only power metal elements, but incorporating orchestral and choral passages and exotic instruments from around the world for a powerful and unique musical experience. Holy Land is one of those albums where all the stars are in alignment and everything just works perfectly. The songwriting, the instrumentals, the vocals, the production, the melodies - all of them are in top form on this album, and they all work together seamlessly to make Holy Land such an effective concept album. Each time I listen to this album, the songs bring out the sense of adventure, wonder and discovery that the Holy Land concept is all about.



This is easily the best album of the Andre Matos era. Angels Cry and Fireworks are both incredibly strong power metal albums in their own right, but the band took a huge leap forward with Holy Land. I've never heard anything quite like it before or since then.



Holy Land is a must-have album for all fans of the progressive and/or power metal genres. This is where Helloween and Dream Theater meet."