Aurora Consurgens (CD - 2006)

Personnel: Edu Falaschi (vocals); Kiko Loureiro (guitar, bouzouki, keyboards); Rafael Bittencourt (guitar, background vocals); Felipe Andreoli (guitar); Aquiles Priester (drums); Mauricio Alves (percussion).

Audio Mixer: Dennis Ward.

Recording information: House Of Audio Studios, Germany (06/2006-08/2006); Via Musique Estudios, Brazil (06/2006-08/2006).

Iron Maiden/Queensrÿche-esque prog metal reaches far and wide throughout the world, as evidenced by the emergence of Brazil's Angra. On their sixth full-length overall, 2006's Aurora Consurgens, you get truckloads of opera-like vocals, finely honed guitar harmonies and riffs, and of course, drumming so perfectly on-time that it would make your average metronome green with envy. Although the group is quick to point out that Aurora Consurgens is not a concept album, it does manage to "deal with the relationship between alchemy and psychological transformation." Could the chaps have invented a new metal subgenre -- "psychological" metal? It's certainly possible, after hearing such prog metal epics as "The Voice Commanding You" and "Window to Nowhere." Musically however, Aurora Consurgens would serve as the perfect soundtrack for a medieval knight saving a damsel in distress. Depending on what side of the rock music fence you sit on, Angra's 2006 effort is either preposterous dribble or an utter masterwork. ~ Greg Prato minimize