ANDRE MATOS: Turn Of The Light (MELODIC METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

In 1996, a Brazilian band invaded the world, from Japan to Europe, with a concept, "Holy Land", with an undeniable personality. The two-headed animal had André Matos as its voice and Rafael Bittencourt as its arm. Tired, a few years later, the band split up to generate an Angra led by Bittencourt, and a Matos dispersing between Shaaman, the Symfonia, and the unpretentious solo albums. They all more or less regularly lay nice records for us, but none of them has ever lived up to this sacred "Holy Land".

There is no surprise here except the fact that André Matos sings much better than on his last albums in which he had a too much Helloween style vocals and that the tone is perhaps both heavier and more symphonic than the previous album.

After two effective melodic power tracks, Matos hardens the tone and complicates the subject with "The Turn Of The Lights" which is a little reminiscent, all things considered, of Dream Theater. At the right time comes the ballad just languid but well interpreted, "Gaza", a flawless one so far! Still you would like to listened to a must-have track : here comes "Stop"!

The second part is of the same kind, with an almost too much regularity, sometimes sought after, sometimes more simplistic, but a little less catchy. We would have appreciated a certain audacity, even a brilliant big failure, but everything is very calibrated, and if the emotion passes, it's sometimes with forceps!

This "Turn Of The Light" thus appears as one of André Matos' best solo albums, which, if it does not succeed in making people regret the splendour of Angra's period, allows the fellow to display his art and talent. - Official website

ANDRE MATOS

TURN OF THE LIGHT

AUTRE LABEL

MELODIC METAL