FIREWORKS

The last record with singer & mastermind André Matos, bass player Luis Mariutti and drummer Ricardo Confessori (all together now at SHAMAN). It was ripped in some metal magazines and press, but I think it's a great melodic power metal album, with hunting riffs, brilliant solos and songs that won't go out of my head after I have listened it. Well, "Fireworks" isn't such a progressive (not meant as the word for what stand progressive in general, but I mean the innovation of the instrumental arrangements, there are different ways how to describe and interpretate progressive), well out-balanced milestone like the previous record "Holy Land", but holds up the flag as great metal release.

The strength of the record is beside the brilliant guitar work and once more great vocals, the wonderful, sometimes sleepy melodies, which are included between the heavy and fast parts, listenable in highlights like "Wings Of Reality", "Petrified Eyes", the beautiful half-ballad "Lisbon" or the uptempo-hymn "Metal Icarus". There are two songs, which are faves of mine, the title track with it's nice refrain and the fine, heavenly melodic smasher "Gentle Change". The most critics to this in my oppinion superb release were nailed at the production on "Fireworks". Well, it's a big production, a bombastic sound-wall, but sometimes a bit unclean (drums). I personally couldn't imagine that album with a different sound, it's perfect for what it is IMO, only the drums could be a bit more powerful, so "Fireworks" get's a point off in the B-note. Not that this could pull down the quality of the single songs on the album that much though.

All in all "Fireworks" is a must-have for fans of Angra and is recommended to people, who are interested in some excellent progressive/power metal.

album rating: 8/10 points = 82 % on MPV scale = 4/5 stars

point-system: 0 - 3 points = 1 star / 3.5 - 5.5 points = 2 stars / 6 - 7 points = 3 stars / 7.5 - 8.5 points = 4 stars / 9 - 10 points = 5 stars