[Album Review]: Temple Of Shadows - Angra

  After analyzing several reviews about this album, I decided to complement both opinions and merge their ideas to a Full understanding of this valuable work. The review of Today it is one of albums that more characterized the band Brazilian of Progressive Power Metal a.k.a Angra around the world: "Temple Of Shadows"! 

  The band at that time already had studio Albums very well made and has enough known worldwide with "Angels Cry (1994)" with the unmistakable treble hitherto vocalist André Matos mixed with the aggressiveness of Heavy Metal; "Holy Land (1996)" that tried to pass a bit of Brazilian culture in its tracks; "Fireworks (1998)" with Brazilian rhythmic characteristics similar to its predecessor, but more direct and aggressive; and "Rebirth (2001)" - the first work done after the reformulation of Angra (vocals, etc. ..).

  And in 2004 rises his fifth Album TOS, and thus, found the most amazingly & fantastic formula of Speed​/Power/Prog Metal of recent times!

Begin

Being a concept Album originally written by guitarist Rafael Bittencourt, TOS talks about the life of a crusader in the 11th century - known as "The Shadow Hunter". Briefly, the History (or Legend so to speak) it is a crusader that wounded one of the many battles for the reconquest of the Holy Land, fallen into the hands of the "infidels", ends up being rescued by a Muslim family. The conflict begins when the protagonist begins to question the validity of the values ​​preached by Catholicism that simultaneously says you should love your neighbor, but promotes indiscriminate slaughter against all those who profess his doctrine. Shadow Hunter marries a young woman from the family who will rescue. Time passes until he and his family must go to Jerusalem and, in the period they are in that city, the Christian army invades and kills all the people. The wife and children of Shadow Hunter die. He becomes a pilgrim who ends up creating a new religion and therefore is pursued, captured, tortured and killed by the Catholic Church.

The History track-by-track

Through the 13 tracks on the disc, we witness the whole story:

•  "Deus Le Volt!", "Spread Your Fire": The story starts as a man, later named the Shadow Hunter, is chosen by God as a Jewish Rabbi tells him his fate.
•  "Angels and Demons": As he accepts his destiny, the Shadow Hunter goes off to spread a new belief, against the teachings of the Catholic Church, who define him as a heretic.
•  "Waiting Silence": As time passes, the Shadow Hunter falls in love with a Muslim lady and has two sons. He is conflicted by his choice between filling out his destiny or living a normal life. As his anxiety builds, the Crusaders of the Roman Catholic Church attack the city the family lives in.
•  "Wishing Well": Completely separate from the coming battle, this vignette carries through the Shadow Hunter's mind, as the Rabbi's voice constantly replays itself, telling him: "No matter where you throw your coins, whether it be in a church or a well, it's your faith! If there is a God, he has no home: He is everywhere! ..."
•  "Temple of Hate": Jerusalem is stormed by an army of the Holy Roman Church, in correspondence with the real event occurring in July 1099, and overcome with their zeal for Christianity, annihilate every single inhabitant. The Shadow Hunter's wife and two children are killed in this attack. The Reign of Jerusalem was founded upon the fanatic, intolerant and ignorant ideals of The Temple of Hate, against the will of those who lived in the Holy Land before their invasion.
•  "The Shadow Hunter": The Shadow Hunter continues his travels and runs across a Gypsy prostitute. Instead of giving him pleasure, she reads him cards, telling him love will drag him from his path. The Shadow Hunter, seeking answers to questions that plague him, is even more baffled by the woman. At this point, he also discovers the death of his family.
•  "No Pain for the Dead": Continuing from the previous song, The Shadow Hunter buries his family, overcome with loss and sadness, but is comforted by knowing they are free from mortal suffering and emotions. He then questions whether all this has been worth doing.
•  "Winds of Destination": Some time passes and he ends up in the assault of Xerigordon Fortress, held up by Kilij Arslan. During the conquest of Xerigordon Fortress, The Shadow Hunter is injured and has to run away to escape from the troops of Kilij Arslan. Losing blood, he collapses before getting back to Constantinople. While unconscious, he dreams about the lost scrolls hidden in the ruins of the Temple of Solomon and inside lost caves by the Dead Sea.
•  "Sprouts of Time": The Shadow Hunter starts a new religion, gathering people around him to spread the truth revealed for him. Words of peace and love were sown like seeds in the hearts of the wise, but fruitlessly dropped on the rocky soil of the hearts of the blind. The future is a consequence of what we do now. The present exposes the Sprouts of Time to everyone. It is unclear whether this actually happens, or if he is hallucinating this event, as the next song states that he is just waking up.
•  "Morning Star": When he wakes up, two Muslim men are carrying him away on a type of hammock hanging on a long piece of wood. Weak and frightened, he can't react. Right above his head, while the sun is dawning, the Morning Star shines in the new day's sky. The six-pointed star presents a cross and the trident together as one. He understands the first sign given to him by the Rabbi as the wolves are howling. At that very moment, the first prophecy is accomplished. He will find out later that the two men are brothers. Inside, their sister, named Laura, will tend to his wounds. As he finds strength to move again, the Shadow Hunter waits for dawn as it seems the Morning Star is giving him the chance to decide whether he lives or dies.
•  "Late Redemption": On his deathbed, whether it is immediately after this or some time in the future, the Shadow Hunter is still in doubt about the long journey which has brought him here; he remains beset by the questions: "Was I right? Was I wrong?" Memories and thoughts twist his mind. As death approaches, the Hunter is visited by angels - or are they demons? Who knows? How can the purest heart judge evil? The Angel of Death stretches his arms and offers a comfortable eternal silence. The Shadow Hunter delivers his body and soul, sure of his Late Redemption.

•  "Gate XIII" is an orchestral instrumental, reprising riffs, progressions, and other musical themes from many of the other songs, symbolizing that as life lives by taking the lives of others, one life ends, more life begins. The snake eats its tail.

The album cover is originally based from the painting of Saint George, one of the most popular saints in Catholicism based and venerated as a martyr. He is immortalized in the tale in killing a Dragon that was tormenting a small town.



Maybe in stopping only on ideological explanation of this work, was left rather vague conception of both lyrical depth as musical in TOS. Actually, this is an album that demands repeated hearings, meaning successive discoveries. Angra incredibly expanded the spectrum of their influences and perhaps this represents a new lease of music style, and especially for the band. Anyway, TOS exceeds the limits of heavy metal music and elevates the Angra to an artistic level never dreamed. The Angra has created a bold and creative music like never before.
I hope to have helped you understand not only how this album is musically rich because carries a wealth difficult to overcome, thus turning into real Masterpiece!



ШΛ.Peace.. and Spread your Fire!

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