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ANGRA
Cycles of Pain
2023 Atomic Fire Records

Cycles of Pain is Brazilian-based progressive power metal band ANGRA's 10th studio album, its third with lead vocalist Fabio Lione (ex-RHAPSODY OF FIRE, ex-VISION DIVINE), and its first for Atomic Fire Records. ANGRA members also include Rafael Bittencourt (guitar), Felipe Andreoli (bass), Marcelo Barbosa (guitar) and Bruno Valverde (drums). This lineup has been through a lot in the five years since the release of Omni (2018). Rafael lost his father, former vocalist Andre Matos passed away, and the band felt isolated during the hardships of Covid. Thus, the band wrote songs reflecting their perspectives on the struggles of life and death. It's no wonder they titled this album, Cycles of Pain!

The album opens with the 45-second gothic instrumental "Cyclus Doloris" (Latin for Cycle of Pain) before blasting forth with the galloping "Ride Into The Storm", a powerful uptempo melodic metal masterstroke, replete with driving riffs, double bass drumming and stellar lead and atmospheric backing vocals. The song only lets up for a moment after the solo section, but then quickly builds back to full strength again. I have an interpretation of what this song is about, but I'm sure it's not even close. Nonetheless, this six-minute song is easily one of my favorite ANGRA tracks of the Fabio Lione era. You can view the video for the song on KNAC.COM HERE. Next track, "Dead Man On Display", takes its time getting cranked up, but ultimately is a fantastic momento mori-themed track, inspired by paintings and photographs of people who have passed away.

There are two parts that keep Cycles of Pain from ever becoming tiring for the listener, and the first of these is "Tide of Changes - Part I" and "Tide of Changes - Part II". These two songs together are mainly a huge ballad about overcoming a broken relationship and rising again. This is a very powerful and emotional moment on the album. Check out Felipe's bass work on this track; it's tasteful and well done. (The video is worth watching as well). The next song is "Vida Seca" (Latin for 'life cut off'), which features many Brazilian musical references. The intro is sung in Portuguese over acoustic guitar by fellow Brazilian artist Lenine. (To these ears, he sounds a lot like Sting.) The song has a ton of progressive elements, and seems to be introspective and about retaining hope for the future.

Another favorite track on the album follows: "Gods of The World", a blistering condemnation of the political games played by the powers that be. A great job by all members, and I recommend checking this video out. The title track, "Cycles of Pain", is the second part of the album that mixes things up. This is a haunting ballad about everyday struggles and having everything go wrong, yet still having the strength to forge ahead; from being lost and alone, to believing you will survive. The track features a powerful lead vocal from Fabio and some nice piano throughout. "Faithless Sanctuary" is one of the strongest songs here, and at nearly seven minutes, it's the longest song on the album. Yet, it doesn't seem that long at all. The track is a prog metal workout for the listener, and there are numerous tempo changes and almost an orchestrated sound in parts, but in reality this band is just really good at making every moment interesting. "Here In The Now" is a decent ballad featuring guest vocals by Brazilian singer-songwriter Vanessa Moreno. Track 11 is "Generation Warriors", a speed metal song about the de-evolution of man and his resistance to technology. This is a truly enjoyable song, and I wish there were more like this here. Cycles of Pain closes with what feels more like a bonus track, the medieval duet, "Tears of Blood", which features Fabio and guest vocalist Amanda Somerville. This track reminds me of KAMELOT, but that's a good thing, as KAMELOT are pretty much the kings of that genre of metal.

Cycles of Pain was produced, mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69), and you can tell. His stamp is all over this album, and it sounds great. The cover art by Erick Pasqua and layout by Jonathan Canuto are fantastic. Do yourself a favor and check out all the promotional videos for this album. Director Leo Liberti has done a great job for ANGRA. Overall, Cycles of Pain is a successful entry in the ANGRA catalog. It is filled with passionate and diverse songs. ANGRA should be proud of this album and the band remains Brazil's finest export as far as I'm concerned. I do wish for more power metal on the band's next album, however. All things considered, I do like this album a lot, and would encourage fans to check it out!

4.5 Out Of 5.0