Angra – Omni

Label: earMusic  Playing Time: 61 Min  Release: 16.02.2018

In past years, I have lost Angra out of my sight a bit. Therefore I was very curious how they sound like in 2018. The beginning of “Omni” left a quite positive impression. The opening ‘Light of Transcendence’ sounds a lot like “happy, happy Helloween” and fulfills every expectation (although it needs a couple of times until it becomes a catchy tune). Yet if you expect a clone of the Hamburg based band mentioned, I can assure you there’s no need to panic because some of the following 10 songs bear some big surprises.

The first one is ‘Black Widow’s Web’ featuring Alissa White Gluz. Although the songs itself is not so catchy, the Arch Enemy growl vocals bring a real diversity. There are better songs on this album, but this one is the biggest surprise! The other extreme is ‘Insania’, a bombastic and catchy song. Some will actually say that it is over the top, maybe even cheesy. ‘Magic Mirror’ is also very catchy, but it is less cheesy and less bombastic, rather more complex and dynamic and sanctified with great melodies.

‘The Bottom Of My Soul’ is acoustic in the beginning but it unfolds more and more until finally it (musically) explodes (similar to ‘Always More’). Moreover, it has a slight Gospel vibe, at least due to its lyrics. A highlight of the album! Another highlight is the dark ‘War Horns’ featuring the former guitar player Kiko Loureiro, who is now member of Megadeth. The final surprise is the very long and complex ‘Silence Inside’.

All in all, I think that Angra did very well with Omni. I am sure that I will not lose the band out of sight in the near future again.

www.angra.net