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Eyes
Of Shiva is a Brazilian band operating in the wake of Rhapsody,
Angra and Shaman. This means high vocals, choke-full songs and
flashy guitar-work. Heavy metal with a progressive touch and in this
case also some Brazilian accents as their own deposit. André
Ferrari’s vocals are a matter of taste, but there is no doubt about
it that he has got a powerful throat and the guitar players strew
some goodies over our heads. One cannot speak of Rhapsody’s quality
for miles, but remember it is only a debut album.
After
a typical bombastic intro, we got some up tempo power metal with
double bass-drum and muscular language in ‘Eagle Of The Sun’. Yet
this will turn out as one of the most explosive tracks of the album.
In ‘Lampião’, as the title presumes, most Brazilian elements are
assimilated. One can hear it in the strangely bossanova intro, but
no panic, heavy guitars rule one moment later. The centrepiece and
the nervous, almost jazzy keys augment the originality.
We
can be brief about the sound of ‘Eyes Of Soul’: excellent. The album
was produced by Fabio Laguna (keyboardist Angra) and the mix was
done by Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69). The Japanese market gets a
bonus track in the shape of ‘Way To Salvation’.
Best
composition of the record is undoubtedly ‘Psychos Of The New
Millennium’. Bombastic choirs do not sound new anymore, but they are
a pretty contrast with the joyful party mood of the rest of the
song. Short, powerful and inspired, but most of all contagiously
fine to sing along! In his best moments singer Ferrari has a bit of
Geoff Tate here. To ensure the band of any radio airplay, there are
two ballads on ‘Eyes Of Soul’. Maybe this will help in America but I
wonder if it will make any difference in Europe. The mellow ‘Pride’
didn’t make my flesh creep anyway and ‘Alone’ is an acceptable cover
of Heart, when this band sailed into its pomp rock area. Interesting
though is the mid tempo ‘Eyes Of Soul’. This can be written on the
account of Brazilian instruments (do I hear a pan-flute over
there?). Like you will notice, the song-material is of unequal
quality. For the rest of the songs are common power metal tracks
with some progressive elements, based on fast guitar-work, yet
having their weaknesses. Diehard power metal freaks will possibly
think different and should give it a try. |
