Almah | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | São Paulo, Brazil |
Genres | Progressive metal, power metal, neoclassical metal, thrash metal |
Years active | 2006–present (on hold after 2016) |
Labels | AFM Records |
Members | Edu Falaschi Marcelo Barbosa Raphael Dafras Diogo Mafra Pedro Tinello |
Past members | Casey Grillo Lauri Porra Emppu Vuorinen Felipe Andreoli Paulo Schroeber Gustavo di Padua Marcelo Moreira |
Almah is a Brazilian heavy metal band. Initially established in 2006 as a side project of former Angra singer Edu Falaschi, the band has released five albums and has turned from a solo-project into a band with regular activities. [1] Almah plays internationally since 2008 and was featured in festivals such as Rock in Rio (2013) and ProgPower USA (2015), among others.
Edu Falaschi stated that he was looking for a band name that was easy to remember and pronounce in all languages. In Portuguese and Spanish, Alma means "soul". He discovered that in Hebrew, Almah (עלמה), with an "h", means virgin and purity. He also stated that many religious people say what it means is the opposite. "I decided to talk about human feelings in a whole album - and human feelings can be good and bad – like liberty like love ore we can feel like freedom we can feel envy and greed – bad feelings. That's how I decided to write about human feelings. [2]
The band's first album, Almah , was released in the second half of 2006. Besides singing, Edu Falaschi also produced the record, composed all the songs and wrote all the lyrics. The album was recorded in Finland and Brazil with musicians such as Emppu Vuorinen (guitars – Nightwish), Lauri Porra (bass – Stratovarius) and Casey Grillo (drums – Kamelot), and special guest appearances of Mike Stone (guitars – Queensrÿche), Edu Ardanuy (guitars – Dr. Sin) and Sizão Machado (bass – Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque and others), among others. [1] [3] The album received good reviews in rock magazines and websites worldwide. [1] Falaschi was called one of the best singers by Burrn! magazine readers (Japan). [4]
In June 2007, Angra took a break for two years and Falaschi concentrated on his work with Almah. The solo project turned into a band with a stable line-up. [1]
Falaschi: "Angra really stopped in 2007 in July. And then when I released the first album, it was the solo album, I knew that maybe in the future Almah could be a band. And when Angra really stopped, we didn't know about Angra future and we didn’t know when we would come back with Angra. I decided in December 2007 to create a new Almah album, but as a real band, as a full time band." [5]
Almah's second album, Fragile Equality , was released in October 2008. [6] Besides Falaschi, who is handling the vocals, his Angra's bandmate Felipe Andreoli on bass has participated in the band. Guitar player Marcelo Barbosa from Khallice joined the band before its first tour in August 2007. During pre-production stage of Fragile Equality, drummer Marcelo Moreira and second guitarist Paulo Schroeber joined Almah. [7] All members have contributed actively to the songwriting process of Fragile Equality, with Falaschi and Andreoli being responsible for the production as well. [3] The album was at Norcal Studios in 2008. [8] Fragile Equality's lyrical concept is about "the balance between all the elements of the universe" based on a book that Edu is the co-writer for. The book "Fragile Equality - Equinox-Book 1" (done in manga style) is to be released sometime later, with a karaoke CD of the Fragile Equality album. [3]
In Brazil, the first pressing of the album was sold out during the first day of official sales. [9] According to the magazine Roadie Crew the album became of the best-selling albums in Brazil. [10] By the readers of Brazilian metal magazine, Roadie Crew [11] and by the contributors of the Brazilian metal website Whiplash, and the Brazilian metal website Rock Underground [12] Almah and Fragile Equality were recognized as the Best Brazilian Band 2008, the Best Album 2008, The Best Artwork 2008 among other nominations awarded to Almah musicians. The album was also well reviewed internationally. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
A tour started in São Paulo in November 2008 and finished in April 2009 in Rio de Janeiro. [19] In July and August 2008, Almah played on the main stage of musical festivals Píaui Pop [20] and Porão Do Rock. [1]
In January 2009, Almah launched the new video clip "Beyond Tomorrow". It was filmed in December 2008 in Brasília by Rodrigo Gianetto who works also for MTV Brazil. [21] In March 2009, the band released its first digital single, an acoustic version of "All I Am", through its Brazilian Equality Fan Club. [22]
Angra returned to activities in March 2009 but Almah announced the start of composing songs for the follow-up of Fragile Equality. [23]
The band has since recorded and released three more albums; Motion (2011), Unfold (2013), and E.V.O (2016). They are currently on indefinite hiatus. [24]
Paulo Schroeber left the band in 2012, due to health issues including an enlarged heart and accumulation of water in the lungs. He was required to use an artificial pacemaker-like device in his chest to breathe. On March 24, 2014, he died as a result of a surgery to reset the device gone wrong. [25]
Current members
Former members
Touring musicians
Guest musicians
Timeline
Angra is a Brazilian power metal band formed in 1991. They have released ten regular studio albums, five EPs, and three live CD/DVDs to date. Led by Rafael Bittencourt, the band has gained a degree of popularity in Japan and Europe.
Temple of Shadows is the fifth studio and a concept album by the power metal band Angra and was released in 2004 by Paradoxx Music in Brazil and SPV label Steamhammer in the rest of the world. SPV also released a limited edition containing a bonus DVD with the complete video material of the concert that was previously released on their album Rebirth World Tour – Live in São Paulo. The record was classified as the 21st best power metal album of all time by the metal magazine Loudwire.
Rebirth is the fourth album by the Brazilian heavy metal band Angra, the first since a major restructuring of the band's line-up. In 2019, Metal Hammer ranked it as the 15th best power metal album of all time.
Eduardo Teixeira da Fonseca Vasconcellos, known as Eduardo "Edu" Falaschi, is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former lead singer and songwriter of São Paulo-based heavy metal band Angra. With Angra, Falaschi recorded four albums.
Fireworks is the third studio album by the heavy metal band Angra. It was released in 1998 on Lucretia Records. It was their last album to feature Andre Matos on vocals and Luís Mariutti on bass, and the last to feature drummer Ricardo Confessori until Aqua in 2010.
Aquiles Priester is a Brazilian drummer. He is currently the drummer of Brazilian power metal band Hangar, and progressive metal bands Midas Fate and Noturnall. As a tour drummer, Priester has played with Paul Di'Anno, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, W.A.S.P. and DragonForce. From 2001 to 2008, he was the drummer of Angra, recording three albums which were certified gold.
Almah is the debut album of Almah, a solo project of Brazilian heavy metal singer and former Angra frontman Edu Falaschi. The lyrics are about the different feelings of the human being and the title phonetically means "soul" in the Portuguese language. It was released in 2006, with Falaschi touring to promote the album in Brazil along with former Symbols members Tito Falaschi and Demian Tiguez.
Aurora Consurgens is the sixth studio album by the power metal band Angra. It was released in October 2006 by Paradoxx Music in Brazil and SPV label Steamhammer in the rest of the world. This is the last album to feature drummer Aquiles Priester.
Felipe Andreoli is a Brazilian musician best known as the bassist for the power metal band Angra. He also acted as a fill in bassist for progressive metal supergroup Sons of Apollo in August 2022.
Khallice is a Brazilian progressive metal act in founded in 1994. The band's founder Marcelo Barbosa (guitars) is the owner of GTR, a large guitar institute in Brasília, and currently is a member of Angra and Almah.
Marcelo Silva Barbosa is a Brazilian guitarist and music teacher. He is a founder or member of other Brazilian bands like progressive metal act Khallice and former Angra vocalist Edu Falaschi's band Almah. He also is the founder and owner of GTR music school in his home city Brasília, and columnist of Cover Guitarra, Guitar Class and Guitar Player magazines. Since September 2015, he also joined Angra, replacing Kiko Loureiro, who left to join Megadeth.
Aqua is the seventh full-length studio album by Brazilian progressive/power metal band Angra. It was released on August 11, 2010 and August 17, 2010 in Japan and Brazil, respectively. It is their last recording to feature Edu Falaschi on lead vocals, and their only studio album on which drummer Ricardo Confessori returns.
Fragile Equality is the second studio album by Brazilian power metal band Almah released in October 2008.
Paulo Schroeber was a Brazilian guitarist, most known for his work with Almah. He was also in the bands Astafix, Hammer 67, Burning in Hell and Fear Ritual.
Motion is the third studio album by Brazilian power metal band Almah released on 16 September 2011 in Brazil, and in October 2011 worldwide. A music video was made for the song "Late Night in '85".
Best Reached Horizons is the first 'Best-Of' album by the Brazilian power metal band Angra, released on October 24, 2012, via SPV/Steamhammer. This compilation marks the 20th Anniversary of the band and the idea behind the name's choice is based on the first demo released by Angra in 1992, entitled Reaching Horizons.
Unfold is the fourth studio album by Brazilian power metal band Almah released on 25 November 2013.
ØMNI is the ninth full-length studio album by Brazilian progressive/power metal band Angra and the first album by the band with guitarist Marcelo Barbosa replacing Kiko Loureiro, who left the band to join Megadeth. It was elected the 2nd best metal album of 2018 by the traditional Japanese heavy metal magazine Burrn!.
Metal Folclore: The ZoeiraNever Ends... is the debut album by Detonator e as Musas do Metal, a parodic heavy metal project idealized by Brazilian singer Bruno Sutter under his persona of "Detonator", which he originally conceived for his previous band Massacration. Self-released on July 19, 2014, it is fully sung in Portuguese, unlike Sutter's previous outputs with Massacration, and is also his first concept album/rock opera. Its insert comes with a sticker album and accompanying stickers.
Vera Cruz is the third solo album by Brazilian heavy metal singer Edu Falaschi, the first with all-new material, released initially on May 12, 2021, in Japan via MS Metal Records, digitally to the rest of the world on May 18, 2021. The album was then released physically, first in Brazil on May 31, 2021, and then to the rest of the world on June 15, 2021.