Holy Land is the second album by Brazilian metal band Angra. It is a concept album whose theme is centered on the Brazilian land by the time it was discovered in the 16th century from a European perspective, as depicted in the art surrounding the album release. Once fully opened, the cover illustration turns out to be an old 15th-century map.
After adopting a more European sound on their debut album Angels Cry due to the influence of producer Charlie Bauerfeind, Holy Land takes a more Brazilian approach, mixing Afro-Brazilian rhythms with classical music and traditional heavy metal.
The album repeated the commercial success of the previous album in both the Brazilian and Japanese markets, winning the gold record once again. The album received widespread acclaim upon release and has come to be regarded by many as the opus magnum of the band,[3] and a landmark in the power metal genre.[4][5]
Production
The album was written in 1995, over a period of about four months on a farm in the town of Tapiraí (SP), where the band isolated themselves to create the entire repertoire,[6] which was finalized on drummer Ricardo Confessori's farm.
Recording began in mid-1995 and lasted until the beginning of 1996. Five structures were used: the main instruments were recorded at Hansen Studios (Hamburg), Big House (Hanover) and HG Studio (Wolfsburg), all in Germany; the overdubs with Brazilian instruments (percussions, flute, viola, berimbau, acoustic bass, choirs) were recorded at Djembe Studio, in São Paulo, between August and October 1995.
Production was handled by Germans Charlie Bauerfeind and Sascha Paeth, with Bauerfeind also working on the engineering and mixing - which took place in January 1996 at Vox Klang and Hansen studios
Musical themes
The opening track "Crossing" features a rendition of O Crux Ave by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. The following songs deal with life in the "holy land" prior to its colonization by the Portuguese and subsequent changes Brazil underwent upon their arrival.
According to drummer Ricardo Confessori, for whom this album marked his studio debut with the band, the track "Nothing to Say" was developed around a drum riff he created around 1994 at a small rural property owned by guitarist Rafael Bittencourt.[7] His band mates heard it and soon joined in to create the rest of the song, including the single-note opening riff.[7] It turned as one of the most acclaimed songs of the band, dictating the sound of the whole album.
Title track "Holy Land" contains many indigenous and folkloric influences taken from Brazilian music, but also includes classical arrangements symbolizing Europe at the time.
The critical reception of Holy Land was widely acclaimed, and the album is to this day considered a masterpiece of national and international metal music.
The Roadie Metal website emphasized that Holy Land has become a classic of national metal, mixing metal, Brazilian percussion and giving Angra the status of one of the greatest representatives of the genre.[9]
Sputnikmusic called Holy Land “an ambitious album” that “never fails to achieve its goal”, combining classic interludes, vocals to the max and folk in an intriguing way, making it “indispensable” for fans of power, progressive or folk metal.[10]
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