Holy Land (album)
| Holy Land | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 23, 1996[1][2] | |||
| Recorded | 1995–1996 | |||
| Studio | Hansen Studio, Hamburg; Big House Studios, Hannover; HG Studio, Wolfsburg; Vox Klangstudio, Bendestorf (vocal, piano and organ recordings); Djembe Studio, São Paulo (guest performances) | |||
| Genre | Power metal, folk metal, progressive metal | |||
| Length | 56:59 | |||
| Label | JVC Victor/Paradoxx Music/Gravadora Eldorado | |||
| Producer | Charlie Bauerfeind and Sascha Paeth | |||
| Angra chronology | ||||
| ||||
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
[edit]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 style
[edit]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.
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Crossing" | (instrumental) | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina | 1:57 |
| 2. | "Nothing to Say" | Andre Matos | Matos, Kiko Loureiro, Ricardo Confessori | 6:24 |
| 3. | "Silence and Distance" | Matos | Matos, Loureiro | 5:35 |
| 4. | "Carolina IV" | Matos, Rafael Bittencourt | Bittencourt, Loureiro, Matos, Confessori, Luis Mariutti | 10:37 |
| 5. | "Holy Land" | Matos | Matos | 6:28 |
| 6. | "The Shaman" | Matos | Matos | 5:25 |
| 7. | "Make Believe" | Bittencourt | Bittencourt, Matos | 5:55 |
| 8. | "Z.I.T.O." | Bittencourt | Bittencourt, Loureiro, Matos | 6:06 |
| 9. | "Deep Blue" | Matos | Matos | 5:50 |
| 10. | "Lullaby for Lucifer" | Bittencourt | Loureiro, Bittencourt | 2:42 |
| Total length: | 56:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Queen of the Night" | Bittencourt | Bittencourt | 4:37 |
| Total length: | 61:36 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Angels Cry" | Matos, Bittencourt | 9:55 |
| 2. | "Chega de Saudade" | Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes | 2:56 |
| 3. | "Never Understand" | Matos, Bittencourt | 6:22 |
| Total length: | 19:13 | ||
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Sputnikmusic | |
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]
Legacy and influence
[edit]Personnel
[edit]- Angra
- Andre Matos – lead vocals, piano, orchestral arrangements, keyboards, organ
- Kiko Loureiro – guitars, backing vocals, additional percussion on "Holy Land"
- Rafael Bittencourt – guitars, backing vocals, additional percussion on "Holy Land"
- Luís Mariutti – bass
- Ricardo Confessori – drums, percussion on "Holy Land"
- Guests
- Alto vocals – Mônica Thiele
- Soprano vocals – Celeste Gattai
- Bass vocals – Reginaldo Gomes
- Conductor – Naomi Munakata
- Choir – The Farrambamba Vocal Group
- Computer, keyboard programming and orchestral arrangements – Sascha Paeth
- Flute – Paulo Bento
- Strings (berimbau) – Pixu Flores
- Viola – Ricardo Kubala
- Whistle, tamborim and percussive effects – Castora
- Double bass – Holger Stonjek
Recording information
[edit]- Recorded at Hansen Studios in Hamburg, Big House Studios in Hannover and HG Studio in Wolfsburg, Germany 1995.
- Vocal, piano and organ recordings at Vox Klangstudio, Bendestorf, Germany 1995-1996.
- Mixed by Charlie Bauerfeind at Vox Klang Studio and Hansen Studios, January 1996.
- Engineered by Charlie Bauerfeind and Sascha Paeth
- Brazilian, Latin percussion parts and percussion (congas, djembe, timbales, claves, triangle, repinique, toms) production by Tuto Ferraz
- All guest performances recorded at Djembe Studio, São Paulo, Brazil, August/October 1995.
- Flute solo on "Carolina IV" is a citation/variation from "Bebê", a theme by Hermeto Pascoal.
- Taiko excerpts & sounds on track 5 taken from the album "Ondekoza New".
- Speech & sounds on "The Shaman" taken from the album "Musica Popular do Norte n°4".[11]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[12] | 17 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Holy Land, Angra - Shop Online for Music in Australia". Archived from the original on 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ "FYE: March Madness 2010 - Holy Land Angra / CD / 1995". Archived from the original on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- ^ Miranda, Igor (2021-03-23). ""Holy Land", a obra-prima definitiva da carreira do Angra". Igor Miranda (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Pattillopublished, Alice (2019-08-13). "10 greatest power metal albums as chosen by Northtale". Louder. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "Top 100 Power metal albums". Metal Storm. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ Miranda, Igor (2021-03-23). ""Holy Land", a obra-prima definitiva da carreira do Angra". Igor Miranda (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ a b "Angra Drops #2 - Nothing to Say". YouTube (in Portuguese and English). Google. 11 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r314072
- ^ Acioli, Carlos (2016-01-06). "Resenhas (Clássicos): Angra - Holy Land (1996)". Roadie Metal (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "Angra - Holy Land (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
- ^ "Angra – Holy Land (1996, CD)". Discogs.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
