Fucking hell, that was unexpected. André Matos, the vocalist best known for fronting Brazilian band Angra in the nineties, has passed away at the age of 47.
Having lived in Brazil as a child I was aware of his first band Viper, which was one of the country's most prominent Heavy Metal bands in the eighties and when André Matos subsequently formed Angra I was just the right age. When the debut album was released in 1993, it was the perfect blend of Iron Maiden and Helloween with a typically South-American sensibility. But nothing could prepare me for the masterpiece that was to come.
Holy Land remains one of the best records from the nineties. It retained some of the speed-metal power of the debut but fused it with classical music and Brazilian influences. A concept album about the discovery of Brazil, the LP is the perfect showcase of Matos' talents as a singer and composer. His voice was like a cross between Steve Perry
's and Bruce Dickinson's, and songs like Holy Land, Nothing To Say and Make Believe are staggeringly nuanced and accomplished for a man in his early twenties at the time.
His exit from the band in 1999 was shocking, as they were still at the height of their powers. Neither he nor the band managed to recapture the magic of Holy Land since. Of course, he's released some good stuff since (the Shaman
records or the album he did with Symfonia
) and Angra has carried on (pun intended
) with honourable releases but it was never the same, and in all honesty I kind of lost track after that. Guitarist Kiko Loureiro eventually left the fold to find greater recognition in Megadeth, which goes to show how impactful the Brazilian outfit once was.
I never got to see them live at a real show. I saw two in-store showcases as they were building a following here in Paris: one on September 4th, 1998 at the (now defunct) Virgin Megastore where they played a short but killer electric set and one on April 24th 1996 at the FNAC Montparnasse where they did a couple of acoustic numbers. This is where I got the above poster signed by the whole band. André was very kind, spoke French as I tried to speak to him in my rusty Portuguese... Later they would play the Aquaboulevard of all places, a waterpark in replacement for the venue that cancelled the show a few hours prior. Unfortunately I wasn't at that gig, from which the very rare Holy Live
EP was culled.
On his social media tribute to his former bandmate, Kiko Loureiro revealed that André had recently reached out to finally play together again. Would it just be the two of them? Or a full-fledged Angra reunion? The point is sadly moot now, and serves as a reminder that life is fragile. Do not wait twenty years to bury hatchets. Do not let two decades go by before extending that olive branch. You just never know.
's and Bruce Dickinson's, and songs like Holy Land, Nothing To Say and Make Believe are staggeringly nuanced and accomplished for a man in his early twenties at the time.His exit from the band in 1999 was shocking, as they were still at the height of their powers. Neither he nor the band managed to recapture the magic of Holy Land since. Of course, he's released some good stuff since (the Shaman
records or the album he did with Symfonia
) and Angra has carried on (pun intended
) with honourable releases but it was never the same, and in all honesty I kind of lost track after that. Guitarist Kiko Loureiro eventually left the fold to find greater recognition in Megadeth, which goes to show how impactful the Brazilian outfit once was.I never got to see them live at a real show. I saw two in-store showcases as they were building a following here in Paris: one on September 4th, 1998 at the (now defunct) Virgin Megastore where they played a short but killer electric set and one on April 24th 1996 at the FNAC Montparnasse where they did a couple of acoustic numbers. This is where I got the above poster signed by the whole band. André was very kind, spoke French as I tried to speak to him in my rusty Portuguese... Later they would play the Aquaboulevard of all places, a waterpark in replacement for the venue that cancelled the show a few hours prior. Unfortunately I wasn't at that gig, from which the very rare Holy Live
EP was culled.On his social media tribute to his former bandmate, Kiko Loureiro revealed that André had recently reached out to finally play together again. Would it just be the two of them? Or a full-fledged Angra reunion? The point is sadly moot now, and serves as a reminder that life is fragile. Do not wait twenty years to bury hatchets. Do not let two decades go by before extending that olive branch. You just never know.
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