Once again, Angra is on top of the power metal scene with the release of its magnificent new disc, “Temple Of Shadows.” Balancing pure melody and sheer heaviness with a brazenly superior performance seems to come quite easily for these Brazilian headbangers as this fantastic effort has been one of the highlights in metal in a year that has seen a flood of great metal releases from all over the globe. The group has their sights set on an already sold out performance at ProgPower USA this fall and the band’s captivating live presence is an experience that no fan of metal should miss. Metal scribe Erin Fox interviews Rafael Bittencourt of Angra…
Erin Fox: Temple Of Shadows is an extremely well put together record on
all levels. The album features an excellent production quality coupled with
masterful songwriting and arrangement. What do you feel was the single
most important factor in the creation of the album on the whole?
Rafael Bittencourt: The vibe inside the band was definitely the most important factor. We played over a hundred concerts during the “Rebirth” tour and that made us know each other better as musicians and we became closer friends. It is a very special moment that we are living in right now, with everyone working
hard for a common purpose and this has made us very excited for the whole
process from the songwriting to the mastering of the album.
Erin Fox: Angra spent a great deal of time in the studio in order to produce this record and it certainly shines through in the final product! Tell us about some of the events that were highlights of the making of ‘Temple Of Shadows’. In contrast, what was the single hardest challenge the band faced in the studio? What do you feel was the single most important thing that you feel that you learned from this studio experience?
Rafael Bittencourt: Conducting a real orchestra was a big thing to me. I have graduated in Composition and Conducting from the University, but never had recorded an orchestra before. It was a small thing, but worth it for the experience. The first song mixed was “Angels and Demons.” It was very emotional to hear it for the first time. There, I felt the power that we had on our hands. The hardest challenge was to transform the sound of a dead room, full of carpet on the walls, into a wide and bright sounding room for the drums. With the specifications from our producer, Dennis Ward, we had to have some wooden walls built. He placed the drums inside a semi-circle of wooden barriers. Outside of that wall, we placed a concert P.A. system to amplify the drums and get a live sound inside the recording room. After days of research and trying, we recorded the first take of drums. The anxiety was already killing everyone. In a recording situation, you already have enough pressure going from the record company, the time running short, the money going even shorter and so on. So, it's important that we kept focused in order not to lose our concentration. Do not accept the little mistakes because they will be documented forever, always wait for the best take. That's why I think that the most important thing in the studio is to get there as best prepared as possible, take it easy and try not to stress with each other.
Erin Fox: For some time Angra has worked closely with producer Dennis
Ward. What contributions has he brought to the band’s overall sound? Do you feel that the record turned out so well as a result of your continuing relationship?
Rafael Bittencourt: Yes, Dennis is a big credit to our success. I believe he is like an undiscovered producer because his talent can easily go farther than the
frontiers of metal. He helps us to find the best solutions for the arrangements, for the structure of the songs and selecting what songs should be worked out. He senses the strong points in the record and makes them stand out. It is extremely important to have an experienced person to bring in an outside point of view. When we are too involved with a song, we sometimes lose the perspective of the overall picture and how to evaluate the details. We can easily get stuck on a music part for days. He helps us getting out of the mind-mud. Besides, he is a
very funny person, always making jokes and keeping everyone's mood very
high. He also has the skills to balance everyone's opinion, always listening to us but sure of what he wants. As you see, I'm a big fan of him.
Erin Fox: This is the fifth full-length album for the group. How do you feel
that Angra has matured in terms of songwriting throughout the course of your career? Does composing music come more naturally for the band now than it had with your previous line-ups?
Rafael Bittencourt: Yes, composing now is a little easier. Music is a language of sounds and like any other language, the more you practice, the more fluent you get. It is still hard though, because it will never be an easy task. The more you know, the more you want to challenge yourself. But now, we’ve got more experience to judge what comes to mind and are not going to waste our time with something that won’t work. Also, we can easily free our minds and put together whatever bunch of senseless notes occurs to us. Experience is the key word. No wonder the great classic composers became more and more productive towards the advanced stages of their careers. The environment is also important, like a seed, it grows faster and stronger on a more fertile ground. Having a pleasant atmosphere among the members is very helpful for healthy thoughts.
Erin Fox: Angra has embarked on a worldwide tour in order to support the
album. What songs can fans expect to be hearing live from ‘Temple Of Shadows’? Will you be changing the set lists from performance to performance or does the band stick to a primary game plan?
Rafael Bittencourt: We've traveled throughout Europe and Asia for over 20 concerts. We played in London and Brussels for the first time, Italy, Switzerland,
Spain, France, two concerts in Greece and so on. We just came back from Japan, Taiwan and Australia. Considering the 40 concerts we've done here in
Brazil it's been over 60 concerts in few months, since the album was released.
We've been trying to tell the story of the band in our concerts, playing the highlights of our career and emphasizing the songs from the new record.
Yes, we change the set list a lot; we're always trying different ways to present the show. Sometimes we're obligated to shorten the length of the concert because of a venue curfew and so on. Or, we just get bored doing the same things each day and we try covers for a change. Recently, I think we’ve found a very strong set list that keeps the energy up during the whole concert. I hope that for the second leg of the tour we can try to perform a concept concert by playing the whole album "Temple Of Shadows" all the way through, in the exact same order. That would be nice!
Erin Fox: Tell us about where the tour will be heading. Are there any particular dates that Angra is especially looking forward to? In the past, what were the cities that you feel have offered Angra the warmest receptions?
Rafael Bittencourt: Now, we are in Brazil playing few dates and taking breath to go back to Europe in June, where we're going to play three dates in Italy with
Dream Theater, we're doing the Sweden Rock Fest and some other dates not
confirmed yet. In September, we’ll fly to USA for the ProgPower Fest in Atlanta. Two dates in Canada, Mexico and then South America before heading back home. I am excited to be back in Atlanta, playing in U.S. is always a big thing for us. In Sweden I'll be able to watch Dio and Black Label Society. I love the big festivals because I get to see a lot of great concerts for free (laughs).
Erin Fox: Describe for us the feeling that you get when performing live in front of audiences. Does Angra prefer to play larger scale, festival type concerts or do you enjoy a more intimate setting for performances? What factors do you see as the highlight of a live Angra performance?
Rafael Bittencourt: It doesn't matter the amount of people. For me, there are two
important factors to enjoy a concert. First, is the sound! I hate to play on an uncomfortable sound system. Sometimes, we fly too far and can't carry all of
our equipment with us. Usually I get along pretty cool with whatever they have there, but sometimes it is just crap or, there will be a shitty sounding stage, with shitty monitors, things of that nature. The other factor is the audience. I prefer to play for 50 very enthusiastic dudes, that know the songs and have traveled hours by train to watch us and get an autograph, than to 50 thousand people who are bored to death. Sometimes at festivals people are just tired of waiting for the headlining band.
Erin Fox: Tell us about the type of gear Angra brings along on the road.
Is it a fairly large production?
Rafael Bittencourt: Well, we have different sets and performances for different budgets. The full concert is a two hour show and a crew of nine or ten people. One lighting guy, one sound engineer for the front of the house, one stage engineer, three roadies, our guest keyboardist Fabio Laguna, one merchandiser and the tour manager plus the band. The reason we carry so many people is that we have too many changes on stage and sometimes they need to bring one mandolin, one twelve string and a normal steel string at once, and in few seconds be ready to roll. Then, all of the guitars have to disappear and its time for percussions. There are lights and mixing desk duties following all of these changes. We carry our drum stand, our drum set, amplifiers, the back drop and some other stuff. It is certainly our biggest production.
Erin Fox: This line-up has found a fantastic chemistry and it sounds as if the band has grown together very well as players. Do you feel that it is the definitive Angra line-up that the fans will be seeing on this tour?
Rafael Bittencourt: I think this is a very positive moment for the band and I hope it lasts forever. We feel very productive and we have the energy to keep doing it for
a while. I can't predict the future but I hope that this will be the line-up that people will remember us by. I'm sure that those who went to our concert during this tour are going to remember our concert forever, because the joy that we feel playing together is what we want to present to the crowd.
Erin Fox: Being on the road can be very strenuous at times for artists because there is a great deal of travel and waiting. What kinds of things does Angra enjoy doing to make the most of their time spent on the road?
Rafael Bittencourt: Well, we read, we answer our e-mails (when we get the chance to download them), we sleep and watch videos of movies or concerts. The last one I've seen was “Some Kind of Monster” from Metallica, which was very cool! But sometimes, it is very boring to travel too much and wait for the sound check. The good part is the concert itself. It makes everything worth while.
Erin Fox: Does Angra enjoy meeting fans while on tour? Do you feel that
it is important for bands to maintain approachability at concerts? Do you plan any special appearances in order to reach out to fans while on this tour?
Rafael Bittencourt: Yes, we do fan-meetings almost every time. We consider the fans to be a part of the band. It is very important for us to know the people who follow us, to talk with them and understand their expectations. It is a mistake to leave the fans aside as if they are an unimportant thing. They are the reason for a band’s success and they need to feel that you’re aware of that or they will leave you. I like to look them in the eyes, ask their names and know a little more about their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment