Interview

Angra had quite an impressive track record in the music industry. They had a great run with the band and then it happened...three of the five members decided to leave. The future of this Brazilian metal band was in question. But, they're living proof that only the strong survive. They have returned with a new line up and a new album, "Rebirth," and any fears that people might have had about the future of this band have been laid to rest. Can they live up to what they've already accomplished during the length of their career, can they move beyond that? One listen to "Rebirth" and you'll know the answer to that question. BallBuster recently had the opportunity to speak with guitarist Rafael Bittencourt on what's been going on in Angra's musical world and this is how that conversation went.

BallBuster: First of all, after all the success that Angra has had, why did Andre and the other guys decide to leave?

Rafael Bittencourt: Well, the main thing was, Andre had a good proposal from a German company for a solo career and he didn't want our manager as a represenative for this solo career. But, the thing is, by the contract, the manager was supposed to be there as a representative even if any of the Angra members would go for a solo career. He didn't agree with that too much after a few years. The only way to leave the contract was to leave the band. So, he decided to leave the band and the other two guys decided to agree with him.

BB: When you went looking for replacements, what exactly were you looking for?

RB: First of all, we were looking for experienced people. We decided to find some people here in Brazil because a lot of our influences come from the Brazilian rhythms and the Brazilian music. Also, the way we relate to each other is very important...to keep the culture and the style. Also, we got a lot of demo CD's and videos with some great material from up and coming artists...Brazilian bands...we felt good about that because we knew that the metal scene is growing here in Brazil and the musicians are getting better and better. The most important thing was to find people that we could be friends with and that we had something in common with.

BB: Was there anything specific that helped you decide on your current line up?

RB: Well, the recordings that we've done, the arrangements that we've done...the audition was kind of like, we have some new songs, some basic arrangements, we would like you to help us with the final arrangement for this one. The creativity was the most important thing at that point. For these three guys, they are the best here in the Brazilian metal scene. The other thing was our official fan club. They knew these people from their other bands and they helped us vote on the ones they preferred. Before "Fireworks," Andre wanted to leave the band, but, we had tried to get him back at least to record to "Fireworks" and we had tried Edu Falaschi on vocals. A few months before the recording of that album, we got a letter from Andre's lawyer saying he was already out of the band. That was something that bothered us a lot during the recording and during the tour because we knew that, deep inside, he wanted to leave.

BB: After losing three of the five members, what made you decide to carry on with the Angra name?

RB: To be honest, the fans here in Brazil have supported us a lot. Also, we had some contracts going with several record companies and they've all supported us to keep up with the name and the concept. So, many people around us were supportive for us to keep going with the concept. For me, it was very difficult to think about doing something different because I was the very first one to be in this band. I came with the idea and with the name Angra. So, it was hard to think that everything was over and that I should start over and from the begining. Even if it wasn't the same as before, it was something that my heart was into.

BB: I haven't had the pleasure of hearing your older material. So, I have nothing to compare "Rebirth" to, but, to me, it's a really good album. It's got a huge, epic sound, if you know what I mean. Now, from what I've read, when you went through the line up change, your fans and people in the international music press were concerned about the future of the band. Now that the album is out, how have all those concerned people been responding to it?

RB: Well, I think, first of all, that people understand it's a new era for the band. It's not the same line up so, of course, it won't be the same. We tried to find a singer who has a different voice and a different style of singing and all of that, to avoid the comparison. So, he sings much more powerful, a much stronger style of singing. People understood it, that it's a new era, the other three left for their reasons and they also have their various projects and we've kept going with a different line up, with the same concept. The response that we've been getting, here in Brazil and also in Europe, has been very positive. Here in Brazil we had the gold record for the Brazilian market, which is very encouraging. It gave us the power to keep going because a gold record is a very good sign. Also, in Europe now, we're going for a headlining tour for one month and this is very positive for the band.

BB: So, what kind of promotional push has the album been recieving? I mean, "Rebirth" has been out for about three months now and here you are, still doing interviews for it. So, I assume the record label is still giving it a good push.

RB: Yeah, the album's been out for three months. But, the thing is, we haven't toured yet for the places that we're doing these interviews. So, people are still curious as to how it's gonna be on stage, how will the band sound live and those types of questions. We only recently started to work with the press in the U.S. The album's been out for three months, but, the record company is working the U.S. only now.

BB: You've built an impressive history with Angra and then you had the line up changes. So, when it came to "Rebirth," did you feel a lot of pressure on this one?

RB: Oh yeah, it was very hard. It was a big challenge for me and Kiko and also for the new members because they had the responsibility to keep the same quality as the old ones. But, it was a great thing. The point was that atmosphere and the friendship that developed within the band, which is something that never happened before in the old times. At the same time, the pressure was really big, but, everything worked. The producer, Dennis Ward, was a very good producer. He has this great skill of keeping up with this great atmosphere and good humor during the recording and making everyone feel relaxed. He understood what type of situation we were going through and he kept trying to keep us relaxed and to cool down a little.

BB: So, I guess you had a good studio experience?

RB: Yes, very good. Everything flowed very nicely.

BB: How is the songwriting handled within the band?

RB: Basically, Kiko and myself wrote most of the record. But, everyone is very talented and they also write great songs. But, the thing is, we've kept the same structure for every song to keep the original concept of the band. This was the most important thing...not who is gonna write the song, but, how is it gonna sound. So, if someone, even a new member, brought us an idea for a composition, we would try to make it fit with our original concept.

BB: In everything that I've read about you guys, there was one simple, basic question that I haven't seen anyone ask...what are your influences?

RB: Okay, we have a very big range of influences which comes from the basic and traditional heavy metal from the 70's and the 80's. All the guitar players like Satriani, Steve Via, Van Halen to all the old ones like Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, all that type of stuff. They've influenced us a lot. The big bands like Queen, Led Zepplin, The Beatles, all the rock years have been a big influence on us. The thing is, we're still music students...always. We're always open to hear and to learn from the different styles, especially the Brazilian music, which is very rich, we learn a lot from it. The way that the classical composers structured their ideas...we learned a lot from the classical composition books and from various lessons.

BB: What influences what you write about?

RB: Well, I tried to talk about everything I can. The more subjects I can reach, better for the band and better for everyone who listens to it. But, what I try to do is to talk about things that are common to everyone. Not particular things relating to my personal life or my private point of view. But, things that are common to anyone, everyone can share with me or that I could share with everyone. This is the most important thing.

BB: I noticed in the credits that the album cover was your concept. So, can you tell us a little about that?

RB: First of all, the angels have always inspired us as far as an image for the band. Since the very first album we've had an angel as a symbol for the band. Then comes the statue. I have always like the idea of having one as a statue instead of having many movements within the cover. Sometimes I think that heavy metal album covers are too aggressive for the eyes and, this time, especially with the things we were leaving, I wanted to have a peaceful color, white and blue, to show the people, as a first impression, that we weren't fighting or talking bad to people or living in the past. It was a peaceful time to think about the future, to rethink what were the mistakes and to avoid them this time around and all the postive stuff. Also, this is like an angel being reborn from the clouds, which also goes with the lyrics and our concept because the band was being rebuilt.

BB: I guess that's why you called the album "Rebirth?"

RB: Oh, yes!

BB: What are some of the songs on the album that stand out as your favorite?

RB: To be true, I don't really have a favorite one. Everytime I listen to them, I get more involved. It depends on the mood that I'm in at the moment. There's some songs where I like the lyrics a lot and I don't like certain musical parts. I think the record should be listened to as a whole. It's not like pieces put together. It works a lot when you listen to the album as a whole. I believe in that point of view. The lyrics and the songs have different elements and they only make sense when they're combined. We don't have Brazilian percussions or rhythms on every song on every part, but, we have them on pieces. After you listen to the whole record, you see that there's some ethnic influences. But, they're not there all the time. So, we need all the songs to make it whole.

BB: What can fans expect to hear when they come to see you live?

RB: Half and half...half of the classic songs and half of the new album. It's a good mix and a good list. Everyone's happy.

BallBuster: Final comments?

Rafael Bittencourt: Well, I'm very happy that we can still find metal zines to read and to talk about. I'd like to thank Ballbuster for supporting us and knowing about us and letting other people know about us. I also like people to tell us what their thoughts and opinions on the record. They're always welcome to give us suggestions and ideas.

http://www.angra.net