Soulspell’s Hollows Gathering contains a veritable feast of
some of metals finest alumni. If you’re a follower of this fantastic genre (power
metal/symphonic metal) then you know exactly what it says on the tin, or in
this case the cd cover. Light vs dark, good v evil, soprano vs guttural, and
most of all an over the top score with fast, frenetic musicians fighting it out
for supremacy. It’s pretty mental stuff, but mental in a great way!!! Most
people associate metal operas with Avantasia, but a new kid is on the block and
they are here to kill the king and take his crown. OK it’s their third release,
but who’s counting, as the quality on offer is something else.
Soulspell’s
Metal Opera is a Brazilian Heavy Metal project conceived by drummer Heleno
Vale. Many singers play different characters in a story concerning the
conflicts among human emotions in a way never broached before. These characters
face situations of internal conflict as they are requested for making decisions
which, without their knowledge, affect and change the course of the present,
future, and even past of all the other characters. Although the story takes
place in the present, many historic events are also tangled in it. Soulspell
story intends to make us wonder how a fifteen-year-old boy, a powerful evil dragon,
or even a simple humble lumberjack, by simply living and believing, can
interfere in the lives of all in every possible dimension.
The Maestro! Heleno Vale
The first
Soulspell album “A Legacy of Honor” was released in 2008, and the second one
“The Labyrinth of Truths” during 2010. Now Soulspell is finally here with ACT
III in their Metal Opera, with the album entitled “Hollow’s Gathering”.
With
incredible guest appearances from metal icons such as Tim “Ripper” Owens [ex.
Judas Priest, Iced Earth], Blaze Bayley [Iron Maiden], Michael Vescera
[Obsession, ex. Loudness, Malmsteen], Markus Grosskopf [Helloween], Amanda
Sommerville [Avantasia], Matt Smith [Theocracy] and many more, “Hollow’s
Gathering” is an epic metal album filled with fantastic performances and nice
diversity. Soulspell also showcases the talents of local artists such as Jefferson
Albert [Vandroya],
Leandro
Caçoilo [ex. Eterna], Daísa Munhoz [Vandroya], Iuri Sanson [Hibria], and Vale
is truly flying the flag for Brazillian artists
Just listen to the opening track (and album
title) Hollow’s Gathering. It’s like an all-star version that most would save
for an encore, but in this instance Vale puts all his cards on the table right
from the off to orally attack the listener/fan. Nothing is spared, to the point
where I think I can actually hear someone playing a kitchen sink!
With something
like 20 singers in use, it’s hard to pinpoint them exactly, but who cares if
the end result is as good as it is. ‘A Rescue Into The Storm’ is almost a polar
opposite to the opener in terms of style, calmer, but be no means lesser in
quality. ‘To Crawl Or To Fly’ is a high energy song featuring the talents of
Amanda Somerville. ‘Anymore’ starts of a with a haunting vocal over acoustic,
(and reminds me a bit of Anneka Van Giesbergen), and is one of my fave vocal
performances. ‘Change The Tide’ is Power Metal personified, with the operatic dials
turned firmly to 11. Vale’s drumming is in the foreground on this track, and is
one of the finest tracks on the album. ‘From Hell’ is a dark intro to ‘The
Keepers Game’, a song featuring the unmistakeable vocals of Mr Blaze Bayley and
borders on more ‘old school’ 80s metal.
I never
used to think much of Tim Ripper Owen as he never really featured on my radar,
but after witnessing his vocals in the UK recently, a personal apology is due.
I am mightily impressed in this bloke’s vocal range and he does the same on ‘The
Dead Tree’ which includes a nice keyboard passage similar to Dream Theater’s
Rudess.
The
excellent song-writing from project founder Heleno Vale, together with the
excellent performances from all the members and guests involved and the
top-notch production of the album, definitely makes “Hollow’s Gathering” a wet
dream for fans of epic power metal. The massed stars are the ones who will
receive the plaudits, but Vale has assembled a mighty fine collection of local
Brazillian talent. He should be made Minister for Export in his homeland
I hope it
sells well, as the quality is just amazing and a definite highlight of 2012. It
needs to as it must have cost him a fortune to get this many people to perform,
even if most contributed from their sheds at the bottom of their gardens!
CRR Score: 85/100
Tracklisting:
01. Hollow's Gathering
02. A Rescue Into the Storm
03. To Crawl Or to Fly
04. Anymore
05. Adrian’s Call
06. Change the Tide
07. From Hell
08. The Keeper’s Game
09. The Dead Tree
10. Whispers Inside You
line-up:
Vocalists:
Amanda
Somerville [Avantasia, Trillium]
Blaze
Bayley [ex. Iron Maiden]
Carlos
Zema [ex. Outworld]
Daísa
Munhoz [Vandroya]
Gui
Antonioli
Iuri
Sanson [Hibria]
Jefferson
Albert [Vandroya]
Leandro
Caçoilo [ex. Eterna]
Lígia Ishitani
Lucas
Martins
Manuela
Saggioro
Mário
Pastore [Pastore]
Matt
Smith [Theocracy]
Michel Souza
Michael Vescera [ex. Loudness, Yngwie Malmsteen, Animetal USA]
Nando
Fernandes [ex. Hangar]
Pedro
Campos
Tito
Falaschi [Almah]
Tim
"Ripper" Owens [ex. Judas Priest, Iced Earth]
Victor
Emeka
Musicians:
Cleiton
Carvalho – Guitar
Edu
Santos – Drums
Fábio
Laguna – Keyboards
Fernando
Giovannetti – Bass
Frank
Tischer [Avantasia, Edguy] – Piano
Gabriel
Magioni – Keyboards
Gabriel
Viotto – Drums
Heleno
Vale – Drums
Leandro
Erba – Guitar
Marco
Lambert [Vandroya] – Guitar
Markus
Grosskopf – Bass
Rodolfo
Pagotto [Vandroya] – Guitar
Rollie
Feldman [Circle II Circle]
– Guitar
Thiago
Amendola – Guitar
Tito
Falaschi [Almah] – Bass
discography:
2012: Hollow’s Gathering [Inner Wound Recordings]
2010: The Labyrinth of Truths [Inner Wound Recordings]
2008: A Legacy of Honor [Inner Wound Recordings]
Mixed by: Matt Smith [Theocracy] at Theocracized
Studios
Mastered by: Miro at Gate Studio [Kamelot, Rhapsody,
Avantasia]
Produced by: Tito Falaschi [Angra, Almah]
Artwork by: Felipe Machado Franco [Blind Guardian,
Rhapsody of Fire, Iced Earth]
Label info
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