If you are a fan of ANGRA then you have come across the name ALMAH. This is the band formed by Edu Falaschi and Felipe Andreoli who is also from ANGRA. The future of ANGRA seems really uncertain for reasons that Edu explained to METAL TEMPLE and will be published in the very close future. So, Edu started ALMAH as a project band releasing the debut homonymous CD back in the March of 2007 with the assist of guest musicians.
Due to the positive feedback from this release and to the fact that ANGRA are in a break Edu decided to take ALMAH to the next level of a full time band. With a solid lineup ALMAH produced the second album entitled Fragile Equality that will see the light of the day on the 17th of October through AFM Records.
Birds Of Prey enters as the opener and sets the record straight as far as the musical direction is concerned. Almost Euro Power Metal in the vein of the late HELLOWEEN with fast tempos and high pitched vocals. The catchy melodies and sing-along choruses lean towards the glory days of the German Power Metal scene. Edu sounds liberated from the heavy shadow of Andre Matos and sings with his natural pitch that is a little bit lower than his ANGRA works. I said almost Power Metal since there are several elements in this album that really spice things up and walks towards diversity that is hard to find in this Metal scene.
Edu shines in the power ballads All I Am and Shade OF My Soul where he reveals his excellent and powerful lower pitches wrapped in his passionate vocal performance. The band welcomes some ANGRA air in the pompous You'll Undestand with disctinct keydoards sounds and and galloping bass guitar rhythm.
The thing that I like with ALMAH is that they don't try to abjure their roots by avoiding sounding like ANGRA. They have kept the same feeling without being too much sophisticated with over-pumped compositions clearly walking the Power Metal path. This is a Brazillian band and songs like Invisible Cage are a must; strong Brazillian tempos and sounds fill this track bringing it the closest to the ANGRA past with underlying hearty keayboard melodies. The guitar duo of Barbosa and Schroberproves its worth with fast riffs and Malmsteen influenced breaks proving the high performing potentials making this lineup solid as hell. Just listen to the insane riffs in the homonymous track that has also the title of the heaviest song with a neck-snapping rhythm.
I think that ALMAH with this album can stand by their own if only the metalheads will not fall in the trap of considering them as ANGRA part two because they are not. The music follows the the Power Metal with the confindence of two most experienced musicians (Falaschi and Andreoli) supported by three talented newcomers.