Brazilian Metal Schools are huge, and depending on the region, differences arise due the cultural contrasts. As an example, nearby states as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro shows an ample set of differences. So when you’re dealing with a Brazilian Metal act, the region from what it comes from is an important feature. And in the case of HEAVEN’S GUARDIAN, a sextet from the city of Goiânia (GO, a state of the Central-West region of the country), things are different as depicted on the band’s fourth album, “Chronos”. The band hired a huge team to work on the studio: Roy Z and Addasi Addasi (as producers and who did the mixing), Geovani Maia as co-producer and who worked on the edition (along with Josh Lopez and Adriano Daga), and Brendan Duffey signs the mastering.

All of them are widely known for their excellent works, so the album has an almost perfect sonority, with mixing working in a way to balance the instruments and vocals in the due way. It’s really an amazing result. The band is active since 1997, so it’s a veteran, and no one can expect great changes from their past works to this one: it’s a rich form of Progressive/Symphonic Power Metal, with excellent and refined instrumental arrangements, excellent vocals (here with the coming back of Carlos Zema to the post, but sharing responsibilities with the new female vocalist, Natalia Tsarikova). But their music can present different traits and elements (as the Folk/Medieval traits heard on “Tristan and Isolde”), and more on. And it’s great to hear the band again, working in such high level of quality.

There are great moments on “Chronos”, and one can chose a different set of best songs (according with their own the personal tastes), but’s hard to not surrender to the band’s creativity on moments as “The Sirens of the Past” (it has many resemblances with Opera and Classic themes structures due the excellent work on the orchestrations of the keyboards, but the weight of bass guitar and drums is really amazing), “Valhalla Call” (excellent guitar riffs and arrangements on a song full of a symphonic dynamic), “Tristan and Isolde” (the Folk/Medieval moment of the album, with excellent contrasts between the male and female tunes of the vocals), “Sail Away” (there are excellent grandiose symphonic choirs on this one, and the weight of the riffs contrasts with the classic outfit of the orchestrations, enriching the song), “Home of Time” (a tender and introspective song based on pianos’ parts, but with grandiose parts in a Symphonic/Progressive form), “Wall of Shame” (a heavier set of rhythmic shifts is heard on this one, with excellent choirs and beautiful arrangements), “The Fall of the Empire” (elegance and weight are bounded together by a strong instrumental sheath, but what lovely vocals), and “Drowning Land”. But “Chronos” works as a unity, so hear to all the songs.

“Chronos” comes in a good moment, showing that HEAVEN’S GUARDIAN is still as strong and relevant as it always was. And maybe the support of Sleaszy Rider Records can make the band’s name reach new levels of popularity.