Well, here on Brazilian lands, the quality of Metal bands is getting better and better as the years pass by, and even with a tradition on extreme Metal (for bands like SEPULTURA, SARCÓFAGO and KRISIUN), many times appear excellent bands in a more traditional form, as VIPER and ANGRA. And a name from Alfenas, Minas Gerais, come the quartet MADE OF STONE, and now, they came with their new album, "The Enlightened One".

They play a mix of Traditional Metal with Old Hard Rock and Rock'n'Roll, with a very good technique in all instruments, but their focus is on their music as a whole, creating a charming and hooking music with excellent refrains, very good vocals in normal and melodic tunes, great work from guitars (both on riffs and solos), and a strong and heavy rhythmic basis done by the drums and bass. But the album has lots of distortion and touches of aggressiveness, great musical arrangements, but very assessable to many non used to Metal. And in comparison with their last album, "Day After Day", they're a step ahead. And what a step!

Felipe Loyola (the band's vocalist and guitarist) made the album's production, having Felipe Mafra (bassist) mixing and mastering the songs, all done at Veronese studios, on Alfenas (the city from where the band came). And as both of them have experience as producers and sound engineers, obviously the sound quality is almost perfect. And the cover can have the clear influence from Isaac Asimov's works.

The finest songs: the dynamic "Battle Cry" (very good vocals and refrain, with some fine guitars), the excellent and hooking "Face the Truth" (another excellent refrain and charming clean guitars), "Awake" is their more accessible song, almost a pure Rock'n'Roll with very hard and good bass and drums works, and the acoustic version for "Can You Feel" (a song from "Day After Day" album), using only a acoustic guitar and voice, charming and tender from the beginning to the end. But the whole album is perfect.

Oh, I almost forgot: you can download the album for free here (

Made Of Stone - The Enlightened One - Original), but I hope you'll like so much that you'll buy a physical copy for you.