Hibria's 2004 debut album Defying the Rules hit me with such force that I still haven't fully recovered. It was 52 minutes of pure, unadulterated Power Metal from Brazil which had to be heard to be believed. Its allure lay in the fact it cared not for the genre's conversions and seeked to pile as many riffs, solos, tempo changes, bass licks and drum fills into its running time as possible but without sacrificing the melody at the heart of every good metal band.
Of course it helps that in addition to their knack for crafting memorable songs they have an incredibly gifted singer in Iuri Sanson, a man who comes mightily close to matching Lost Horizon's Daniel Heiman for power and range.
So considering that their first album still has the power to take my breath away I was expecting great things from their follow up
The Skull Collectors. Like Defying The Rules it's a concept album, this time round it deals with the story of a Air Force pilot's rise through the ranks and eventual fall from glory.
And like its predecessor it takes no prisoners from the moment the play button is pressed. Opener
Tiger Punch is just a joyously crafted speedy assault on the senses which will bring a smile to the face of even the most jaded of Power Metal fans. Its lyrics may be a bit on the silly side but the emotion Iuri pours into lines like
"Tiger Punch in a light speed attack" makes it sound like he is revealing his soul to the world. In fact his whole performance is one of 100% conviction which will electrify your entire body at points.
As truly special as Hibria's frontman is, think not that the rest of the band are riding on his coat-tails. In fact nothing could be further away from the truth. Guitarists Abel Camargo and Diego Kasper are simply phenomenal players who can craft intertwining solo's of the highest quality. The most impressive aspect of their playing is that they never repeat themselves or lose sight of the overall direction of the song.
Its criminal that musicians like this get overlooked for people like a certain Chinese/Kiwi paring from a rather well known UK based Power Metal act who fall into those sorts of pit falls time and time again. I guess these boys from Brazil need to get themselves on a computer game soundtrack soon!
The bass playing too is something special, if the opening flurry of bass notes in the intro to Tiger Punch doesn't convince you that Marco Panichi knows his way around the fret board then don't worry. By the end of the album you will be a believer. And as for drummer Eduardo Baldo? Think about your most loved drumming performance on a Power/Traditional Metal album and he will go some way to match it.
The album was produced by the guitarist and bass player and they have yet again done a phenomenal job. It's a perfect production for this type of band with a crunching guitar tone and a thumping drum sound which drives the songs along. Of course it helps when you get someone like Achim Köhler in to mix it. Famed for his work with
Amon Amarth and
Primal Fear he has helped beef up the production with a mix not unlike the latter bands Devil's Ground album.
One of my favorite songs on the album is the when the band change down a gear after the opening salvo for fourth track
Scream of Revenge. It's pretty much the closest thing the album gets to a ballad but don't have any thoughts about acoustic guitars and orchestras as it's still as pacey as many bands fastest material. The lead guitar work in this song is outstanding, whether in the foreground or buried underneath the rest of the instruments and the chorus is memorable and moving.
Title track
The Skull Collectors also provides another highpoint on the record. It's five minutes of full on thrashing Speed Metal with some neat tempo changes and an outstanding vocal performance, just listen to those high falsetto notes, how does Iuri do it?
The only real criticism that you could level at this record is that it offers very little in the way of progression from the band first release. But really that's because Defying The Rules was so all encompassing that it left the band very little room for development. So who can blame them for concentrating on their strong points (which are many) and releasing yet another blinding album? Not this writer anyway and quite frankly neither should you dear reader.
In all honesty if you like your Metal with generous helpings of speed, power, melody, might and musicianship then there will be something contained in this album for you.
Written by
Stuart Monday, December 21, 2009
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