Agenda: Jéssica Marinho and Vitor Melo
Angra has announced a show at Bangers Open Air 2026 with the so-called New Era lineup, marking a historic reunion of Rafael Bittencourt and Felipe Andreoli with Edu Falaschi, Aquiles Priester , and Kiko Loureiro. The band also has a side show at Espaço Unimedon April 29th, celebrating in grand style the 25th anniversary of Rebirth, the album that redefined the band's destiny and marked an entire generation of Brazilian and worldwide metal fans.
However, the band had announced a hiatus in August 2025 after the end of the 20th anniversary tour of the album Temple of Shadows. They also went through a lineup change with the departure of Fabio Lione, among other significant moments that define the history of one of the biggest names in Brazilian metal.
In an interview with Wikimetal, founding guitarist Rafael Bittencourt reflected on Angra's journey, talked about the reunion show, how much he misses Andre Matos , and the band's current phase.
The highly anticipated reunion show at Bangers Open Air
Wikimetal: Many fans were surprised by the speed at which the reunion was announced, especially considering the band went on hiatus a few months ago. When did this reunion plan begin?
Rafael Bitterncourt: I believe it started in September of last year. It wasn't a plan, it was an invitation. We were invited by the Bangers Open Air production team for this reunion. And our hiatus plan had already been planned long before. The hiatus doesn't have so much to do with the possibility of a reunion, right? Because it's a completely unusual and special situation. The hiatus was… Because after three albums, we released an album, which was Cycles of Pain (2023), we released an acoustic album and soon after we did a tour celebrating Temple of Shadows. One after the other. So, regarding the hiatus, we informed the fans that we were going to stop.
WM: How did the current band lineup receive and react to the news of this reunion?
RB: Initially, the invitation for the reunion didn't include the current lineup. We insisted that the current lineup also be part of this celebration, because it doesn't make sense for us to have been working with this lineup for several years, on various albums and everything else, tours… And suddenly put a spotlight on the reunion that could overshadow what we've been doing. So, the great truth is to show the moment we are in now, as a lineup, and also with the maturity to celebrate our past, our legacy.
WM: Have you all gotten together for rehearsals or any kind of get-together? What are your expectations for reuniting with former colleagues?
RB: We already got together for a barbecue, and it was a really cool barbecue. Everyone was there, except for Bruno Valverde [Angra's current drummer], who was also on tour, and Aquiles [Priester, drummer from the Nova Era era]. They both live in the United States and were busy with other projects. But we've been talking, chatting remotely. Rehearsals haven't happened yet. Rehearsals are happening individually, each one preparing their part. And soon, we'll get together for a series of rehearsals.
WM: Two days ago, you and Edu had a long chat on your podcast, Amplifica. How did it feel for you to finally be able to achieve that? Did you ever think that this reconciliation would be impossible?
RB: No, impossible, I never thought so. I believed that at some point it would happen. What surprised me was the force with which it happened. We had a conversation where we were really able to heal a series of grievances and we were really able to recover the friendship, the affection, the respect, the admiration, a series of feelings that had been, let's say, drowned for quite some time.
The absence of Andre Matos
WM: As the band's founder, this reunion must mean a lot to you. But we can't talk about this show without mentioning Andre Matos. How much does his absence mean for this celebration?
RB: I'm not the kind of guy who doesn't grapple with fate, and death is a very inevitable thing. So, what we can do is feel its presence. Death is something you can only process through… abstraction, mystery, religion, spirituality, because it's intangible. What we can do is feel that it will be present, that it's part of this.
To honor the role he plays in the band, what he represents, because without him the band practically wouldn't exist. So, to honor all of that. And the emotion of his absence, to put it into the music, into the reunion, into the inspiration, into the emotions you need… There are so many emotions. Every time you do a show. And this is a very special show, precisely because of that, because there are so many more emotions involved, both from the audience and from us. It's about putting that into the performance in an artistic way and transforming it into a great celebration, almost a ritual, a ritual of transforming energies that were stagnant.
WM: In your opinion, what was Andre Matos' greatest contribution to Angra's identity? Is there anything you would have liked to say to Andre that ended up never being said?
RB: When he died… At the time he passed away, there were many things I wanted to say to him, but nowadays, now that he's a memory, a spirit, I just give thanks. I ask that he rest in peace and that we remain in communion. May the things we decide, the things we do in the name of the band, never be severed… That is the will of this spirit.
There are many… Now I'm afraid to name one, to choose one as the greatest and have people say… It's not this one, it's that one, because you know how fans are. But the greatest contribution was his talent, because there were many, especially the experience he already had with Viper, he already had a legacy as an artist, he already had contacts, so that helped Angra a lot. The fact that he had contacts with record labels, with managers, that helped immensely. The seriousness, the depth he put into his work, all of that contributed, there are many contributions. But if I had to choose one, I think it was his enormous talent, that's what propelled the band the most.
New phase and learning
WM: Alírio is a special guest for the show, but many people would like to better understand his real situation with the band. Has he actually become the new vocalist for Angra?
RB: Yes, he is indeed the new vocalist for Angra. However, Angra is currently on hiatus. In other words, we had a change of vocalist in the middle of a hiatus. So, yes, he is the new vocalist. But there aren't any very clear plans yet. We're dedicating ourselves to making this… reunion work, because it's an exclusive, unmissable event, because it's a major event for Brazilian metal. Besides Angra as the headliner, we'll have 15 Brazilian bands there. So it's a very special moment, we can't miss it. That's it, yes, he is our new vocalist, but we don't have very concrete plans for the next few years.
WM: Do you believe that some of the public criticisms made by former members of Angra were motivated more by resentment than by facts?
RB: I think so, and also by a very biased view. The criticisms that existed were the personal views of each individual; there's no way to explain those facts. In reality, they have perspectives on those facts. So, in fact, they are fragments of a view on the facts, and many times I felt I didn't have to respond. I had a very different view and I left it at that. Many say that silence implies consent, but I think it's not just that; I think sometimes a person wants attention, a person is hurt and wants to vent, but my view is always very different from those that are expressed out there. But I'm also not saying that my view is the right one.
WM: Angra has gone through many lineup changes and turbulent times. What was the biggest lesson – both personal and professional – that you took away from these experiences?
RB: The biggest lesson learned is a group of issues… When we start, we think the difficulties of having a successful band are playing well, making good music, finding people, partners who want to invest in the band, cultivating an audience, we have that idea… But I think the biggest lesson was realizing that the most difficult thing is human resource management, people management. That's the hardest part, because you can't make a band alone. Alone, it's not a band anymore. So, if you need people, those people come together for a common goal. I think the hardest thing is communicating, maintaining, inspiring, motivating, managing relationships so that these goals are shared.
That's because each musician, each artist, has their own individual goals. So, the band, whatever it may be, needs to be a convergence of interests that are personal, but that somehow accommodate themselves to a common interest. And when that common interest doesn't exist, things start to overwhelm you. I think that's the hardest part. Making the music isn't the hardest part. Good music isn't the hardest part for me. Motivating people to be with me isn't the hardest part either. Creating opportunities, having ideas, strategies, that's not the hardest part either. The hardest part is really dealing with everyone's will, with their level of self-interest. So, it's always more complex.
Tour and future plans
WM: This reunion is one of the most anticipated moments in Brazilian metal. Besides Bangers Open Air and the sideshow, the band plans to tour – perhaps in other countries?
RB: The news of the meeting is bringing us a lot of proposals. Regarding the hiatus, some people are questioning: 'But you said you're on hiatus'... Yes, but the fact that we announced we're on hiatus is generating a lot of activity, a lot of proposals, a lot of things happening. So, the idea was to be on hiatus, but we've been receiving proposals from different countries, including Japan, to create things, but nothing is confirmed yet.
WM: Does the idea of transforming the band into something similar to what Helloween does today appeal to you for the future? Is there a possibility of you releasing new material together?
RB: Not with a single situation, not with a fixed situation. But the show we're going to do at Bangers Open Air and then the sideshow already shows that we're excited to do this. I don't think this has to be the only format for Angra's shows. I think Angra has to have different formats. We have to have an acoustic show available for people to watch. Easy to put together and do. A show with available guests.
Being open to doing different show formats and having a fixed lineup where we can also do shows with that lineup. So, yes, I like the idea of doing what we're doing, but I don't think it has to be the only style of show. Regarding new releases, I think it's possible, I'm considering it, but honestly, not now. Honestly, something more for the future, further down the line.
The fans' affection and expectations for the reunion
WM: Rebirth will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, marking a period where Angra had to start all over again, and you'll be playing it in its entirety at the sideshow. What will it feel like to be back on stage with a lineup that made history in Brazilian metal, considered by many fans – especially those who weren't even born at the time – as the best the band has ever had?
RB: The feeling, as I said, is a mix of emotions. These emotions are precisely what will generate the motivation for the show, many memories. We are now studying these songs, practicing these songs, remembering a whole era. We are connecting with what this represented for people. The fan was a teenager back then, today they will watch this show with their child by their side, with their family by their side, already in another phase of life. And then there's the emotion of still having relevance, representativeness for that fan, that person. All these emotions are what makes everything very special, very special.
WM: And how have you been receiving the public's affection since the announcement? Have many people been asking questions, requesting songs, showing this enthusiasm and emotion towards you?
RB: Yes, always. I think that also made the audience more relaxed. The tensions within the band end up generating tensions within the audience itself. And the audience gets divided, takes sides, and starts fighting too. So, these tensions relaxing also make the audience relax and feel more at ease with various things. And, yes, they participate. Yesterday [last Wednesday, the 11th], I was at the Volaat Hangar, and I talked a lot with people, I received a lot of affection from the audience. Angra's audience is very passionate, very full of emotions, full of testimonials about how important the band was in a specific phase or throughout their lives. We receive many testimonials and song suggestions as well.
WM: When the show was announced, fans immediately started asking, "Play this song, etc." But besides celebrating the reunion of the Nova Era lineup, you'll also be celebrating the band's legacy itself. Have you put together a setlist for the performance yet?
RB: Yes, we're already preparing the setlist. The setlist is ready. Now we're preparing the songs. This setlist has some really difficult songs. Some of them I haven't played in years, decades. So, we're in the process of getting ready.
WM: Then there will be many surprises…
RB: There will be many surprises.
WM: We're all very excited for this show! Thank you so much for the interview, could you leave a message for our readers?
RB: Thank you for the interview, and thank you for this feedback. I'm very happy. Thank you, Wikimetal, for everything you do for Brazilian metal. This is very important. We are at this moment of seeing each other, of knowing that each piece here is important for what we do. And to take ourselves more seriously, not in the pose of the artist, but to take seriously what we represent. We are a very marginalized scene, in a country that doesn't value culture, but we find each other. When they talk about unity, it's not about holding hands and going out singing in the street. Unity is about knowing the importance of the other, having respect and collaborating so that the territory exists and strengthens.
READ ALSO: Find out what Angra's reunion show will be like at Bangers Open Air 2026
