Rafael Bittencourt , founder and guitarist of Angra , chose the band's fifth studio album as the most difficult work of their career.
Released in 2004, Temple of Shadows is a concept game that tells the fictional story of the knight The Shadow Hunter as he enlists to participate in the First Crusade called for by the Catholic Church.
In an episode of Kapirotto Responde , the musician explained the decision. "It was an album that I felt was really ready to explore musical styles, there are many combinations there," he began.
Kiko [Loureiro] and I , because of Rebirth , realized this synergy in songwriting together, and we were able to improve it together. We had new members who weren't so new, they were already successful artists, they had inflated egos, and controlling that wasn't easy, giving it direction.”
Among other challenges were the historical research on the complex subject matter, the direction of producer Dennis Ward , who sought "excellence" in the final result, and the alternating recordings between Brazil and the House of Audio studio in Germany, when Edu Falaschi faced voice problems. " Edu's singing was no longer at his best as a singer; I didn't know if it was an allergy or what happened, but during the recordings it was very difficult," recalled Bittencourt. "I supported him through this, changing lyrics and melodies, trying to motivate him."
Despite internal difficulties, the album was very well received by the public and specialized critics, winning several awards and a world tour to promote it, but it already foreshadowed the tensions that would intensify in the following years. "This struggle to finish the album was intense and the strain was so great, coupled with the album's success, and all the artists in the band feeling super capable, with their egos mega-inflated, and from then on it became difficult to maintain cohesion; everyone wanting their own glory is complicated," concluded the guitarist.
READ ALSO: Eloy Casagrande, from Sepultura, is elected the most "heavy-handed" drummer in the world.
