Almost two decades since their last appearance in Greece, the Brazilian power metallers Angra return to Athens to enchant and make up for the intervening years.
Read below our very nice conversation with Felipe Andreoli, who prepares the audience for a special performance - an ode to their excellent releases, with an additional weapon in their musical quiver, their tenth studio album called "Cycles Of Pain" released last year.
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Line up:
Rafael Bittencourt –guitars
Felipe Andreoli – bass
Marcelo Barbosa – guitars
Fabio Lione – vocals
Bruno Valverde – drums
RockOverdose: So Felipe, welcome to Rock Overdose Greece. How are you today?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): I’m great, thank you for having me.
RockOverdose: First of all, congratulations for the new album. What do you believe it adds to the legacy of Angra and how much it took you to complete?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): I think what it adds is just another album where we take what Angra is and expand its boundaries, as we’ve been doing for 32 years. Every album is different and every time we are really true to ourselves and let whatever we’re listening to or feeling at the time dictate the rhythm and the path that we are going musically. We don’t want to write the same album over and over again, so we take these chances to really expand on our style, and with this album it was no different and we’re really really pleased with the musical result on “Cycles of Pain”.
RockOverdose: That’s great. We’re used to having an Angra album every four years but this time it took a little more. Is it because of the pandemic or it was due to the recordings?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): Yes, definitely the pandemic was a factor cause we have people from all over the world playing in this band; we have Fabio from Italy, Bruno is living in Los Angeles, Marcelo lives in Brazilia, which is in Brazil but far from here, Rafa and I are closer but for the longest time you couldn’t even travel anywhere and we really work better when we’re together. We tried for a little bit to write some songs remotely, but it never was the same and we didn’t want to do an album just because we had to do it. So we just waited for the right opportunity; in 2021 when we finally started playing again, it was then when we started thinking about it, and then of course in 2022 when Angra returned doing shows was when we finally met in person and once we got together in the studio the process was really fast. We started writing together at the beginning of October as a band. Prior to that, we had some ideas but many were incomplete, and I a matter of one a half month we had the album recorded, which was really fast.
RockOverdose: I suppose you had all the ideas ready during this time.
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): Yes, we had some ideas, but most were done with the band all together, with everyone playing in the same space. Rafa has a house in the countryside where we get there for a few days and just work on music, so the process was really fast.
RockOverdose: So Felipe, this year marks 11 years since Fabio Lione joined Angra. What elements did he bring with his presence and how much does he direct the songs to be written with his skills?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):Well, Fabio is very impressive in the way he writes melodies and how easy it is for him to write fine melodies. He is doing something else while we’re writing songs and riffs, and then he comes out of the blue and he says: “Wait a minute, I have something for this idea”, and then he sings the greatest melody ever out of nowhere, so he is really talented. And in this album he contributed to the melodies of almost every song, most of the melodies are his, and he performed them really well too, so this record shows Fabio in really top form.
RockOverdose: You joined the band in 2001 as a newcomer, and now you are the longest running member, apart from Rafael, right? How would you describe all these 23 years so far and what do they mean to you in general?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): Wow, time flies. Well, it’s been quite a ride, I was 20 when I joined the band, I was raw and I knew very little about the music industry, so I learned a lot and I’m still learning all these years, but we went through so many ups and downs that I think it made me stronger; you have to be strong to deal with the things we have dealt with. And now, 23 years later, I think we’re happier than ever, which is great. In some bands you see the opposite thing going on; you’re happy and excited when you’re young and when you get old you can’t stand each other and want it to stop. In our case the opposite happened; this is the best time to be in Angra. We have fun, we like each other, we work as a cohesive group, we have our differences of course but we all work towards the same objective, which is Angra.
RockOverdose: Two days ago, Cliff Burton would have turned 62. I know he is your hero and primary influence. What made him so special to you and how do you explain him being so inspiring for you and countless other bassists?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):Well, he was just very talented, not only as a bass player, but as a composer and arranger as well. He wrote brilliant songs and brilliant arrangements to these songs, and he performed them brilliantly. And he was the standout performer in a thrash metal band, which is no easy feat. He had such a unique approach even in the way he performed on stage, so the whole package was just great. For me, as a young 10-year-old boy, I was deeply impressed with him and when I started playing the bass obviously he was my hero and I wanted to be just like him. I think what really makes him special is that he wasn’t just a good bass player, but a great composer too.
RockOverdose: Which are the new players you would highlight as skilled ones?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):There are so many great bass players. I want to highlight some from Brazil; there’s a guy named Michael Pipoquinha, he’s a fusion player actually, not a rock player, but he’s just a beast, one of the best. We have so many great guys in metal, like Jacob Umansky and the guy from Devin Townsend, Nathan Navarro. There are so many other new players who are doing a great job and bass has gained more and more space in the band throughout the years which is great to see.
RockOverdose: So, in turns of your instrument, what is the part that you pay more attention to? Is it timing, rhythm or heaviness?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): It has to be all of it, but the main thing that separates a good bass player from a great one is timing, because that changes everything; the way the song feels and the way the crowd perceives it. When the rhythm section is locked in it makes everything sound heavier, even if the style itself is not heavy. It could be a funk band, but if the rhythm section is tight, it sounds heavy. So, before tone and even arrangements, timing is the most important thing. I strive to play heavy and give the song foundation before I even think about being fleshy.
ANGRA photo credits: @marcoshermes
RockOverdose: We’re about to see you soon in Greece with Elegy. It’s been quite a time for both bands and we’ve really missed you. What should we wait for from this show?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):I think the band is in great form right now, we’re touring of course promoting “Cycles of Pain”, so we have a bunch of new songs on the setlist, and we feel great on stage right now, we feel that the band is cohesive and that it’s delivering a great show, so we feel good about every night. So, being back in Greece feels very special, because we know we have friends there, and it’s been 19 years since we’ve been in Greece, which is absurd I know, but we’re glad to be back and have a chance to see some of Greece and a tourist for a little bit. It’s also great that Elegy is playing with us, because Elegy is a really great band and I really like them, so it will be special, since they have been out of business for so many years.
RockOverdose: What do you remember from your last visit in our country and what kind of stories did Andre and Kiko tell you about their other gigs here?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):Well, I can’t remember right now any specific stories, I know they toured there with Virgin Steele, I don’t know if the Stratovarius tour was also going through Greece, but Greece is a beautiful country, with people that kind of resemble Brazilians in the way that they’re receptive and open and warm, different form other parts of Europe. The first and last time I was in Greece was so fast that I tried to go to the Parthenon and although I was right there, it was closed five minutes before, so I hope I get the chance this time around to see some of it and more. And taste the food, I love the food as well.
RockOverdose: Every other musician that gets interviewed says the same about Greek food (laughter). Angra were never afraid to look forward by never making the same album twice, always adding new elements and keeping the Brazilian origin alive. How would you like the band to be remembered when the day to call it quits comes several years from now?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): I think our biggest pride is just the fact that we’re a Brazilian heavy metal band that played around the world for so many years and that really embraced the Brazilian culture, that I think is the biggest legacy. There are many metal bands from all over the world but not all of them or not many of them really embrace their origins the way some bands do, and I think the same goes for Sepultura; they’re not only a great band, they are a great band that embraced the Brazilian culture and Brazilian heritage, and the same applies to us.
RockOverdose: That’s great, when asking people for the most famous bands in your country, they answer Sepultura and Angra first, and then the others. I don’t know if you are aware of any Greek metal bands, we have some great ones here too?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): I know you have a lot of bands; I can’t name a lot but of course I know Firewind, with whom we toured together in 2007, is a great band. Right now, from the top of my head I can’t really name any other bands, I know I like them, but I just can’t remember their names right now.
RockOverdose: Would you like to send a message to the Greek fans?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):Yes, I really look forward to getting back to Greece and playing a show for you, and I hope this is the first of many to make up for the nineteen years we were apart and that we can come back more often, and I’m sure we’re going to have great fun together and I hope to see you all there.
RockOverdose: Are there any other news about the band that you would like to share with us?
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA):Well, this year we are touring “Cycles of Pain” of course, we will release an acoustic DVD that we recorded last year somewhere around the beginning of the second semester and of course “Temple of Shadows” turns 20 this year, so we have a lot to come.
RockOverdose: Thank you very much for your time and I’ll make sure that we will meet personally in Greece!
Felipe Andreoli (ANGRA): Yes definitely, see you soon!
On behalf of RockOverdose.gr,
Zisis Petkanas
Questions: Aggelos Katsouras
Transcript: Angelos Chatzigiannis
Edit: Vivi Zapantiotou
ANGRA photo credits: @marcoshermes
Τετάρτη 20 Μαρτίου
Angra, Elegy, The Silent Rage @ Κύτταρο Club, Αθήνα
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