Angra

Angra started in Brazil in the early 1990s, with guitarist Rafael Bittencourt and drummer Fabio Lione pulling together a lineup that included bassist Felipe Andreoli, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and keyboardist André Matos. Their first album, 'Angels Cry,' came out in 1993 and leaned into the kind of melodic, operatic power metal that bands like Iron Maiden and Helloween had been doing in Europe. It got them noticed pretty quickly, both at home and abroad.

They kept putting out records through the '90s and into the 2000s, with albums like 'Holy Land' in 1996, 'Fireworks' in 1998, and 'Temple of Shadows' in 2004. Songs like 'Carry On' and 'Nova Era' became staples for fans who liked their mix of heavy riffs and big, singable choruses. The band wasn't afraid to weave in bits of Brazilian folk music, which sometimes rubbed traditional metal listeners the wrong way but gave their sound a distinct flavor.

Lineup changes became a regular thing for Angra. Loureiro and Matos left at different points, and new faces like vocalist Edu Falaschi and guitarist Marcelo Barbosa came in. They kept recording through it all, with later albums including 'Aqua.' The music stayed rooted in that power metal foundation, even as the players shifted around it.