Fireworks [Extra tracks]

Angra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 1999)
• Original Release Date: April 27, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Century Media
• ASIN: B00000ID2Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #421,374 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Wings Of Reality

2. Petrified Eyes

3. Lisbon

4. Metal Icarus

5. Paradise

6. Mystery Machine

7. Fireworks

8. Extreme Dream

9. Gentle Change

10. Speed

11. Rainy Nights

Editorial Reviews

1998 & third album by Brazil's premier progressive metalact. Produced by Chris Tsangarides (Thin Lizzy, Helloween,Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Exodus) & recorded betweenMarch and June of 1998 at Abbey Road Studios. 10 tracks,featuring the single 'Lisbon'. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kiko Loureiro's defining moment, June 26, 2005

By 

Justin Smith (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fireworks (Audio CD)

I hear a lot of bad reviews of this album. I think that if one looks at this as a guitar-oriented album, it looks a lot better. Kiko Loureiro is phenomenal on this album, demonstrating that he is much more than a guy who can play fast. Wings of Reality, Lisbon, Metal Icarus, Fireworks, and Speed are all prime examples of why Loureiro is one of the best guitar players alive today. Another noteworthy improvement is the production quality. This is how the band deserves to be heard!

The vocal melodies are weaker than the previous two albums. Also, the cultural themes are diminished (though still present in particular in the song "Lisbon"). These complaints bring the album down a little, but if you at all have the capacity to appreciate beautiful, well-composed guitar playing, you have every reason to get this album.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Angra album to date? Why not?, October 25, 2002

By 

"gubietay" (Silver Spring, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fireworks (Audio CD)

Many people criticize this album in not been better than their previous ones, but it all depends in the type of fan you are. I think musically this is the best Angra album of all (including the new album Rebirth). Angels Cry and Fireworks are almost in a tie, but at the end, I think this album is the winner. They have written before better lyrics than the ones of this album, but the music is so awesome that it totally makes the album worth of greatness. I think the "musicians" Angra really step of a notch with this album. After hearing Rebirth (which is still a good album) I found out to myself that they went to their old style again, and their probably wouldn't be another "Fireworks" type of album again. If you are a Power metal fan, (not a typically Angra fan), then this is an album you just have to buy.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Better than you might think, October 9, 2006

By 

Justin Gaines (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fireworks (Audio CD)

Angra's 1998 album Fireworks, the band's third and final album with the original lineup, doesn't have a great reputation. It's not as instantly memorable as their debut Angels Cry, or as progressive as Holy Land, so I think most people wrote it off without giving it a fair chance. This is unfortunate, because Fireworks is an album with the potential to really grow on you.

Part of the problem is that Fireworks had to follow what was easily Angra's finest album at that point - 1996's Holy Land. Fireworks is a fairly straightforward melodic power metal album with a few progressive touches. If it had come directly after Angels Cry, it probably would have gotten a better reception. Holy Land was such a mature and progressive album that it set the bar a bit too high for the band to go back to their traditional power metal sound.

When judged on its own merits, I think Fireworks holds up pretty well. The band builds on the melodic power metal foundations of Angels Cry and adds some of the maturity of Holy Land. Their songwriting skills continued to improve, as did their musical performances. The guitar work in particular is extremely impressive. And love him or hate him, high-octave master Andre Matos gives a very memorable vocal performance. It would have been nice to hear more of the Brazilian musical elements that helped make Holy Land so memorable, but that is a minor complaint. The best part is that the album really grows on you. I honestly like Fireworks more every time I hear it. It may never touch Holy Land, but I think it's arguably a better album than Angels Cry.

Of course we all know now that there was a rift in the Angra camp not long after this album's release, causing a split that would give us two great bands - Angra and Shaman. Despite taking different approaches, the next album from each band (Ritual from Shaman and the appropriately titled Rebirth from Angra) contained many of the musical elements present on Fireworks.

Fireworks may never be anyone's favorite Angra album, but it's a better album than you might think. If you're an Angra fan and haven't heard it, I encourage you to check it out. If you're a long time fan who dismissed Fireworks early, I suggest dusting off your copy and giving it another spin. You might just be surprised how much you like it.