TALES OF THE SHADOWLAND (AS BRUNO MAIA)

For the main man behind the Brazilian faux folk metal of TUATHA DE DANAAN, BRUNO MAIA has been at the helm of a surprisingly more acoustic and serious outfit BRAIA since the mid 2000's, and in 2024 released this album simply as himself. Apart from the stark difference with the mother group, "Tales of the Shadowland" is a bit more wind oriented than the BRAIA output, with comparisons to a more intense BLACKMORE's NIGHT, YOKESHIRE, TOBIAS TAG, FAVNI, and the German GALAHAD, but a bit more straightforward than most of these. My pick would be the eerie and proggy "Dreya", but it's all of good quality.

Male and female voices, likely the same as on the BRAIA releases, harmonize wonderfully and conjure a forested soundscape rather than the windswept moors of BRAIA. Luckily it's song oriented so interminable jigs and fiddle jams are absent, which is a good thing because the totality is barely 26 minutes. But that same limitation makes this less of an immersive experience and more of a snippet of someone's weekend hobby, with their hope that you will return next weekend and evaluate the improvements or additions. I'm not sure I will, but Maia easily deserves 3 stars for some unique wood cuts.

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