SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA

Until a few months ago all I knew about SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA were the positive comments about them, because despite Brazil limits with Perú, the albums from this country were never popular or accessible in our country, except maybe for BACAMARTE.

So, when a friend traveled to Rio, I asked him to get me the first four SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA, hoping that as usually this ones were the best, something partially truth in this case, and only from the fourth release "Farol da Liberdade".

Their self titled album starts with "Asas", a track clearly in the 80's vein, not Neo Prog but some sort of weak Symphonic, despite the excellent violin performances and the correct vocals by Marcus Viana and Vanessa Falabella, they don't fly too high.

"Luces da Historia" has one of the longest introductions I ever heard, almost half of the track so you could expect a climatic conclusion, but never happens, just a couple of seconds when the whole band joins for a couple of interruptions. Absolutely disappointing.

"Arte do Sol" starts as a soft ballad but after a minute and a half acquires a bit more of strength but in the same mood, the tack flows gently to the end with exquisite performance but a weak structural work, seems that they never allow themselves enough freedom to reach the climax.

"A Gloria das Manhas" begins with a sweet flute that goes on almost 5 minutes without radical changes, it's just in the last minutes when you can enjoy a short elaborate section, again they don't know where to cut the intro.

"Feliz" in contrast with the name that means happy, is a nostalgic song with an incredibly beautiful violin solo that lasts the 55 seconds and works as an introduction for the excellent "Deus Dancarino", a pompous and well elaborate track where the whole band gives one of the best performances, especially Marcus Viana with his violin. The highest point of the album until this point.

Seems that the last track gave SAGRADO CORAÇÃO DA TERRA de impulse they required to go for the prize, another outstanding song that mixes rhythms with a jungle flavor with a keyboard performance in the vein of VANGELIS first albums. Pompous and brilliant, another great song.

"Corpo Veleiro" is just another ballad with little interest for this reviewer, after the past two tracks anybody could expect something more impressive.

"Sagrado" puts the band again in the Progressive Rock path, with pompous arrangements, excellent performances, radical changes and a couple of amazing solos and the sweet voice of Vanessa Falabella who puts the cherry over the cake.

The album ends with "A Vida E Terna", again they fall in the easiness of the soft ballad with little to comment.

To summarize, "Sagrado Coração da Terra" is an uneven album, with magnificent and very weak moments; with strong and elaborate tracks side by side with long boring ballads, so the rating can't be too high.

So I will go with 3 stars and recommend new listeners to begin with the third album Farol da Liberdade which is much more rewarding.