Vandroya
One

March 2013
Released: 2012, Inner Wound
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: JP

With the rate that the nation of Brazil is curbing out high quality Power Metal, it may not be long before they surpass some of the European strongholds. Vandroya is a new young band from Bariri, Brazil.

Freshly signed to the Voice label, the band does have some experience already. Vocalist Daisa will be a name familiar to fans of Heleno Vale's Metal Opera, Soulspell. She played the characterJudith on the first three albums.



The album cover art is nice but I'm disappointed with the complete and utter lack of imagination in naming their debut album ONE. There are at least 10 bands have done this, (Fullforce, just last year for example!) not too mention it is a boring album title. Thankfully the music is anything but boring! At least the album cover is gorgeous, rendered by the incomparable, Felipe Franco



Vandroya write and perform an excellent type of speedy, Power Metal of the happy and slightly progressive variety, much like Angra. You can hear some nice regional influences, Latin based sounds and rhythms on songs like, 'Within Shadows'. The pace of the album is generally fast with lots of good clean high guitar tones and solos. There are keyboards but they do not overshadow the guitars. The vocals of are clean, clear and high but not delivered in an operatic fashion, nor is she a soprano either. I really liked her performance on the mid-paced power ballad, 'Why Should We Say Goodbye?'. Her vibrato is a bit reminiscent of Doro.



ONE is a very competent, well-written debut with enough character and intensity to make this album well worth checking out.