THOTEN – Beyond The Tomorrow

God knows how many bands there are in Brazil, just waiting to break through following the massive success of Angra. Then again, I haven’t heard one Brazilian band even come close to Angra in quality, though Dark Avenger has something to offer for the headbangers out there. Thoten might be on to something, as their music can be defined as a crossover between Dream Theater and Angra, with quite heavy riffs and catchy melodies. This is their first album, by the way produced by guitar wiz Kiko Loureiro from Angra, and as a debut, the CD gives me a positive impression. The singer, Renato Tribuzy, was high up on the list as Angra’s next singer (what’s a bigger claim to fame in Brazil than that?), but as we all know – his band is still called Thoten.

Renato has a good voice indeed, but the way he uses it here and there – or simply the way it is in the mix, I am not really sure – doesn’t please me very much. He’s a little too tense, so to speak. The songs are, like I hinted, a good mix of speed and power, also with progressive elements. The first three set a high standard, but I feel that the following songs go by without much notice. Still, with the risk of repeating myself, I have to emphasize that this is a debut, and the band has something to offer – something they might be up to already with their second release, which I really look forward to hear!