SCELERATA – The Sniper

There has been much talk about Brazil being one of the emerging markets of the world and this also holds true for Metal. There are many up-and-coming Metal bands budding from Brazil and South America, as well as some old favorites. Some of the more notable bands are Sepultura, Angra, and Soulspell to name a few. Now you can easily enter another band into the conversation: Scelerata. This is a five piece Power/Progressive outfit and The Sniper is the band’s third full length album.

In comparison with Scelerata’s previous two albums, there has been much growth and maturity. They have developed from a traditional twin guitar Power Metal band to a very technical amalgamation of Power, Progressive, and Neo-Classical brand of Metal. The compositions have become significantly more complex and the big production adds much clarity.

The biggest change for Scelerata is the addition of new vocalist Fabio Juan, who joined the band on tour in 2010. Juan’s vocal talent is limitless.  He sings with great power and passion, utilizing a smooth and prolific high tenor. The Sniper also features a couple of big name guest vocal talents as well. Ex-Iron Maiden legend Paul Di’Anno performs on the track “In My Blood”, and Helloween vocalist Andi Deris lays down his work on the song “Must Be Dreaming.” Both of these tracks are co-written by the respective vocalists and therefore come off as strong tracks that play a significant role in carrying weight for The Sniper.

The twin guitar talents of Magnus Wichmann and Renato Osario also play a very key role in the success of The Sniper. There is a substantial amount of intensified and influential guitar riffs. Most of the tracks also feature many intricate Neo-classical guitar solos, which certainly assist in taking the compositions to the next level. There is an excellent blend of guitar and vocal melody throughout the album; one does not overpower the other. Each song is dependent on how the vocal and guitar parts play out.

If there is a downside to the album, it would be a lack of a memorable hook or melody, or simply having that one strong track that anchors the entire product. When listening to the album from start to finish, there is certainly a well structured flow from one track to the next. However, there isn’t enough diversification of arrangement to make one track more significant than another.

There is no question; talent is abundant throughout The Sniper. The musicianship and songwriting are both of an extreme high quality. Scelerata have poised themselves to become an international success with The Sniper. The maturity and growth of Scelerata are clearly evident, with some minor tweaks and adjustments there is no doubt their achievements will be endless.