It may have taken the band fourteen years to release their debut, but they took only twelve to come up with their second. If possible, this one is even more drenched in the Seventies than the debut, and here Paulo’s vocals definitely come across as being packed full of emotion. I found that when he was singing I kept thinking of the mighty Roger Chapman, as he is very much in the same style and manner. Musically this is complex symphonic prog, but although it was released on CD by Masque Records at the time (and now being made available by Progshine Records for the first time since then), I do wonder if the band provided the label with a finished tape as there are instances when the production is somewhat lacking, and instances when they should have re-recorded a passage. Not surprisingly, given the time between the two recordings, there had been a few line-up changes, but possibly the most interesting was Ulisses was still there on flute, they had also added Sidarta Guimarães on violin. It is rare to find both woodwind and strings in the same setting, but here it works very well indeed.
The band are at their best when they throw caution to the wind and indulge in rapid repeated passages where everyone is following the same melody. It is at places like this that their musicianship and understanding of the genre really shines. They are still mixing acoustic and rock, and with a Hammond Organ often coming into play, this certainly doesn’t sound like an album recorded this century. There is more complexity and depth than with the original, with a wider use of instruments, including some very pleasant piano. Although it has some faults, this is far more complete than the debut, and is certainly worthy of further investigation.
