Ranking alongside SEPULTURA as Brazil's biggest Hard Rock export, São Paulo's ANGRA, for many years fronted by erstwhile VIPER vocalist André Matos, boast complex Progressive Rock with a definite Metal touch. ANGRA, titled after an ancient fire goddess (Angra Mainyu), was convened during 1991 and saw Matos joined by the ex-SPITFIRE duo of guitarist Rafael Bittencourt and drummer Marco Antunes, former FIREBOX bassist Lui­s Mariutti and the then 19 year old second guitar player KIKO LOUREIRO (Pedro Henrique Loureiro), previously with club acts A CHAVE and LEGALYZE. With VIPER's name already a well known force in Brazil, through the Matos fronted 'Soldiers Of Sunrise' and 'Theatre Of Fate' albums, a great degree of anticipation was focussed toward the fresh combo.

This unit debuted with the grandiose 'Reaching Horizons' demo, crafted at Guidon Studios in São Paulo during July 1992. Later that same year the debut ANGRA sessions were also released in Europe as one of the first releases on the fledgling Limb Music Products (LMP) label. Fortunately for ANGRA, LMP was to become one of Europe's premier Power Metal specialty labels. Four of the six songs from the debut EP made the subsequent 'Angels Cry' album, recorded for another German imprint, Rising Sun Productions, and the two remaining tracks eventually surfaced as bonus cuts on the various licensed versions of future albums and EPs.

The 'Angels Cry' album, which boasted an adventurous cover version of KATE BUSH's 'Wuthering Heights' and an even more daring penchant for Metal-Samba, was recorded at GAMMA RAY guitarist Kai Hansen's studios in Hamburg, Germany. Both GAMMA RAY guitarists Kai Hansen and Dirk Schlächter contribute solos, as does HEAVEN'S GATE's Sascha Paeth. Studio drums were contributed by SIEGES EVEN man Alex Holzwarth, excepting 'Withering Heights', which saw Thomas Nack of GAMMA RAY gaining credits. Shortly prior to recording Antunes would make way for new drummer Ricardo Confessori.

The album, issued in Brazil during 1993, proved a runaway success and in Japan alone succeeded in shifting over 100'000 copies. Videos for 'Time' and 'Carry On' would remain on heavy Brazilian MTV rotation for many months. ANGRA would dominate the polls of the leading Brazilian 'Rock Brigade' magazine scooping awards for 'Best new band', 'Best album', 'Best singer', 'Best album cover' and 'Best keyboard player'. In Japan a special EP was issued comprising of remixed versions of 'Evil Warning', 'Angels Cry', 'Carry On' and 'Wuthering Heights' 'Angels Cry' would be licensed to Europe through Dream Circle, and C.N.R. in France, the following year reaping yet further praise.

Taking their art to the stage, ANGRA opened for AC/DC and formed part of the package billing for the inaugural Brazilian 'Monsters Of Rock' festivals, sharing the stage with KISS, BLACK SABBATH and SLAYER. Touring Brazil proved equally successful for the band, selling out the enormous Sao Paulo Aeroanta venue for two consecutive nights in the process. By May of 1995 ANGRA hit the road in Europe.

The 1996 'Holy Land' album, an ambitious concept involving choirs and orchestration once more produced by Sascha Paeth and Charlie Bauerfiend, saw increased sales on mainland Europe and in Brazil. Although the bulk of the record was put down onto tape in Germany in the summer of 1995, across three studios in Hamburg, Hannover and Wolfsburg, ANGRA returned to Djembe Studios in São Paulo that autumn to add an expansive range of embellishments involving traditional instrumentation, such as congas, djembe, timbales, claves and repinique, all scored by Tuto Ferraz, Operatic vocals, courtesy of soprano Celeste Gattai, and choir from the Farrambamba Vocal Group. The group even managed to squeeze Ben Bishcoff and his didgeridoo into the mix for good measure. Despite this arsenal of potential diversions, ANGRA actually ratcheted up the Metal content when compared to the debut, making 'Holy Land', hung on the ten minute epic 'Carolina IV', a far heavier proposition. The tranquil introduction, choirs and birdsong, proved a deceptive opener for a record loaded with speed, power and aggression, prompting reviewers worldwide to laud Holy Land as perhaps the pinnacle of the prog-metal genre to date.

The Japanese JVC Victor release included a bonus track 'Queen Of The Night'. The mini-album of the same year 'Freedom Call', recorded At Be Bop Studios and Grooveria Eletro-Acústica Studios in São Paulo that May, included a cover version of JUDAS PRIEST's 'Painkiller'. The concert recording 'Holy Live', recorded at the Aquaboulevard - Salle Provençale venue in Paris on November 15th 1996, sustained the momentum into 1997.

1998's 'Fireworks' was produced by Chris Tsangarides and impressively landed on the French national charts at number 41. The ethnic content had been scaled back by a fair margin as Angra delivered a back to basics approach. A lengthy world tour opened up with Brazilian headline shows before the band's debut Japanese shows then an appearance at the Beunos Aires 'Monsters Of Rock' festival. In 1999 North America woke up to the ANGRA phenomenon when Century Media released the band's back catalogue en masse.

2000 bowed in with European shows with Italian act TIME MACHINE as support then co-headliners with STRATOVARIUS. At their Milan gig Lucretia Records, ANGRA's Italian distributor, gave out 1'000 free CD's with two tracks by ANGRA and two from TIME MACHINE. 1998 also witnessed the issue of 'The Holy Box', a lavish limited edition box set released by Lucretia Records and including exclusive acoustic tracks.

ANGRA split in two during mid 2000 with Matos, Mariutti and Confessori all bailing out. Matos reportedly began work on a solo project VIRGO in Germany. Later announcements had the entire trio working together, in league with guitar player Hugo Mariutti and BLEZQI ZATSAZ keyboard player Fabio Riberio, under a new band name of SHAMAN. Loureiro took time out to produce the debut album from countrymen THOTEN.

As 2001 dawned it emerged that Loureiro and Bittencourt were endeavouring to persevere as ANGRA drafting former MITRIUM, OPIUM and SYMBOLS vocalist Eduardo Falaschi and drummer Aquiles Priester, the latter being from the PAUL DIANNO band. A latter recruit was keyboard player Gunther Werno who has previous credits with Norwegian act CONCEPTION. Meantime, ANGRA bassist Felipe Andreoli would join KARMA in 2001. ANGRA's resurrection opus 'Rebirth' won over fans in consumate and by February 2002 the album had shifted over 100'000 copies. European headline dates commenced in Nancy, France on the 26th February. A mini album, 'Hunters And Prey', arrived in May of 2002 including acoustic takes plus a cover version of 'Mama' originally by GENESIS. Live dates found ANGRA in Japan during June with appearances at the 'Rock Machine' festival in Spain, the famed 'Wacken Open Air' event in Germany and the Atlanta, Georgia 'ProgPower' festival. The band would also lay claim to the honour of being the very first South American Rock band to play Taiwan, playing a show in Taipei on June 14th.

Kiko Loureiro would guest session on the 2002 BLEZQI ZATSAZ album 'The Tide Turns', paradoxically the project band of SHAMAN keyboard player Fabio Riberio.

ANGRA had their version of 'Kashmir' included on the Locomotive Music LED ZEPPELIN tribute album 'The Metal Zeppelin — The Music Remains The Same'. Eduardo Falaschi also came to attention outside of his priority band activities, portraying the character "Sultan Oddyfer" for a Daniele Liverani 2004 GENIUS outing 'In Search of The Little Prince'. Fellow Sao Paulo act TROPA DE SHOCK's 2004 album 'Survivors' saw a guesting Rafael Bittencourt donating a solo to the track 'The Love Of Angels' whilst Kiko Loureiro donated his talents to ATLANTIDA's 'Painted Reality' opus. The ANGRA pairing of Kiko Loureiro and Felipe Andreoli also guested on the AVANTGARD demo 'The Sound Of Reason'.

ANGRA commenced recording of a new album at Mosh Studios in São Paulo in January of 2004. PINK CREAM 69's Dennis Ward would be manning the production desk and guest vocalists for this endeavour included GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen, Sabine Edelsbacher of EDENBRIDGE and BLIND GUARDIAN's Hansi Kürsch. Shortly after these sessions guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO recorded his debut solo album 'No Gravity' for Replica Records, produced once again by Dennis Ward, at House of Audio Studios in Germany during April and May. Studio guests included RAGE and ARTENSION drummer MIKE TERRANA and ANGRA bassist Felipe Andreoli.

By July ANGRA had wrapped up recording 'Temple Of Shadows' and revealed the entire record was a conceptual piece based around a character known as 'The Shadow Hunter', described as "A saga of a crusader knight that ends up disputing the expansionist ideals of the Catholic Church in the eleventh century". The record sold over 20,000 copies in its first week of sale in Japan. ANGRA headlined shows in Southern Europe throughout Spain, Italy and France in February 2005. The band put in a first time ever UK show at The Mean Fiddler in London, supported by DRAGONFORCE, then united with leading Finnish act NIGHTWISH for Japanese dates in March.

In November Kiko Loureiro appeared live with TRIBUZY at two back to back gigs at São Paulo's Credicard Hall in an all star band alongside MASTERPLAN guitarist ROLAND GRAPOW, PRIMAL FEAR's Mat Sinner and Ralf Scheepers, IRON MAIDEN's BRUCE DICKINSON and Roy Z. On the 4th of that same month ANGRA celebrated their 14th anniversary with a gig in São Paulo, being joined onstage by GAMMA RAY's Kai Hansen.

In early 2006 it would be revealed that both Fabio Laguna and ex-ANGRA singer Andre Matos had recorded guest sessions for the EYES OF SHIVA album 'Deep'. Meantime, Aquiles Priester sessioned on PAUL DIANNO's 'The Living Dead' album and Eduardo Falaschi worked up his ALMAH solo project.

In June 2006 Aquiles Priester laid down drum tracks for a new ANGRA album, 'Aurora Consurgens', in Germany under supervision of producer Dennis Ward. The group then utilised Way Musique Studios and LCM Studios in São Paulo to finish the album. Japanese versions, on JVC Victor Records, hosted the customary extra track in 'Out Of This World'.

Concurrently, three ANGRA players announced their participation in an instrumental project album under the title FREAKEYS. Drummer Aquiles Priester, bass player Felipe Andreoli and keyboard player Fábio Laguna established an alliance with guitarist Eduardo Martinez of LÁPIDE, HANGAR and LEVIAETHAN.

Coinciding with the launch of 'Aurora Consurgens' ANGRA performed at the MEGADETH headlined 'Loud Park' festival in Tokyo, Japan, sharing the stage together with ANVIL, BACKYARD BABIES, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, OPETH, DRAGONFORCE, FLYLEAF, CATHEDRAL, ARCH ENEMY and ANTHRAX, on October 14th. Meantime, ex-ANGRA singer André Matos unveiled his first solo recording, the song 'Rio', in November.

Japanese ANGRA concerts for February 2007 were announced as a co-headliner with BLIND GUARDIAN. The band then teamed up with FIREWIND and POWER QUEST for a tour of France.

ANGRA ended a two year hiatus when they teamed up with Brazil's other top metal export, SEPULTURA, for a 20 date tour of Brazil. Newly re-installed on drums for this trek was a returning Ricardo Confessori.