A Brazilian progressive/power metal band that's better than Angra? Hell, yeah. This stuff is among the most intelligent and melodic power metal I've heard recently. Most of the songs on Terra Nova are sung in English, two are sung in the band's native tongue, one has a Latin-language chorus, and all of them will kick your ass.
Like Angra, Eterna incorporates musical elements of the Brazilian culture via intricate rhythms and lyrical imagery. The title track, apparently a hit in South America and available here in two versions, features Portuguese lyrics, and the Eric Philippe-designed album cover conveys a Brazilian-roots theme. Of the 11 tracks on Terra Nova, only five are new – with two of those being instrumentals. Of the remaining three, the strongest are "Mother Land" and the title track. The rest are new versions of songs that appeared on Eterna's 1999 album, Papyrus, and feature new singer Leandro Cacoilo, whose vocals always seem to be in the right pitch — neither too high nor too low. Nothing here is over-the-top, as these five guys manage to carve their own heavy and majestic sound without resorting to clichés or copying other bands.
Among the best tunes on both Terra Nova and Papyrus is "Da Pacem Domine," a brilliantly executed scorcher with a gigantic chorus that should've gained Eterna worldwide recognition four years ago. Hopefully, it will this time around.
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