A Dream at the Sun

There were some rather massive changes afoot in the power metal winds by the time the mid-2000s rolled in, spearheaded by a darker and groovier mold of progressive-leaning power metal with an eye to Nevermore, along side a more stripped down AOR alternative ushered in by the likes of Masterplan, Helloween's The Dark Ride and a few others. It is curious to note that both of these phenomena were connected to production practices courtesy of either Roy Z or Andy Sneap, who had connections to the groove metal scene of the 90s, and the result was power metal taking a decidedly heavier and slower approach. Brazil's power metal scene naturally was not wholly immune to these changes, but it occurred to a far lesser extent within said sphere of influence, and tended to be countered by many affiliates taking on a more nuanced and progressive tone along 90s Dream Theater lines. Being on the somewhat less prolific side of the spectrum, millennial upstarts Endless would not unleash their follow up to Eternal Winds until 2006, and the line of progression it follows dovetails with the aforementioned tendency in the Brazilian scene like clockwork.

To an extent, it could be argued that this band's evolution has involved them becoming even more like Angra than they already were at the turn of the millennium, though in a general sense this is best described as opting for a more technical approach alongside slowing things down a bit. The consonant melodic content that the band imported from the Helloween template is still present, but the surrounding musical scheme has become a bit more nuanced, relying a bit more on rhythmic twists and jazzy elements rather than a full on speed metal assault. It is most apparent in the guitar work of Gustavo Di Pádua, who's chunky riff work, rapid scale runs and wild solos definitely exhibit a strong John Petrucci meets Michael Romeo vibe, though the corresponding harmonic scheme surrounding it, particularly the vocals and keyboards, avoid that overtly percussive groove metal sound that defined much of Symphony X's and Dream Theater's 2000s output. Truth be told, Rodrigo Carriee's keyboard work is actually a bit reminiscent of Kevin Moore, occasionally rambling through some impressive solo shredding but largely function to create a consonant atmosphere conducive to a happier power/prog sound.

Following a charming introduction where a dense keyboard gloss is painted over with a set of chanting voices, what emerges here musically is definitely of a high impact nature, though coated with a heavy amount of nuance. Riff-happy, up beat romps with a fair bit of elaboration such as "Running To Be Free", "Laments At The Sky Of Winds" and "The Playwright" are brilliant exercises in rhythmic precision that also retain that triumphant melodic shine that only power metal can deliver. For his part, vocalist Vitor Veiga tends to steal the show whenever he chimes in, coming off as a cleaner cut yet equally forceful answer to Andre Matos' soaring voice. As the album progresses, it actually builds up in drive towards a mighty climax, with anthems such as "Shades Of Night" and "Memories I've Saved" actually reaching back to the more Helloween-styled sound of Eternal Winds a bit more and coming out with something very close to Temple Of Shadows. Interestingly enough, this outfit decided to get even more nostalgic at the album's conclusion and decided to give the title song of their aforementioned 2000 debut a 2006 update, and come out with something a slight cut above the original.

Generally whenever this band comes up in conversations in power metal circles, which is relatively rare when compared to their more visible fellow Brazilian acts in Shaman and the recently defunct Almah, this is usually the album that comes up. It definitely holds up as a solid offering in the same general style that actually one-ups most of the latter's output as well as the post-Matos material out of the former, but overall it's a slight step down from the highly riveting and more traditionally grounded debut. It is the more ambitious of the two from both a songwriting perspective and in terms of the sheer amount of technical proficiency displayed by each individual player, but the hooks are just a tad less memorable and pacing a bit on the slow side to be a full on classic. The vibes it puts off are as warm as a Brazilian summer day, the game of notes as elaborate as the nuances on each tree in a patch of the Amazon, but the spiritual experience that this brand of power metal tends to invoke is a bit obscured and the feel just a tad less organic. Still a worthy addition to any power and progressive metal collection, by any and all standards.