For many Andre Matos was just a falling star on the power/progressive metal scene. Beginning his career in Brazil with the band Viper at the age 13, his fame skyrocketed with Angra and his unfortunately unsuccessful bid to become Iron Maiden’s vocalist after Bruce Dickinson’s departure in 1993, about which rumor is that he was one of the three leading candidates for the job.

Not just a pretty voice, Andre Matos is also a pianist and keyboardist as well as a composer, after all almost the all songs on the Angra albums that he took part in are his “children”.

And here we are at the release of his second solo album, nine years after his split with Angra. Of course, since then Andre hasn’t just sat on his laurels and there are a multitude of recordings with his name in the credits. The reason however that this review refers to Angra so much is because this album appears to be a return to the sound that made him famous.

“Time To Break Free” had a lot of progressive nuances but with “Mentalize” is the one that awakens those memories from the mid ‘90s, albeit courtesy of a modern production. “Leading On”, which is the album opener, could be an outtake from “Holy Land”. “I Will Return” reveals the AOR influences that shaped Andre but interpreted through a power metal prism. Somewhere Else with its heavily edited vocals also comes to us from the days of Matos’ first big band and the rest of the album continues as thus, with the exception of “Shift The Night Away” that turns more towards classic metal aesthetics. The album’s ballad comes under the guise of “Back To You” and even though it’s pretty emotional it’s not annoying. After another seven power tracks, we reach the most obvious effort by Matos to return to the past with the re-recording of “Don't Dispair” from Angra’s first demo, back in '92.

The musicians backing him on this album are in very good form and allowed to stand out as much as possible. This gives the impression that you’re listening to a band’s release instead of a solo album by a possessive personality. In conclusion, this release is ideal for those who worshipped early Angra (including this reviewer) or those who want to relive the power/progressive metal scene of the '90s.