BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai recently spoke with ex-SHAMAN / ex-ANGRA vocalist Andre Matos, specifically about the influence vocalist, long time collaborator and friend Amanda Somerville had on his new album, Mentalize. He offered the following:

“Amanda worked with me on Mentalize, yes. We always work together. There’s a stable team at Gate Studios that always works together. We’re like a big family, and it’s a good family made up of talented people. Amanda is an unbelievable singer and a great friend. She did a lot of work on this album with me; helping me out with some lyrics and even co-writing some of the songs, doing backing vocals and some choirs which is something she does best.”

Somerville is known for her work with AVANTASIA, HDK and EPICA, but she also has a body of non-metal oriented work that she claims is where she feels most comfortable as an artist. BW&BK; doesn't believe it and neither does Matos.

“I’m always bugging her: 'When are you going to release your fucking metal album?' (laughs). Never mind all these other bullshit singers out there. She’s always going on about how she can’t pretend to be a metalhead when she’s not, but I keep telling her she does it better than most women in the metal business.”

For information on Somerville go to this location.

Following is the official press release for Mentalize:

The Brazilian Andre Matos (ex-Angra / Shaman) is doubtlessly among the most charismatic and versatile vocalists on the international rock/metal scene. His voice is unmistakable, his compositional talent beyond all doubt. In the late Eighties, Matos formed the band Viper, practically a predecessor of his top-selling act Angra, which he launched in 1991. Three internationally successful albums, plus four EPs and sensational tours around the globe marked the Angra years from 1992 to 1999 with Matos as their frontman. Following his departure, he formed Shaman, simultaneously proving himself to be a multi-faceted musician, who also cuts a fine figure away from heavy metal, alongside guitarist/producer Sascha Paeth in their VIRGO project. In 2008 Andre Matos released his first solo album Time To Be Free.

Now his new album, Mentalize, is due to be released, featuring twelve brand-new songs which confirm his unusual vocal range and underline that Matos has matured in every respect. The album is scheduled for release on February 1st 2010 in Europe (Germany: January 29th) on SPV/Steamhammer.

Matos was supported again by truly excellent musicians: His solo band includes the renowned trio consisting of Luis Mariutti (bass), Hugo Mariutti (guitar) and Fabio Ribeiro (keyboards) – all of them former members of Angra and Shaman – plus ex-Angra guitarist Andre “Zaza” Hernandes, with whom Matos worked in the early Nineties and who is considered one of Brazil’s best guitarists, as well as Eloy Casagrande, a 18-year-old drum talent who came first at the Modern Drummer drum competition in the US.

The album was produced by Andre Matos and Sascha Paeth (EDGUY, KAMELOT, RHAPSODY) in Brazil and Germany.

Mentalize tracklist is as follows:

'Leading On!'

'I Will Return'

'Someone Else'

'Shift The Night Away'

'Back To You'

'Mentalize'

'The Myriad'

'When The Sun Cried Out'

'Mirror Of Me'

'Violence'

'A Lapse In Time'

'Powerstream'

'Forever Is Too Long'

'Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)'

Audio samples can be found at www.myspace.com/andrematossolo.