ANGRA vocalist Edu Falaschi spoke with Metal Asylum in New Jersey about their new CD Aurora Consurgens and how it may appeal more to a North American audience as well as tentative plans to tour these shores in the spring of 2007.

Metal Asylum: Angra has only done a handful of dates in the U.S. Why is it so hard for the band to come to the States?

Falaschi: "Well I think the main reason for it not being so easy to play in the USA is because the scene for classic melodic Heavy Metal is not that strong. But I hope in the future it will become better because you have bands like IRON MAIDE, JUDAS PRIEST going back on tour in the U.S. I think with recognizable faces like them will make the awareness of bands like ourselves more accepted. I think the American people prefer like thrash, metalcore or nu metal, the more extreme sounds. For us its no so easy to become popular because of that. But now we are working with SPV and they are supporting the band. Plus I think with this new record Aurora Consurgens it is a bit more modern, straight to the point. I think the direction we are taking the band with this new record is a good introduction for the American fans."

Metal Asylum: What do you think it is that makes it so difficult for melodic metal bands like yourselves to become recognized in the States?

Falaschi: "I don't really know why but I think when say a band like SEPULTURA came out in the early 90's the people were really interested in this really extreme strong metal. I think the melodic scene, even in the past, was not really that strong in the U.S. But many bands now like DRAGONFORCE that play this kind of power metal music are going to change some things to an extent. It is very important, for us I think, the kind of recognition they are getting because even though they are similar to us we do have these Brazilian roots in our music which makes us different than the rest. Of course we have the influences from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and especially HELLOWEEN but especially with this new album we mix the Brazilian atmospheres in the music by using the Brazilian percussions, elements of classical and jazz, Cuban music. We do have similar influences to a STRATOVARIUS or BLIND GUARDIAN but we are still different because we are Brazilian. Those bands are from Finland and Germany and we come from Brazil. So we are obviously going to have our own sound coming from this part of the world. We are kind of like an ethnic metal band."

You can read the rest of the interview here.