tracks:
1. Turn away
2. Reason
3. More
4. Innocence
5. Scarred forever 6. In the night
7. Rough stone
8. Iron soul
9. Trail of tears
10. Born to be

label: Scarecrow Records, 2005

lineup:
Andre Matos
Luís Mariutti
Ricardo Confessori
Hugo Mariutti

Shaman, Shaaman, Viper, Angra, Virgo and Avantasia. What do these names have in common? That’s right, you’ve probably said the name out loud already, the man whose brilliance have affected so many musicians and, more importantly, heaps of fans all around the world.
Andrй Matos is of course the man I’m talking about, and he’s back with the 2nd studio offering from his "new" band, this time around aptly named Shaaman. Shaman is dead and buried due to copyright-issues, and the fact is that it’s not just the named that’s gone through a small, but vital change since we last heard from them. "Reason" offers more focus on heavy riffing and less focus on the Brazilian folk elements we’re grown accustomed to through not only Shaman, but also the previous releases of Viper and Angra. I for one had a hard time swallowing that musical turn, until I really started to get to know the tracks. After 1 listen I was gravely disappointed, and was almost ready to proclaim the death of the artist and the birth of the trend-whore, but thankfully things eventually picked up. I’ve always needed a lot of time to fully grasp the brilliance of Matos’s songwriting, his vocal melodies are complex, yet immensely catchy once you get to know them properly. But "Reason" is without a doubt the one that needed the most concentration and focus, ‘cause even after 8-9 spins I wasn’t fully convinced that he had managed to get it right this time around.

So now, after what’s approaching the likes of 30 rounds in the player, I finally got it right. It sure as hell took its time, but it sure as hell was worth it. The immense beauty of the title track, the creative input of "More" (a cover of Sisters of Mercy), the sore and tender melody of "Innocence" and the new-found edgy roughness presented by "Turn Away", "Iron Soul" and "Rough Stone", it’s all so scintillatingly and closely perfected that I honestly am in a lack of superlatives to fully describe the genius that is Andrй Matos.

So this is to you, the firm follower of Shaman (Shaaman), don’t be afraid if you don’t quite get the right vibes the first day or two, just be sure to invest some time, concentration and a bit of hard work, it will surely pay off when it all blossoms in it’s most pure and perfected form.
The 17th of May isn’t just the National day of Norway, it’s also the day when you run down to your local record dealer (the 18th if you’re in Norway of course, sadly the stores aren’t open on such a glorious day...), and you get yourself a copy of "Reason". The title just says it all, it does in fact give you...reason.

Rating: 93/100