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September 7, 2008 |
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01. Mejor Morir En Pie
02. Un Grito En El Aire
03. Magia
04. La Impureza De La Amistad
05. Otelo
06. Si Tu Alma Has De Vender
07. Hoy Vivo Por Ti
08. Una Luz En La Oscuridad
09. La Tentación
10. Nunca Te Alejes De Mi
11. Himno De La Alegria
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Considered as one of Spain's premier Metal exports, TIERRA SANTA have been pretty consistent in delivering the goods since their 1997 debut, "Medieval". Aside from the obvious IRON MAIDEN/HELLOWEEN influences, stylistically their music is both unique and inspiring, which is promising when you look at the entire Power Metal scene as a whole. There are just too many bands out there that duplicate the same wailing vocals, riffs, rhythms, double-kicking, etc. In TIERRA SANTA's case, there is a trace of originality, especially in the melodies and overall song structures. I don't know if it’s the Spanish flavours fused with the traditional Heavy Metal elements, but the band have always seemed to be able to create something different-sounding on every album.
"Mejor Morir En Pie" (It's Better To Die Standing" in English) is full-length album #7 for these guys, and while they do maintain their traditional sound, they have trimmed some fat in certain areas. By no means is this a bad thing; it's just a progression. This time around TIERRA SANTA - Angel (vocals, guitar), Arturo (guitar, backing vocals), Roberto (bass), Iñaki (drums, percussion) and Mikel (keyboards) - have opted to take a lighter, more melodic approach to the songs.
Unlike the more epic-styled themes (complete with blistering fretwork/solos) that were found on stand-out albums like "Sangre De Reyes" (2001) and "Indomable" (2003), "Mejor Morir En Pie" is more straight-forward melodic Rock that is focused on technicality and variety than speed. Sure, there are some faster-paced songs here (see "Mejor Morir En Pie", "Si Tu Alma Has De Vender" and "La Tentación") and they're done well, but more melodic, mid-tempo material is being thrown around all over the place. Prime examples are "Un Grito En El Aire" and "Magia", both displaying how well Angel can blend his voice with the guitar parts, the infectious "Hoy Vivo Por Ti", and "Otelo", which displays a very renaissance-styled guitar solo that virtually carries the song alone - very aurally-appealing stuff.
TIERRA SANTA are doing exactly what every talented group of musicians aspire to do throughout the course of their career - progress and make their music better. I'll probably always favour "Indomable" over anything else they put out because it was just an excellent album, but at the same time I'll give credit where credit is due. It's a task in itself to continue making music that's tangible while staying true to your individual sound and "Mejor Morir En Pie" shows that TIERRA SANTA are capable of doing both.
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