RENOWNED PROG METAL GUITARIST KIKO LOUREIRO UNLEASHES SOUNDS OF INNOCENCE

South America has provided quite a few important historical moments in rock n’ roll over the years. Case in point, Kiss performing their final concert in make-up before unmasking in 1983; or Queen headlining the first-ever Rock in Rio Festival in 1985; or the continent spawning one of the world’s most renowned metal bands, Sepultura. And South America is also home to prog metal vets Angra, who have steadily issued challenging yet heavy albums on a regular basis since 1993.

And now comes the fourth solo album overall from that band’s leader, guitarist extraordinaire Kiko Loureiro – ‘Sounds of Innocence.’ Running counter to today’s hard-rock scene, the album, like its predecessors, is completely instrumental. And according to Loureiro, it is an incredibly personal piece of music,

one that will finally establish him firmly in the US – the country which Loureiro now calls home. “All the reflective moments during the past year of my life are somehow represented in the ten songs from ‘Sounds of Innocence.'”

“These compositions depict my experiences in perfect form. They connect my past to what I am now – remembering the innocent times of a distant past but simultaneously being humble enough to keep innocence as an important value at present. It keeps me learning, exploring, developing and sharing. I love what I do, and this involves a unique feeling that music is something that unites us universally. Music doesn’t belong to me nor anyone. The more I create, the more innocent and free I feel to present and share my music.”

As a result, the tracks that comprise ‘Sounds of Innocence’ run the gamut of tranquility (“Awakening Prelude,” “A Perfect Rhyme”) to over-the-top shredfests (“Conflicted,” “El Guajiro”), and some tracks that lay somewhere in between (“Ray of Life”). And as its creator explains, there is a perfectly good reason for an album that resembles a hard rock rollercoaster ride. “‘Sounds of Innocence’ is my inner voice, whispering constantly, sounds and melodies, textures and harmonies.” For admirers of modern day prog metal and impressive six-string work, ‘Sounds of Innocence’ is a must-hear.

‘Sounds of Innocence’ Track List:
1  Awakening Prelude
2  Gray Stone Gateway
3  Conflicted
4  Reflective
5  El Guajiro
6  Ray of Life
7  The Hymn
8  Mãe D’Água
9  Twisted Horizon
10 A Perfect Rhyme

Source:
http://www.kikoloureiro.net