Brazilian symphonic metal band Perpetual Legacy have released a monumental 20 song epic double album for their second full-length. Teodrama is a narrative from a Biblical perspective covering Creation, the Fall of Man, Redemption, and Consummation.

Perpetual Legacy hails from Brazil and now has two full length releases with A New Symphony for HIm (2015) and Teodrama (2024) as well as releasing an ep, First Classicals (2021). As many bands experience, Perpetual Legacy had some lineup changes since their first full length and that likely played into the 9 year gap between releases.  That and writing/arranging 20 songs, which undoubtedly had a some impact.

There can definitely be arguments on either side about releasing a 20 song double album that clocks in at over an hour and 30 minutes long.  I’m almost wondering if listeners now have the patience and endurance needed to get through an album of this length.  The album opens with a somewhat somber sounding choral piece discussing the nature of the Holy Trinity and that goes straight into “Ex Nihilo” which has a very Celtic influence to its sound, which was not what I was expecting at all, but a welcome surprise. The song itself is focused on the creation narrative.  I was struck immediately by Michelle Braglia’s vocals which fit well within the Celtic feel of the song and come across clean.  The guitar work by Lucas Fernandes including an extended guitar solo was also very impressive if the guitars tend to be lost in the mix for most of the song.  Production on the album is very clean but the vocals and orchestral elements tend to dominate which takes away from the strength of the songs.

Michelle Braglia’s range is on full display in “Glorius Creator” which does not have any of the Celtic feel to it but would fit with any number of symphonic metal bands. The band slows things down and strips away most of the instruments for “Grace”, which allows Braglia’s vocals to really shine.  The opening piano and atmospheric backing in “Imago Dei” brings to mind Evanescence for some reason, but the song heads in a different direction after that, returning to power/symphonic metal complete with a scorching guitar solo.  I will say that the guitar work on the album is one of my favorite parts and seems to jump out of the mix at times almost like it doesn’t quite fit, but the way the rough edges of the solos contrast with the smoothness of the rest of the tracks ends up drawing more attention in a good way.  In contrast, much of the orchestration/symphonic elements seem too smooth and computer-generated, which is one of the aspects I’m not a big fan of on the album. The opening of “All Have Sinned” is a good example as the orchestral elements seem a bit hollow and thin, especially the percussion parts.  The rest of the song has more prominent guitar and drums which is a welcome, if subtle, difference compared to some of the other tracks.  Midway through the song and leading into the guitar solo is especially good in that regard, but here again the vocals overwhelm everything, which is unfortunate.

The instrumental “The Mediator” kicks off the second disc and is an uplifting, orchestral piece that fades into a power/symphonic metal track “Above the Sun” which has Braglia’s vocals reaching the heights of range and at times sounding operatic.  Following this is “Redemption” which features some interesting bass guitar elements in the beginning and may be the first time I’ve really noticed the bass guitar so far.  Braglia’s vocals are a bit more subdued than in other tracks on the album and that actually only makes them seem stronger, highlighting her range and ability to approach songs differently in style.

“Justified by Faith” may capture the essence of the album for me. The song incorporates the refrain from “Awesome God” along with some death metal guttural vocals in parts and acoustic guitar in other parts and while ambitious, just doesn’t seem to come together coherently. In contrast, “Tetélestai” shows the promise and potential of the band, combining a keyboard heavy opening, guttural vocals, choral vocals, soaring clean vocals,a bass solo, heavy driving riff accented by keyboards, and a blazing guitar solo all in one song that works incredibly well. Likewise, “Waiting for You” has a definite catchiness to it, especially the chorus, that makes it one of those tracks you can’t escape.

Perpetual Legacy have pulled together a massive collection of symphonic metal tracks that feature strong vocals, lush arrangements, and some great guitar work. Some of the songs work better than others and after a while the songs do tend to blend into one another, but you can’t fault the performances or the band’s convictions in creating and releasing a double album based on Biblical narratives and themes. Some variety in approach to the songs in terms of style and elements involved would have added some complexity to keep listeners fully engaged.  Despite the length and unevenness, the shining moments on the album make it worth checking out.

Rating: 7/10

Written by John Jackson

Track Listing – Disc 1

1. The Trinity (Puritan Pray)
2. Ex Nihilo
3. Glorious Creator
4. Before Creation
5. Grace
6. Imago Dei
7. In the Cool of the Day
8. All Have Sinned
9. No Innocents Here
10. Look at the Cross

Track Listing – Disc 2

1. The Mediator
2. Above the Sun
3. Redemption
4. Justified by Faith
5. Hero of Humanity
6. Tetelstai
7. Waiting for You
8. Babylon the Great
9. Judgment and Triumph
10. The End is Just the Beginning
11. 119: The Theme of My Songs (bonus track)

Release Date: September 20th, 2024

Record Label EnHakkore Records

Band Members
Michelle Braglia – Vocal
Lucas Fernandes – Guitar
Matheus Maia – Bass and Vocals
Rafael Lobo – Piano and Keyboards
Renan Costa – Drums

Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerpetualLegacy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perpetuallegacyband/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PerpetualLegacy

Video for “Justified by Faith”