Hibria-Defying the rules, 2005

This album came out last summer, but I have just now gotten around to writing about it. Actually I listened to it while in my car yesterday and felt the need to write about it because it really is that good. They have an odd band name and the cover is a bit on the cheesy side and they sound a lot like two other established bands. None of that really matters once you slip the disc in because Brazil's Hibria are astonishingly polished and remarkably tight. The major influences here are are power metal greats Helloween and Gamma Ray and you can hear the influence right away. Although I would say they sound more like Helloween and Gamma Ray between say 95-99 rather than what those bands have done recently. Yet Hibria are not merely a straight copy of those bands. The big difference is that Hibria are much more straight ahead as most of the songs fall into the medium fast paced speed. They are also a bit more aggressive than Helloween and Gamma Ray have been in a long time so fans of those bands (like myself) would love these guys. They also have the occasional classic metal influence as well because Iron Maiden and Dio come to mind here and there. So they may not be the most original band around, but they play with a lot of fire and enthusiasm and that goes a long ways with me. A friend of mine gave me like a dozen promo cd's that he had doubles of last year and while some of the others were good, this one just blew the rest away. I am not going to say that I prefer this band to Helloween or Gamma Ray. However I will say that Hibria, Helloween and Gamma Ray all released albums last year and I own all of them, but Hibria is the one I listen to far more than the others. I hope this band keeps at it because it would be interesting to hear what they sound like once they start adding more of their own sound.