Band:	Angtoria
Album:	God Has A Plan For Us All
Style:	Symphonic metal
Release date:	April 2006

01. The Awakening
02. I'm Calling
03. God Has A Plan For Us All
04. Suicide On My Mind
05. Deity Of Disgust
06. The Addiction
07. Six Feet Under's Not Deep Enough
08. Do You See Me Now
09. Original Sin
10. Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned
11. Confide In Me [Kylie Minogue cover]
12. That's What The Wise Lady Said
13. A Child That Walks The Path Of A Man [limited edition bonus]

Symphonic metal is normally a safe bet because it is difficult for someone capable of doing this kind of arrangements to do a terrible job. This doesn't mean all symphonic metal is automatically awesome, of course there are lame symphonic arrangements, not in this album though; I think the fact that the symphonic part is so well done is what makes this album kind of dull. This album is ninety per cent focused on symphony, while other elements are left in second place.

This is what I believe will divide the opinion of the public; for symphonic lovers, it will be an excellent and accomplished album, but for headbangers or people who expect to listen to cool riffs, fast drums and crunchy bass melodies, this album will be a total skip.

Angtoria chose not to go by the book with the operatic voice. They went for something more melodic which, in my opinion, could be easily placed in other genres more commercial than metal. This is not necessarily a negative aspect but the fact that, even having an impressive singer, the voice turns plain after the first couple of songs is. Everyone knows Sarah Jezebel Deva has a great voice, and the way she chose to perform in this project is rather odd. Many may argue that this is actually one of the things that make this album special, I guess we have to take their word for it.

There are some surprises like the male voice in "Deity Of Disgust" which gives a dramatic tone to the album. They really need these kind of surprises, since Angtoria follows an almost straight line throughout the album. The first seconds of the solo in this particular song sounds as if it was a guitar, but then you realize it is actually the keyboards. I'm also a little bit dissatisfied by the low interest they put in the solos. Where are they? The fact that they put a lot of effort in the symphonic arrangements shouldn't be an excuse to neglect solos.

to be fair, all songs are decent, but unfortunately they all sound the same, there's no climax, no ups and downs, and that's why it seems that as the tracks go on, music starts becoming monotonous. The pace doesn't change much, there are not fast tracks to inject energy to the listener now and then. There are a couple of ballads and let's state the obvious: This is not Pantera playing an emotional ballad after all the craziness; "That's What The Wise Lady Said" (one of the songs with a solo) and "The Addiction" are just slow songs among slightly not so slow songs, and when the album suddenly ends with "A Child That Walks In The Path Of A Man" it feels like something is missing, and it does, the album needs a proper way to end. There is no closure, just a final song... I guess some will love it, and some will be bored by it.