Angtoria is the band formed by singer Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle Of Filth, Therion, Mortiis etc), and composer Chris Rehn (Abyssos) as a result of a previous collaboration between the two. Later Chris’ brother Tommy joined the band.
The list of guest musicians on their debut-album is quite impressive; what to think of Dave Pybus (Cradle Of Filth), Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride) and Rikard Andersson (Space Odyssey, Majestic, Time Requiem)?

Angtoria has made an album with 12 epic orchestral metal songs (the limited edition however contains one bonus track). “God Has A Plan For Us All” opens with “The Awakening”, a great bombastic intro that blows you away. This seems to be a great forecast for all the other songs, instrumentally this surely is true but the voice of Sarah somehow doesn’t fit with the epic orchestral metal. Hers is quite flat and is missing any emotion and power in contradiction to the music.

After a few songs this is getting irritating. Sarah’s voice does fit a lot better with the ballads. Instrumentally however the combination of the heavy guitar riffs and the bombastic music combined with choirs is done superbly. The only thing lacking might be the guitar solos; why don’t most gothic bands combine orchestral metal with guitar solos? Well, maybe I’m making en excessive demand…

There are some absolute highlights: on “Deity of Disgust” ( the great emotional voice of Aaron Stainthorpe), “Original Sin” (mighty grunts) and “That’s what the wise lady said” (ballad with a beautiful guitar solo).
Angtoria has made a good debut album but with more emotional singing “God Has A Plan For Us All” would be a superb cd that would have got a higher rating.