What is probably the most talented, hard, kickass band that existed ? Most thrash/metal fans will agree that Sepultura is a very strong contender , but in my opinion, they are the undisputed choice for the slot. Think I’m kidding ? Listen to ’’Arise’’, ’’Chaos AD’’ and Roots and you’ll know what talent means. It is very difficult to choose between their best albums, but I think my vote will go for Chaos AD simply for the variety that they have displayed in the album.
Onto the band for a brief introduction. Sepultura in their prime ( before their lead vocalist split):
Max Cavalera - Lead vocals and rhythm guitars. Max doesn’t sing, he growls out every phrase like spewing venom but with amazing control and I swear you will admit you have’nt heard a more decisive voice sing. Such is his impact. He means every word that he blurts out.... Remember this ain’t no group competing for best male vocals or lovey-dovey stuff.
Andreas Kisser - Fantastic lead guitar who pulls out some of the most amazing riffs ever. Andreas is great yet typically low profile in all the songs.
Paolo Jr. - Bass guitar that is haunting and played at a fast rhythmn
Igor Cavalera - Max’s kid brother and the stick-man for the band. Forget Lars Ulrich of Metallica, John Bonham or other iconic drummers. This guy is streets ahead in his drumming abilities, the greatest drummer known to the metal/thrash world... and to think he was only in his early to mid 20s when Sepultura did their best stuff.
Just for those who do not know, Sepultura means ’’Grave’’ in Portuguese and they are from Brazil; an even more amazing fact considering that English is not their native tongue....
The USP of the band is the way they complement each other. No one tries to outdo each other and almost every song comes across perfect in its own way.
Ok, The first song in Chaos AD is Resist/Refuse. The song starts off with heart beats that give way to high octane bursts from Igor’s drum. is that really one guy playing them drums ? The opening beats and intro riffs of Refuse/Resist is enough for the price of the whole album, in my opinion. Money well spent! you just gotta listen to it.
The next song is Territory, a classic and my favorite Sepultura song. The music video for this one is great and it is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Brilliant rendering of vocals from Max and controlled drumming from Igor are what stand out in this one...
The next songs are not as good as the first two but ’’Slave new world’’ has some powerful messages from Max that should be the anthem of every rebellion.
Amen is ok. Decent stuff . The music and the changing tone kind of allow you to listen to this one.
Kaiowas , Propaganda, Nomad and ’’We who are not as others’’ are good but have their own characteristic lyrics and music.
’’Biotech is Godzilla’’ is a two minute masterpiece with a very clear message about the greed of corporations who will stop at nothing in their quest for profits
There is another song with out of this world drumming by Igor about police torture of unarmed prisoners and where Max lambasts the jail authorities for what he calls a ’’holocaust’’.
The album closes with the ’’The hunt’’ and ’’Clenched Fist’’, both great songs to close off a great album. Thrash metal fans will remember Chaos AD to be one of the great works of the 20th century in the decades to come...
The music alone is so good that I can guarantee that even if you hate metal, you will love Sepultura ( I mean their music!)
This stuff gets you pumped so much that it knocks off your senses. Be careful!