REVIEW: Sepultura, Against (Roadrunner)
- Linda Scott
In 1996 Sepultura frontman and co-founder, Max Cavalera left the band over business management disagreements (the remaining band had fired its business manager who happened to be Cavalera's wife). In the scheme of things, that could have been the end of Sepultura; or two, weaker bands formed from the halves. Against the odds, the Brazilian thrash metalists on either side of this public feud have strong entries on the metal charts. Previously reviewed was Max Cavalera's self-titled Soulfly which debuted to metal community raves earlier this year. Sepultura shows off new, bellowing, American vocalist, Derrick Green, on Against - and both bands seem to be on their ways again.
Sepultura, post-Cavalera, shows some progression and experimentation, but their metal base is as solid as ever. Influenced by Metallica, Motorhead, and Slayer, Sepultura is a ferocious band that began as almost pure death metal but quickly moved to songs about rage, frustration and violence. Rage Against The Machine would be challenged by lyrics inspired by governmental destruction of entire peoples and the environment. Songs that reflect the poverty and pain of living unknown in a Third World country have become Sepultura's hallmark. And now the band moves into experimenting with world music touches that soften some of the speed metal tracks.
Against is make or break for lead vocalist Derrick Green. Can an American from Cleveland really understand and express where the Brazilians and the band are coming from? Green says he is not a Cavalera clone, but his style is nearly perfect and he has the right, roaring vocals for this band. In some cases the vocals seem to be mixed low so that they are only occasionally intelligible, but the overall effect is blasting rage.
Metallica fans will be blown away by guesting bassist Jason Newstead's track, "Hatred Aside". Newstead shows off his hardcore roots and makes you wish Metallica would do a track like this to end those sellout rumors. Other solid tracks on Against are the title song and "Choke". These are real Sepultura roots songs as opposed to the four instrumental tracks in the second half of the album and songs like "Kamartachi" recorded in Japan with bizarre whistles and Koto drumming. Tracks like "Kamartachi" show the band stretching to be more than just thrash metalists known round the world. Produced by the band and Howard Benson (Motorhead), Against is Sepultura's Brazilian war cry. Their name may mean "grave" in Portugese, but Sepultura is alive and blowing the lid off on Against .
