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This is another unbelievable news this year after the Maiden concert, Sepultura is set to perform in Bangalore on 3rd November 2007 after their concerts at New Delhi, Shillong to support their Dante XXI record.

Around the corner when Iron Maiden was announced to perform in Bangalore, it was rumored that Sepultura would be hitting concert stage in Bangalore on 1st of April 2007 (many, including me thought it was some Fool's day joke). They didn't eventually perform then since Opium Events certainly had some problems with the dates and stuff.

Anyways, back to now, Sepultura has had and lost a major fan base in Bangalore especially. There's a major divide of audience in terms which Sepultura they have been introduced to, in Bangalore or anywhere else in the world.

Sepultura as I was introduced to many years ago was called as 'Slayer's cousins from Brazil', it was when they had colored their hair and had become a thrash metal band. Wait a minute, isn't Sepultura a thrash metal band?

That's what I am talking about, the Sepultura that I happened to backtrack to their 'roots' and found out within a few weeks then...

Sepultura started as a straight death metal band that many purists consider their early catalog as classics in the 'technical' sense of the word.

Their first EP was Bestial Devastation, a split with Overdose's album on the flip side.

Raw motion music in the postapocalyptic style of Slayer and Possessed using the syncretism of atmospheric riff patternings in a style reminiscent of Massacra, this seminal material from Sepultura establish the distinctive sound which was to dominate the South American scene for two generations, building empires of structure from the simple differences and thunder of textural dynamic disparity in the directional information coded through whipping power chord music. At explosive speeds this music recombines at the command of gutteral, primitive vocals and bludgeon-simple percussion which maintains a fury of emphasis forward while checking structure as necessary and maintaining a simple, sensual presence. Belligerent in conception songs are simple in execution following the Slayer style of staggered introduction of theme through opposite halves layered across strings and percussion in a delivery that proceeds each major thematic change with introductory motion, then breaks into a component of theme and its fragmentary complements before reconstructing a primary idea from the tone-centric progression as phrases develop to articulation. Dynamic varies despite constant tremelo strumming of notes and chords at paces synchronized with approach to the internal harmonies Doppleresquely arranged at prime rhythms throughout each piece; progression in dynamics is sculpted wholly from the type of motion (texture + velocity toward/away from root note) crafted in ripping waves of guitar sound and apocalyptic collisions of vocal and stringblast noise.

Satanic and morbid occultist imagery pervade the lyrics and composition of this release, which in the style which bands from Havohej to Beherit and Darkthrone employ, subjugates the ridiculous to serve the abstracted lifestyle determinations the visions of mythos and living mysticism evoke. Muscular in its recombinant structure in both sum of phrases and the construction of phrases as minimalist motion of structure around central tones, these dark hymns inspired generations of metalheads and after some delayed propagation following their respective releases in 1984-85 are recognized as foundational to the embryonic death metal genre.

courtesy: anus.com

Morbid Visions (1986), their debut LP was a brutal, technical death metal and big winner of a debut for a band from Belo Horizonte, fronted by Max Cavalera (rhythm guitars, vocals), accompanied by Igor Cavalera (drums), Paulo Pinto (bass), Jairo Guedes (lead guitar).
The album was a moderate success but the song "Troops of Doom" created a major buzz to gather some attention towards the band.

The sophomore effort Schizophrenia was critical success which along with the debut is considered as some of the early milestones in establishing death metal genre.

Review: In an ambitious offering of a technically-upgraded look at their groundbreaking sound, Sepultura take a step into the past and merge elements of the more technique-oriented speed metal bands such as Kreator, Destruction or Slayer into the trademark death metal sound of these Brazilians. Theme development occurs with more relevance to song expansion, and skidding muffled strum riffs transfer motion like fleet-limbed martial artists, making clear and simple songs into complex but more cohesive sounds.

Lead guitarist Andreas Kisser adds melodic structure to leads and a proficient sense of hook to each song in a replacement for anthemic chanting and corresponding change in phrase. Guitar textures have improved in some ways and regressed in others, with more emphasis on percussive sounds and less on the roar of unfettered tremolo ripping as found on the first two EPs. The rhythm section is steadier and undergoes more sleight of emphasis tempo changes and gentle backhand foreshadowing within a rage of percussion. Vocals are a hard-edged shout dressed in the distorted voice of death metal, enacting change within the aesthetic of each portion of song by rupturing its surface in different ways. With a playful sense of the possibilities of continuity in rhythmic phrase, this band gestures at a range of tempos from the linear development of pace.

courtesy: anus.com

After Morbid Visions, Jairo Guedes left the band for another thrash metal venture and Sao Paulo based guitarist Andreas Kisser replaced him. Their second full-length album was Schizophrenia, which was a critical success that led them to being contracted to Roadrunner Records. The US and the worldwide audience could get a dose of Sepultura and further cemented their status as a band to reckon with.

Then came Beneath the Remains (1989) marked a change in direction for the band where they started moving towards the thrash ground, equally brutal and catchy as hell, it was once more a success for the band, in spite of lack of mainstream success. Beneath the Remains, still today is considered as one of the best Thrash metal albums of the late 80s.

Combining the bolt-ahead and blast tendency of technical death metal with the stylings of speed metal bands who hammered their riffs home to a concluding micro-phrase, Sepultura have rendered from chaos a masterpiece of controlled energy defining its outlets before unleashing the pulse of destructive energy which converts them humanity's self-destructive inner anger into a directive of vivid existence. This album takes class from Slayer on song structures, with most choruses and every other verse having an introductory changeover of instrumental significance to transfer the abundant energy of its vibrant resiliency back into the churning main riff rhythm and structural silhouette (a technique borrowed from thrash: to use the riff to define the song, taken to abstract levels by death metal bands who invented the riff-concept behind the riff and used it in the style of classical music to fuse songs from scrapyards of fragmentary structure). It is neck-breaking excitement that also stirs the soul with its excitement to live.

Sepultura combine textures as part of the fundamental philosophy of the band, pairing the note-hopping melodic ascent of a heavy metal phrase with a cluster of fast thrashed chords charged by a dissonant note harmonic loop providing both context and concrete coherence to the otherwise panoramic expansion of riffs from one or two power chord microstructures which define a direction and its essential return in a recursive yet open structure. In a meta-mimicry of the textural shifts within riffs, songs as a whole reveal their layers in the differing structures which define their parts and the similarities between them through the detail-oriented world of embedded melody, where the winging electric strum of the rhythm guitar aligns the current pattern into the overall composition by means of the metaphor in related archetypal granularity. Each part defines the whole, which in turn defines the relevance of each part: a metaphor for existence in a chaotic but ordered world.

courtesy: anus.com

Arise (1991) once again was critically acclaimed underground success for a band that started to gain more respect from the metal audience worldwide.

Sepultura was a relatively unknown quantity until the 1989 release of the groundbreaking "Beneath the Remains," which brought almost instant worldwide recognition to the Brazilian quartet. The band favors a heavy sound much like that of Slayer and is often referred to as a successor to the rulers of American industrial rock. However, Sepultura mixes a tribal rhythms and intriguing guitar work with a solid metal core, and it is this that differentiates them from their colleagues who apply different paint to the same entity and declare themselves "open-minded." The energy of previous albums is still here, on a more populist effort that brings into its core the worldwide appeal of simple motion rhythm alongside pounding speed metal/death metal hybrid riffs.

courtesy: anus.com

Around the time they released Chaos AD (1993), the band has made a major departure towards more catchy and groovy tunes as opposed to technical, brutal onslaught of earlier material that had made Sepultura a household name then, there was an outcry from the hardcore fans who screamed 'sell-out'. This album started an unholy obsession with both Sepultura and Michael Whelan’s art.

Sepultura's reluctance to let go of the Death/Thrash genre tag is very much evident on this album, quite frankly it is very difficult to categorize this album. The tribal influences that started with Arise take a whole new dimension on this record, where those influences and instruments were used in intros but on this record it is the music du jour!

For instance, Kaiowas is an entirely tribal song, just instrumental number, very ritualistic native bongos and acoustic guitars, strange atmospheric track. That song was a tribute to the Kaiowas tribe, an Amazonian tribe that lived in the rainforest until the Brazilian government arrived and took their lands. They were pretty much put into internment camps and to protest many of them committed suicide. From 1985 to 1999, over 300 of the tribe killed themselves.

The first three songs of the album, Refuse/Resist, Territory, Slave New World were the most famous ones off this record and also mark a change in lyrical theme from morbid to political issues as these songs were a direct outcry against the continuing wars in the Middle East, the videos shot for these respective numbers do depict that in a realistic protest against capitalist oppressors of the Western nations. This was a last great album from Sepultura, innovative and enjoyable record by any standards.

Musical directions and record label pressures aside, Chaos AD is one of the finest world music albums of all time. Yes, world music! Unlike those dope-headed pseudo cultural fusion dicks. :)
Sepultura had successfully fused Brazilian rhythms, percussions in the metal mold and the result was brilliant. Sepultura was introduced to lots of new ears and incidentally this album was a landmark in their commercial success, albeit the only last one and never repeated.

But this very album marked a kind of disinterest from long time fans who went back to older Sepultura material and stayed away from forthcoming albums from then. I pretty much belong to that category, only I listened to all the subsequent albums after this but went back to older material.

Worth a mention here is the Metallica's Black Album received a similar treatment from long time fans even though Metallica enjoyed mainstream success and millions of fan following but hardcore fans of their earlier material steered clear of the subsequent albums.

In both the cases, it is to be noted that the music was not bad or anything but once a band helps create a genre, gathers major following and then they abandon that in pursuit of something new. Time and again it is proven that cult following generally feels alienated by band's attempts and lose the strong following in the bargain of getting a lot more times of new fans. Slayer has always been accused of resting on their laurels after their first four albums, trust me its not easy to be consistent when you are Gods! They have a greater responsibility of not betraying their fans' expectations and their musical integrity.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's the case of Slayer.

In my observation, AC DC fans, Motorhead fans, Slayer fans are a different breed altogether, not many people could digest Motorhead music for instance, they'd find it very monotonous, same with Slayer or AC DC. But one scratch above the surface reveals a whole new dimension that only a long listener could appreciate. If you haven't, then do it now.

Sepultura has changed a lot since their early days. They started out as death metal (Bestial Devastation, Morbid Visions, Schizophrenia), moved to thrash (Beneath The Remains, Arise), then post-thrash groove (Chaos AD) to alternative/nu-metal (Roots) then a hardcore sound they are at now.

Max Cavalera left the band in December 1996, when the band clashed with his wife and band manager Gloria. He went on to form the tribal nu-metal band Soulfly. Derrick Green, originally from Chicago, IL, replaced Max.

Sepultura released several albums after that featuring Derrick Green on vocals, that lot of old fans greeted with no interest at all, also the albums didn't have much commercial success. Derrick Green is a good vocalist, not tribal, primitive vocals of Max Cavalera though but he has a different range and tries hard. That's good in a way.

The band name comes from a Portuguese translation of Motorhead's song ``Dancing On Your Grave`` which is ``Dan?ndo Na Sua Sepultura``. Sepultura means ``grave`` in Portuguese (and in other Latin-based languages).

Igor Cavalera, the original drummer left the band recently since he got married and had kids, wouldn't wanna tour outside Brazil. Igor had been responsible for some of the technical drumming that had marked earlier Sepultura catalog and is a testament of technical finesse and brutally fast percussions added with clean production values that made it a trademark of the band's sound. I sure gonna miss the Cavalera brothers and without them Sepultura is not exactly the same entity that it was.

As you can notice, I haven't written anything about the latter day Sepultura albums as I've chosen to ignore the lot.

Now Sepultura is going to face long-starved metal hungry Bangalore crowd, with no original founding members remaining in the band. Come November 3rd, the stage will be set for another set of onslaught that we have all been waiting for. This is the support tour for their last album Dante XXI

Would it mark another new beginning for Bangalore live scene? Well...


Genre(s)
Death/Thrash Metal (early), Groove/Hardcore (later)

Lyrical theme(s)
Satan & Evil (early), Political & Social Issues

Origin
Brazil (Belo Horizonte, MG)

Current line-up
Derrick Leon Green - Vocals, guitars (1997-) (ex-Outface)
Andreas Rudolf Kisser - Guitars (1987-) (Sexoturica, ex-Godswalllop, Asesino, Quarteto De Pinga)
Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. - Bass (1984-)
Jean Turrer Dolabella - Drums (2006-) (ex-Udora)

Former/past member(s)
Max Cavalera - Vocals, guitars (1984-1996) (Nailbomb, Soulfly, The Cavalera Conspiracy)
Igor Cavalera - Drums (1984-2006) (The Cavalera Conspiracy)
Jairo ``Tormentor`` Guedz - Guitars (1985-1986) (Eminence (Bra), Overdose (Bra), The Mist (Bra))
Wagner ``Antichrist`` Lamounier - Vocals (1984-1985) (Sarcófago, Cirrhosis (Bra))

Session:
Roy Mayorga - Live Drums (2006) (Soulfly, Stone Sour)

Guest members:
Dr. Israel - vocals on 'Nation'
Jonathan Davis - Vocals on 'Roots' (Korn, ex-Sexart, ex-Orgy (guest))
Jo? Gordo - Vocals on 'Against' & bonus track ``Nation`` (Ratos de Por?, ex-Korzus (guest))
Francis Howard - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Cannibal Corpse (guest), ex-Incubus, Opprobrium)
Jamey Jasta - vocals on 'Nation' (Hatebreed, ex-Napalm Death (guest))
Scott Latour - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Incubus)
Mike Patton - vocals on 'Roots' (ex-Faith No More, Fant?, ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan (guest), Tomahawk (US), ex-Mr. Bungle)
Kelly Shaefer - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (Atheist, Neurotica)
John Tardy - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Napalm Death (guest), Obituary, ex-Cancer (guest))
Jasonic (Jason Newsted) - bass on 'Against' & tour (ex-Metallica, Voivod, ex-Echobrain, ex-Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Flotsam and Jetsam, ex-Paradox, ex-Diamond, ex-IR8, ex-Sexoturica, ex-Maxwell Ranchouse Bands, Papa Wheelie, ex-Avoid, ex-Spastik Children, ex-Godswalllop)
Roy Mayorga - drums during the European tour with In Flames in 2006

Additional notes
The first lineup, complete with nicknames:
Max ''Possessed'' Cavalera - Guitars
Wagner ''Antichrist'' Lamourier - Vocals
Paulo ''Destructor'' Pinto Jr. - Bass
Igor ''Skullcrusher'' Cavalera - Drums

Discography
Bestial Devastation/Século XX (Split, 1985)
Morbid Visions (Full-length, 1986)
Schizophrenia (Full-length, 1987)
Beneath the Remains ( Full-length, 1989)
Arise (Single, 1991)
Desperate Cry (Single, 1991)
Under Siege (Regnum Irae) (Single, 1991)
Arise (Full-length, 1991)
Dead Embryonic Cells (Single, 1991)
Third World Posse (EP, 1992)
Under Siege (Live at Barcelona) (Video/VHS, 1992)
Refuse/Resist (EP, 1993)
Refuse/Resist (Single, 1993)
Chaos A.D. (Full-length, 1993)
Territory (Single, 1993)
Sepultura / Prong (Split, 1994)
Slave New World (Single, 1994)
Third World Chaos (Video/VHS, 1995)
We Are What We Are (Video/VHS, 1996)
Natural Born Blasters (EP, 1996)
Roots Bloody Roots (Single, 1996)
Roots (Full-length, 1996)
Ratamahatta (Single, 1996)
The Roots Of Sepultura (Best of/Compilation, 1996)
Attitude (Single, 1996)
B-Sides (Best of/Compilation, 1997)
Procreation of the Wicked (EP, 1997)
Blood-Rooted (Best of/Compilation, 1997)
Against (Full-length, 1998)
Choke (Single, 1998)
Against (Single, 1999)
Tribus (Single, 1999)
Nation (Full-length, 2001)
Under a Pale Grey Sky (Live album, 2002)
Chaos DVD (DVD, 2002)
Revolusongs (EP, 2002)
Roorback (Full-length, 2003)
Live In São Paulo (DVD, 2005)
Live in São Paulo (Live album, 2005)
Dante XXI (Full-length, 2006)
The Best Of (Best of/Compilation, 2006)

Parting Shot:
Sepultura did much to open the eyes of the music world to the potential for heavy metal to evolve. By infusing the rhythms of their native Brazil with the power of metal, the band created a truly revolutionary sound. Still Sepultura's early material remains underrated and under-appreciated by the casual listeners, but then metal is not a casual music. It is better that way. Period.

\m/

Labels: maxMusic