Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Sepultura
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: year_month
Length: 46:05
Rating: 4.3/5
Sepultura. A name that’s still a thorn in many people’s side today. Twenty years have passed since Max Cavalera left, but the old fans are still holding a grudge, which makes sense, because Sepultura have changed a lot and most people just don’t dig that change. We could ramble on about this forever, so it’s better to leave it alone.
Sepultura, or rather the current incarnation of this once-legendary band, is back after almost four years with a new record, the follow-up to The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart from 2013, which didn’t exactly get the warmest reception. The main culprit was Ross Robinson’s unfitting production. He’d already stirred up serious resentment with Roots, and he didn’t do a brilliant job on the last album either. Sepultura have obviously learned their lesson and gone to the renowned producer Jens Bogren, who has excellent credentials. And as far as Bogren goes, there will be no »skimping« here. Expectations can undoubtedly run high.
Machine Messiah, the band’s 14th studio album, opens calmly with the title track, where Derrick Green’s melodic vocals stand out, which is pretty unusual, even though Green already showed off his singing chops on earlier albums. The track builds slowly and picks up some punch toward the end, but there are no major earthquakes. It feels like Sepultura decided to take the conceptual side of this album even more seriously. With the second track, I Am The Enemy, Sepultura show their aggressive side. The song leans hardcore, which is nothing new, but current drummer Eloy Casagrande surprises with blast beats and fast pedal work in the breakdown. Phantom Self is one of the bigger surprises on the album. The track kicks off with tribal percussion, then reveals an interesting structure and rhythmic variety, and what grabs you most is Andreas Kisser’s soloing, which builds up together with violins from a guest band from Tunisia. A definitely powerful track, and a pretty progressive one for Sepultura.
From there on, there are quite a few surprises. Not every track convinces, but in the end it turns out to be a strong, varied, and polished record. The instrumental Iceberg Dales stands out, for example, building the whole way through and thrilling with its technical perfection thanks to the excellent drumming. One of the more interesting tracks is Sworn Oath, mainly for its more complex nature and unusual feel. Silent Violence and Vandals Nest will wow you with their aggression. Vandals Nest in particular has a distinctly thrashy charge. The album closes with the slightly more morbid Cyber God, which hammers home the message of the album itself. The album’s theme is the robotization of society and its consequences. Sepultura try to criticize today’s society in various ways. In recent years that has shown up in concept albums and a more intellectual approach to lyrics. Well, this time they don’t stray from their ideas either.
For the last two decades, guitarist Andreas Kisser has been Sepultura’s driving force. On past releases it sometimes seemed like Kisser had run out of steam, but on Machine Messiah the ideas feel fresh and innovative, which is more than commendable for a band that’s been on the scene for over three decades. That said, I wouldn’t heap nothing but praise on the album, because not everything is convincing. Certain parts are a bit stretched out, but luckily there’s no sense of artificial padding. Production-wise it’s truly outstanding, and sonically Sepultura sound massive for the first time in two decades. Kisser’s guitar is convincing, and so is the excellent drumming, which is crucial for Sepultura. Eloy Casagrande’s style makes even the simplest riff interesting. Green’s vocals are strong and distinctive too. Above all, his vocal versatility deserves praise. That leaves only bassist Paulo Jr., who stays in the background and merely backs up the guitar. There’s no point talking about any standout lines here, so unfortunately Paulo Jr. remains the band’s weak spot.
It was hard to imagine the current version of Sepultura could put out such a convincing record after all these years. Despite a few flaws, Machine Messiah is Sepultura’s strongest release since Derrick Green joined the band. The album is varied, polished, and full of surprises. And with the introduction of progressive elements, there’s plenty of hope for what’s next. Sepultura just need to stick with capable producers, approach the writing of new material thoughtfully, and obviously take their time too.
Lineup
Andreas Kisser – guitar
Derrick Green – vocals
Eloy Casagrande – drums
Paulo Jr. – bass
Production
Jens Bogren
Track list
01. Machine Messiah
02. I Am The Enemy
03. Phantom Self
04. Alethea
05. Iceberg Dances
06. Sworn Oath
07. Resistant Parasites
08. Silent Violence
09. Vandals Nest
10. Cyber God
