Location: Graz / Explosiv / Austria
Date: Thursday, 01.03.2018
For many years, Sepultura was a hated name on the metal scene. It took more than ten years to get over certain things and to accept that a reunion of the classic lineup is never going to happen. The band had to take the flak for that and keep going through all the negativity. Today you could say it’s actually a miracle Sepultura survived at all, since at one point they were earning badly and barely scraping by. But persistence always pays off. Last year Kisser and company released the album Machine Messiah, which announced a new era that once again promises quality albums. In support of that record, Sepultura has now hit the road in Europe for the second time, this time as headliners. Joining them on the trek across Europe were German progressive death metallers Obscura, American black/death metal outfit Goatwhore and deathcore crew Fit For An Autopsy. A varied package for sure, and one that sold out quite a few shows. The tour has been filling venues of 600 to 800 people, which is undoubtedly a solid number.
The show at Graz’s Explosiv sold out almost a month in advance, though the place only fits around 400 people, which is below the tour average. Still, a packed Explosiv was a good sign that Sepultura can fill a hall even in smaller cities.
The warm-up kicked off with American deathcore band Fit For An Autopsy. The band includes renowned producer Will Putney, who has helped plenty of deathcore acts get a better sound. Putney didn’t go on tour with them, so the band played as a five-piece. As far as deathcore goes, it’s nothing groundbreaking: they showed up on the scene after deathcore had already been popular for a few years, and they couldn’t really show any great reach, since it’s the same patterns repeated over and over. Still, Fit For An Autopsy delivered a decent set. The music was brutal, the breakdowns kept coming, and they were tight too. Maybe the band doesn’t sound exactly innovative, but with a bit of persistence Fit For An Autopsy will stand out from the average as well. The potential is very good!
Next up was Goatwhore. A band from Louisiana that plays something between death, black and thrash metal, and every now and then seems to borrow a bit from hardcore punk and crust too. In short, a mix of everything under the sun. At first glance the mix seems over the top, but after a couple of songs it’s clear Goatwhore aren’t going to overdo it. Everything is sensibly arranged, with no overcomplicating. The band puts simplicity up front, and above all makes sure the whole thing “rips.” Goatwhore work even better live than on record. The charismatic vocalist clearly stands out, while the other three members confidently nail their parts. Sure, the vocalist is the first thing you notice, but it soon turns out Goatwhore work great as a whole, nicely locked in, and the crowd is guaranteed a proper party. Goatwhore’s albums may not be masterpieces, but their gig is definitely worth catching.
Obscura haven’t been unknown for a while now. Ever since the band released the album Cosmogenesis, they’ve been a recognizable name on the extreme metal scene. This time they were wrapping up the promo tour for the album Akróasis, which came out in 2016 and was the main focus. Of course, Obscura also dipped into their previous two releases so that an older fan or two went home happy. The band was undoubtedly tight at a very high level, but sonically the whole thing came across as too sterile. The energy was there, the virtuosity was there, and so were the complex rhythms, but it felt like something was missing. There was sharpness, but not real power. Obscura may not have fit the genre context on this tour, but the packed hall was proof that technical and progressive metal bands have their audience too.
Mention the name Sepultura and whole debates break out, for and against. It’s been going on for more than two decades now, and the band is still here with a different lineup, which is a stumbling block for plenty of people. After the well-received album Machine Messiah, quite a few fans gave Sepultura another chance. The shows have gotten better, and with the arrival of drummer Eloy Casagrande everything went up a level. A lot of good things were said, so a Sepultura show anywhere near Slovenia was a must-see. The start made sense, with two new songs plus Kairos. After three songs, the visibly drenched vocalist Derrick Green looked like he wouldn’t be able to last until the end, never mind the gray-haired bassist Paolo, who could barely keep up with the crazy Casagrande. Despite their years, the band stuck it out through the whole set, which ran about an hour and a half. The power didn’t fade, Green was vocally confident, and the one who shone brightest was the young drummer Eloy Casagrande with his marathon stamina.
No need to stress that the new songs won’t get as good a reaction as the old ones, although the crowd went wild for the songs Derrick Green already sings on, too. But the real madness started with Desperate Cry and Territory. The songs were played properly, and Kisser nailed his solos pretty accurately. The only thing missing was a second guitar to fill out the sound. The show also won people over with good sound and lights. The band gave the impression they really put in the effort for this tour and held nothing back. The setlist confirmed it. Sepultura could have played a routine best of and taken the path of least resistance. Instead they went for a risky, bold move. Andreas Kisser said they’re celebrating 20 years of Derrick Green this year. To mark it, they played three songs from the album Against (1998), the first one with Green on vocals. Then came more promotion of the current album. On Machine Messiah, Green showed he can really sing melodically, the instrumental Iceberg Dances once again wowed with its rhythms, and Casagrande just didn’t run out of ideas or power. Kisser even played a part on a flamenco guitar, yet another layer added to the varied setlist. After that came a tribute to the crowd with the classics Inner Self, Refuse/Resist and Arise.
After Arise, Sepultura left the stage, but they came back with Slave New World, which has been added to the setlist again for this tour. For the finale, they finally remembered the album Roots. Ratamahatta dropped first, with Green playing an extra drum and trading vocals with Kisser. Sepultura hadn’t done such an authentic Ratamahatta in a long time. The show closed with the obligatory Roots Bloody Roots, which was expected. Drawing the line, the current version of Sepultura really put in the work, there was no routine, and with the setlist they showed plenty of guts. After what we saw, let’s hope they come back to our neck of the woods soon.
With Sepultura, Obscura, Goatwhore and Fit For An Autopsy on the bill, Graz’s Explosiv club undoubtedly lived up to its name.
author: Primož Novak
photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
