Sepultura

Chaos A.D.

Sepultura's finest hour

Review Score:

(10/10)
Where do I even begin to describe the brilliance of this album? Well- Paulo Pinto shines on this album- he's always been an excellent bassist but he's more prominent on this album than any previous- his slick and menacing low end perfectly complements Andreas Kisser's unrelenting lead lines- Max Cavalera is in top form here with solid rhythm work and growling as only Max can- but there's so much more to Max than his demon growl- for some reason I take Max more seriously on this album than any other- this is him at his most brooding and introspective- and he pulls it off more convincingly than with say, Soulfly. The gem here, however, is Igor Cavalera- truly one of the most gifted rock drummers ever- the kind of percussionist who makes you sit back, take a breath and say "wow". While Roots was a percussion lover's wet-dream, it was occasionally sludgy sounding. As a result, the drumming gets slightly drowned in the thundering wall of sound. No problem here, however- Igor comes across with perfect clarity, complexity, and an undeniable ferocity ( how he can play as fast as he does, with all the mind blowing tempo changes and outright intensity, without passing out, is beyond me) He is rivaled in terms of ability and clarity only by Danny Carey (in terms of rock drumming- yes, I realize there are many incredible percussionists in this world, but rock drumming seems to have hit a dry spell in recent years). Standout tracks include Territory, Amen, Kaiowas, Nomad and the cover of The Hunt. If you can- find the version with the bonus tracks Chaos BC, the Kaiowas tribal jam, and the live versions of Territory + Amen/Inner Self (my fave from Beneath the Remains). In conclusion- Sepultura's best and most consistent album- all killer, no filler. If you like this album I highly recommend Arise, Beneath the Remains by the Seps and Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide by Nailbomb (with Max Cavalera, Alex Newport from Fudge Tunnel, Igor, DH Peligro from Dead Kennedys, Rhys Fulber from Front Line Assembly and I believe Dino from Fear Factory- the cd is a live show in holland- as raw and hardcore as you could ask for)

LONG LIVE THE SEPULTRIBE!!! CHAOS WORLDWIDE!!!!

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