Sepultura

Roots

Props to Mr Robinson

Review Score:

(10/10)
This review is in lieu of the one that was written, posted, acknowledged but never appeared on the amazon site.

1996 saw the release of Sepultura?fs ?'Roots?', most certainly one of the best albums of the early to mid nineties metal scene. Although it has its detractors (most critical especially with regards to Ross Robinson?fs ?gnu-metal?h production style), ?eRoots?f was exemplary: first of the importance of the producer to an album?'s sound; and secondly it raised the bar in terms of what sounds could be effectively incorporated into the metal genre.

Robinson?fs production on this album is both epic and awesome. If he cut his teeth on Korn?fs self titled debut, then certainly he hit is stride on ?'Roots?'. Rather than just copy the soft/loud dynamics, or the slow/fast tempo craze popular at the time, Robinson and the boys from Brazil create a complex, multi-layered panorama of what it means to play metal at the turn of the century.

Robinson?fs trademarks are all over this LP as he flattens out all dynamic peaks and troughs and decides to go lateral instead. Dynamics, according to Robinson are the equivalent of loud on one hand and totally out of hand, breaking to pieces loud on the other. A ride through an album such as Roots is not unlike what I imagine a space shuttle goes through upon re-entering he earth?'s atmosphere. It?'s hot, fast, climactic and could tear apart at any minute. Guitars aren?'t simply distorted, they crackle and sizzle with real rage about to be inflicted on tape (witness the tense build up in ?'Straighthate?' which finally gives way to pure distortion barely cloaked in a jagged, agonised riff).

The specialty here is sounds that bleed across sounds and imperfections used instead as advantages. Frequently, guitars are recorded out of sync, distortion and feedback of all colours (especially on ?'Cut Throat?' and ?'Attitude?') and tones compete with each other to produce a never heard before cacophony impossible before the appearance of Robinson. The ?'non-musical?' sounds on ?'Roots?' are quite different to those employed on the Korn albums by Robinson: here they are not gimmicks, or meant to be ?'trippy?', instead what we hear in this album is an expanding of the palette of not just tones, but colours possible in the genre known as heavy metal.

Finally, this album is a success is because of Robinson?'s inspirational instruction. As quoted in interviews, Robinson wanted to push those he worked with to the wall. He wanted them to completely give way to the anger, the rage, the hate, disappointment, self-loathing, injustice and betrayal (inherent and implicit in metal but not always fully articulated) until there was nothing left and he wanted to get the results on tape. And the results, while not necessarily 'technically?' brilliant in the way that metal was considered in the 80s and 90s (you know, how many 32nd notes can you fit in the eighth minute of the third solo in the closing 2 seconds) are really quite amazing. As an album, ?eRoots?f is extraordinary. Take a chance and listen not just to the lyrics, not just the favourite riffs and memories, but trawl through the intricate yet accessible production. ?'Roots?' does not sound like Korn, if that?'s what you?'re worried about, this is especially so if the listener takes the time to get out the CDs, tapes and LPs and actually listen to the progress of the genre and what actually happened to '?metal?' in the 90s.

More Reviews: