Sepultura – Dante XXI

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SPV
Produced by André Moraes & Sepultura

The Brazilian legends’ eleventh album bases itself around the writings of acclaimed author Dante Alighieri, but we won’t delve too much in the whys and wherefores of that.

Put simply, this is more of the same. If you’ve continued to like Sepultura after founding front-man Max Cavalera left to form Soulfly, passing the reins to the fearsome Derrick Green, then you’ll like this. For me, Sepultura, both live and on record, have always been all about drummer Igor Cavalera (yes, related), who is unquestionably the best heavy metal drummer in the World.

Apart from the awesome drumming, bassist Paolo Pinto and guitarist Andreas Kisser form a remarkable partnership. I don’t think a guitarist and bassist have been more in-synch since Butler and Iommi. Usually bassists are tight to drummers, with the guitar player over the top, but not so with Sepultura. Musically this makes them rather interesting, even to those that dislike them.

The continuously flowing nature of this particular album make it a difficult listen, because it’s difficult to pick out where one song starts and the next begins, and with Green’s unintelligible vocals it’s also nigh-on impossible to follow the story. It also doesn’t help the four (yes, four!) intro pieces are in the order four, two, one, three. Varying, at times wildly, from an almost Korn-esque sound to Slayer-style thrash adds to the somewhat disjointed nature of some tracks, while others feature such incredibly appealing guitar work (Fighting On) that the vocals can sometimes disappear into the background of consciousness.

While some of the guitar work (and obviously drumming) is awesome (some of the time and riff changes on Convicted In Life are stunning), the overall haphazard nature of the CD does not make it a pleasure to listen to for a typical metal fan. Sepultura fans are a unique breed, and the ones that loved Nation and Roorback will probably love this just as much. The rest of us are unlikely to change our minds based on this new evidence.

“ continuously flowing ”

Tracklist: Lost / Dark Wood of Error / Convicted In Life / City of Dis / False / Fighting On / Limboi / Ostia / Buried Words / Nuclear Seven / Repeating The Horror / Eunoé / Crown And Miter / Primium Mobile / Still Flame
Japan Bonus Track: Screaming For Vengeance

Written by Andy Lye
More: Albums, Heavy Metal (Extreme Vocals), Thrash Metal, Sepultura