Sepultura - Soulfly

As a rule I don’t like suffering to no purpose. Suffering should be creative, should give birth to something good and lovely 

(Chinua Achebe)

The story of Sepultura is the story of one of the most celebrated and influential bands in the Americas, notably born in Brazil at a time (the late '80s) when most of the metal bands known to the wider public were either American or European.

The band was founded by brothers Max (vocals, guitar) and Igor (drums) Cavalera, initially settling into thrash/death metal territory and releasing albums that found success in the extreme underground, such as "Morbid Visions", "Schizophrenia", "Beneath The Remains" and, above all, their first true personal masterpiece, the monumental and brutal "Arise". Afterwards, the Brazilians were heavily struck by groove metal, a strand born as a subgenre of thrash largely out of the Pantera albums, one that places more emphasis on rhythmic drive (syncopated, relatively slowed-down) and on sound (thick and bass-heavy), rather than on sheer aggression alone (though still tinged with hardcore-punk attack). So they blended it into their own style, and the result was 1993's "Chaos A.D.", a monstrous work both in compositional terms and in the rebellious howl of its lyrics. Within the thrash/groove field it stands as one of the milestones, a reference point for countless bands that followed and owe it a great deal.

The Brazilian outfit's third essential work in a row is "Roots" (1996), which develops the groove introduced with "Chaos A.D." in an atypical and disorienting way. First of all, there's a connection to one of the most widespread and debated media phenomena of the decade, nu-metal, which was born partly out of groove-metal and, indeed, out of Sepultura themselves, in the mid-90s. Korn's 1994 debut is inspired, almost in a religious way according to the band's own members, by the Brazilian outfit as well. Sepultura, in turn, draws from Korn and incorporates it in a personal way into their own style, in an exchange of mutual influences, of syncopated, downtuned riffs, psychological tension and terrifying atmospheres. Besides Korn, Sepultura are also explicitly influenced by the early Deftones, both musically and in terms of aesthetics and personal relationships: Max wears their t-shirts at concerts, invites them to organize tours or even to take part in recordings, and praises them in interviews. Both Sepultura and the early Deftones, moreover, draw heavily on hardcore-punk for their furious, immediate energy, particularly on bands like Dead Kennedys (whom the Brazilians happily cover). Andreas Kisser's riffing, already at a creative peak on the two previous albums, grows even darker and heavier. But even more telling of this shared vision is the fact that Sepultura brought producer Ross Robinson into the studio, the man behind the signature Korn sound, to recreate that particular hard, dirty, warm sound that defined Davis and co.'s dark atmospheres.

The album's other new element, meanwhile, was suggested to Max by watching the film "At Play in the Fields of the Lord", set in the rainforest among Amazonian natives. The volcanic frontman felt the urge to explore his country's indigenous origins, the ethnic "roots" (hence the album's title) of Brazil, and obtained permission to meet the Xavante tribe. His brother Igor, in an interview with the Nashville Scene, recalled the event this way: "Every second of that trip was crazy and inspiring to us. But there were a few things that stood out even more. For example, when they explained to us that they only played music that had been transmitted in a dream to someone in the tribe. A completely different way of approaching music."

The album is thus threaded through with ethnic elements, with traditional instruments like the berimbau, the timbau or the djembe, and also features several instrumental tracks or ones with recorded Xavante chants. These elements had already appeared in a marginal way on "Chaos A.D." and "Arise", but with "Roots" they become an integral part of Sepultura's music and identity itself. It's no coincidence that many would go on to describe the album as "tribal-metal".

But "Roots" is above all a breath of fresh air in the 90s metal landscape. Unlike kindred acts such as Fear Factory, Sepultura don't turn to electronic or industrial sounds to renew the genre, but instead look to ethnic roots, to the sounds of pre-urban civilization. Without retreating into the nostalgia typical of certain existentialist Nordic folk-metal bands, but rather bringing those sounds into the present, as if to prove they're still an integral part of their heritage.

The move toward nu-metal would lead many longtime fans to turn their backs on the album, but there would also be plenty of bands ready to follow its lead, reshaping its ideas according to their own sensibility and background. Broadly speaking, within alternative metal, "Roots" would become an international reference point over the years, earning widespread acclaim from the specialist press as well as considerable commercial success. It's in some ways Sepultura's most experimental album, and it boasts a level of songwriting and originality the band would never replicate again in later work – not least because Max Cavalera left right after this record.

Thematically, "Roots" is a snapshot of the imagery Sepultura associate with Brazil. The cover artwork depicts a Karajá native. And the lyrics are, as always, extremely direct: Sepultura's trademark lies in the gut-punches, in the visceral verses that convey intense emotions (rage, pain and disgust in particular); as well as in Andreas Kisser and Max Cavalera's simple, direct riffs, in Igor Cavalera's powerful drumming, and in the rebellious image that accompanies them.

The opening "Roots, Bloody Roots" is the first single and the album's manifesto, a frighteningly effective and gripping war dance, as well as an anthem of tribal identity ("Why can't you see/ Can't you feel/ This is real/ I pray we don't need to change/ Our ways to be saved/ That all we want to be/ Watch us Freak!"). For Max Cavalera, the message to convey is about believing in yourself, in your cultural belonging, in being proud of your roots however difficult that may be. His cadenced riffs, the feedback of the minimal, searing solo, the relentless, magmatic drumming, and the ferocity of Cavalera's roaring vocals set the template for the heaviest, most extreme wing of nu-metal. The video, which opens with the quote placed at the start of this review, shows both the natural landscapes of Brazil and displays of traditional capoeira, Afro-Brazilian percussionists, tribal costumes, as well as the churches and catacombs of the city of Salvador (where Black slaves were sold during the colonial era), with Max sporting his Deftones t-shirt as he screams his lyrics through the city's streets.

The lyrics to the following single "Attitude" were written by Max's stepson, Dana Wells: once again it's an angry tribute to personal independence and freedom ("Live your life/ Not the way they taught you/ Do what you feel!"), paired with resentment toward a harsh reality that nonetheless forges character, however painfully ("Survive the jungle/ Give me blood/ Give me pain/ These scars won't heal... Leave it behind/ They don't care if you cry/ All is left is pain"), ultimately urging the listener to be themselves rather than conform to others. The main riff is one of the most memorable in groove-metal and nu-metal of the decade: it would go on to be drawn upon by numerous bands such as Machine Head, Byzantine, Slipknot or Coal Chamber. The video shows fellow countryman Royce Gracie in jiu-jitsu gear defeating opponents much bigger than him with his grappling technique (the Gracie family is renowned in Brazil for its martial arts school and for winning no-holds-barred competitions called "vale tudo", in which its members refused to give up even at the cost of serious injury; moreover, at the time of the album Royce had recently become internationally famous precisely for dominating the early tournaments of what would come to be known as Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA).

L’allucinante “Cut-Throat” è una feroce critica all’establishment musicale e all’industria musicale, visti come egoisti, profittatori e mendaci (“Telling lies right into your face/ Grab your soul and make a disgrace/ Make you believe you’re bigger than life/ No one cares if you’ll live or die”), ma in particolare all’etichetta Epic (a cui il gruppo si riferisce velatamente con le iniziali del verso “Enslavement Pathetic Ignorant Corporations”) assieme alla quale venne pubblicato con non pochi problemi contrattuali “Chaos A.D.”. Its iconoclastic drive stands as one of the most successful examples of hardcore-punk fused with metal, while the chorus is one of the most incisive in the whole history of nu-metal, both for its furious vocals and its syncopated riff.

Among the band's most popular tracks ever, “Ratamahatta” is a sardonic, sarcastic “praise” of the favelas, enriched by references to popular figures from Brazilian history, such as Zumbi, Lampião and the fictional character Zé do Caixão. The lyrics are a collection of short, punchy phrases, almost like “slogans,” suited to Max's vocal style, as he screams the lines right in the listener's face. This approach is further emphasized by the almost obsessive repetition of the riffs and rhythms. Adding extra flair to the track are David Silveria of Korn on percussion and samba-reggae singer Carlinhos Brown, who provides a lively counterpart to the fiery Cavalera.

“Breed Apart” blends thrash, groove and nu-metal, with Max Cavalera channeling Jonathan Davis's varied vocal style, particularly his lower, darker phrasing. The lyrics are very minimal and repetitive, an obsessive call to follow your own path. "Straighthate", on the other hand, is a groove/thrash statement of exasperation and rebellion: the acidic riffs are drenched in feedback, the bass tones cut deep. Il testo affronta la questione dell’odio e del rancore, suggerendo che siano in definitiva inevitabili riflessi dei soprusi della società (“Walking now on different dirty streets/ But the same old feeling still exists/ Hate is like a shade that will never leave/ Leave me alone I don’t need sympathy… Criticize and call me negative/ You never face life or reality/ Separate myself from the rest/ What the fuck do you expect?”). The verses in the final section (“What goes around comes around/ Grow up in the ghettos made me real/ To deal with my fears/ Motherfucker you don’t understand/ Pain and Hate”) would later be further developed by Max Cavalera in Soulfly, on the track “Jumpdafuckup”. Slightly less convincing on a lyrical level is "Spit", which partly trivializes the intent of the previous song, spilling over into a violent outburst (though instrumentally it remains gripping and disorienting).

David Silveria returns on “Lookaway”, once again alongside his colleague Davis on vocals; the track's guests also include Mike Patton, one of the key figures of crossover, and Leor Dimant, who would go on to find fame as the turntablist of Limp Bizkit. It's an anguished, industrial track, with a rotten, down-tuned riff, disorienting effects, whispered vocal lines dueting between Davis and Cavalera in an alienated fashion, and lyrics that speak of the disgust felt toward the female genitalia during an unwanted sexual act (“Each time I pull it apart/ I get disgusted, can't do it today/ What makes it so good/ To lie just to lick/ Fake it, you like it, just take me away”). The final scat catapults us straight into Korn's self-titled debut, making the atmosphere even more psychotic and unsettling.

Sepultura outdo themselves on “Dusted”: a furious, powerhouse nu-metal track that then morphs into a disorienting thrash/groove workout, propelled by phenomenal riffs and Igor Cavalera's superb drumming performance. “Born Stubborn” is an anarcho-primitivist howl (“I got my tribe it’s my own right/ And I don’t have to tell you why/ It’s been like that from the start/ And you can’t break it apart/ Sepultura in our hearts/ Can’t take it away/ These roots will always remain”), which accentuates the melodic tones through a contrast between the piercing riff and Max Cavalera's furious growl. His brother Igor once again takes center stage, while the closing section is marked by samples from the Xavante tribe.

The next track is an acoustic instrumental, “Jasco”, a brief interlude that flows into the ethnic-tinged “Itsári”, with Xavante chants layered over percussion and acoustic chords. The mood of these two pieces is fully immersed in the wild nature of Brazil, and pairs in chiaroscuro with the violence of the following “Ambush”, a hardcore-tinged explosion dedicated to environmental activist Chico Mendes, murdered in 1988, and “Endangered Species”, claustrophobic and desperate, centered on the collapse of ecosystems. These are themes deeply felt in Brazil, and ones that have been dear to Sepultura since their earliest work.

Finally, the brief “Dictatorshit”, more hardcore-punk and speed-metal in character, is a vengeful critique of the 1964 coup, in which president João Goulart was deposed by a military junta. Max snarls, asserting that the event is still alive in the collective imagination, in primis the memory of those who died (“Spirit still alive/ We still hear the cry/ From the one that survived!”). But that's not the real conclusion, because the South American edition still has room for “Procreation (Of The Wicked)” and “Symptom Of The Universe”, covers of Celtic Frost and Black Sabbath respectively, while the versions destined for the European and North American markets make space for a long ghost track, “Canyon Jam”, which is something of a minor jam session of ethnic instruments, amid field recordings and insect noises.

Unfortunately, "Roots" also represents the swan song of Max Cavalera's Sepultura, as he would leave the band shortly after amid a storm of controversy. The cause can be traced back to the tragic death of his stepson Dana Wells and the subsequent dismissal, decided by his bandmates, of the boy's mother, Gloria Bujnowski (whom Max had married), from her role as the band's manager: Max feels betrayed and storms out. He immediately founds Soulfly, to keep pursuing the same vision, both musically (with riffing that's initially even more markedly nu-metal, and further emphasis on tribal percussion and acoustic passages) and in attitude (even increasing the number of guests and session musicians to turn it into a sort of musical tribe).

The rest of the band, on the other hand, would never recover from the split, and all their subsequent albums would fall short of the form the Brazilians achieved with the "Arise"-"Chaos A.D."-"Roots" trilogy.

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13/09/2020