Sepultura – Quadra

6/10

About to embark on a musical endeavor that might challenge my patience and what I can stand. As exciting as it is frightening an epic thrash/hardcore album by a band I grew up with. However, I have gone through the bands “past Max” discography on forehand so I knew a little bit what to expect. But then this is said to be a four part album with all what that includes.

If you close your eyes and listen you can hear Max vocals still on the opener “Isolation”. As a bullet train it hits you and leaves you gasping for air. The band has, with Derrick explored the hardcore part of their influences to be brought to the recordings more than during their “peak”. But it´s to bad me and so many others judge bands who change such a huge part of a band as a singer and don´t even try to listen or just hear one or two songs and then goes on about how it isn´t is like it was.

In another way a perfect title for this album should have been “Relentless” . Please my fellow metalheads, I need you to re-think your opinion on Sepultura (and count the bands that still are intact with their “classic era”).
They have been on a continuous path since the exit of their classic frontman, a more aggressive approach but, as heard here, more open to new inputs than in many ways I think Soulfly is.

“Capital Enslavement” – Here it might be! Here´s your (short) homage to the band who once was. “Ratamahatta” sounding tribal drums in the intro before we´re off again to modern day Sepultura.

A song named “Ali” must be about the boxer, but I am not so sure. On this track Derrick proves that he not only can have one tone in his vocal appearance, damn he sounds as frightening as he looks.

“Raging Void” is as mellow as the band can get. Overwhelmed by the surprisingly vital hardcore metal (not nu metal not core metal) I might even call the song a “hit song”

When “Guardians Of The Earth” comes on I immediately come to think of both Amon Amarth and Blind Guardian! But, no! The title is similar to those bands but the song is as much Sepultura as anything. But here you do hear the change in direction. The church choir fits right in! Another step out of their comfort zone, still it does not affect the song.
The further into the record I go the more obvious It becomes that it is a four part album. The slight change of directions in the songs is the obvious here. “Agony Of Defeat” is the second song I can see as a “hit song”, even more than “Raging Void” because it feels like a cover song. Before the band let our eardrums rest we are presented with a new female vocalist. Maybe unknown to the rest of the world but quite famous in Brazil. Her name is Emily Baretto. Her voice follows the song nicely . And like the choir it has no negative impact on the album.
All in all it is an album that stunned me. Not amazing, probably not even close to a podium place at the end of the year but a vital reminder that the band stands on solid ground and let the the past be dead and buried.