Sepultura

Dante XXI

[4/5] It’s hard to believe Sepultura’s current vocalist, Derrick Green, has spent almost as much time fronting the legendary Brazilian thrash band as founding throat and current Soulfly leader Max Cavalera. Makes one feel old, it does. But on their last studio album, 2003’s Roorback, Sepultura sounded nearly as powerful as they had before Green’s tenure, even managing to cover U2’s “Bullet The Blue Sky” in a way that didn’t suck. Dante XXI starts with a brief, droning intro that builds anticipation for the pummeling percussive lead-in to “Dark Wood Of Life”–and when the song actually kicks in, it’s ferocious, exactly what one hopes to get from pioneers in the art of skull-crushing. Periodic breaks in the action, like the 13 seconds of cello that precede one track, only serve to make the subsequent tidal waves of molten metal that much more brutal. Yes, it seems Sepultura are finally back at full strength–they’re certainly better than Soulfly by a long stretch.
(SPV USA) Phil Freeman