Sepultura – Machine Messiah

With their fourteenth studio album Metal Messiah, thrash metal legends Sepultura are still raising the middle finger to the “Bring back Max” computer keyboard warriors. Lead vocalist Derrick Green has fronted them for over twenty years now and personally speaking he has earned his stripes many times over, point proven by a powerful performance on the new album released via Nuclear Blast Records.

A variety of vocal styles begins with opener and title track. A surprisingly melodic guitar intro from stalwart guitarist Andreas Kisser moves to a claustrophobic main riff backed by a bleak spoken word vocal as his trademark guttural bark takes control to bring the song to a crushing climax. Other highlights are the hyperactive hardcore blast and raging solos in ‘I Am The Enemy’. The quirky string lead intro to ‘Phantom Self’ is blown clean away by staccato riff laden doom as the strings come to the fore to compliment the solos midway.

Mauling riffs that that propel ‘Alethea’ along are driven by the inventive drum patterns from Eloy Casagrande. The grandiose sweeping string intro to ‘Sworn Oath’ also adds more muscle to the vitriolic choruses belted out by Derrick in this supercharger.  Symphonic backing is also used for maximum effect on ‘Resistant Parasites’ to add textures to the bleak riffing as Derrick comes into his own by delivering his angriest vocal on the album. Album closer ‘Cyber God’ ends it as it started, a slow groover with a clean to a roar vocal  but highlight for me is the dizzying rhythms in ‘Vandals Nest’. The furious riffing and fleet footed drumming are so fast you may expect to see the Millennium Falcon flying out of your speakers!

Machine Messiah track listing :-

Machine Messiah.

I Am The Enemy.

Phantom Self.

Alethea.

Iceberg Damages.

Sworn Oath.

Resistant Parasites.

Silent Violence.

Vandals Nest.

Cyber God.

Sepultura band line up :-

Derrick Green – Lead vocals.

Andreas Kisser – Guitars.

Paulo Jr. – Bass guitar.

Eloy Casagrande – Drums, percussion.