The brothers of metal have once returned to cement their legacy within the next generation. Max & Iggor have taken the next step in their recording series by revisiting the 1987 classic “Schizophrenia”.
Being known for the next evolution of the group from the more blackened / war style of metal on “Morbid Visions” and “Bestial Devastation” to a more focused death thrash metal sound & quickly becoming the underground leaders.
Again enlisting the help of longtime producer & engineer Arthur Rizk to help capture the new brutality of this rerecord. Also the addition like the last two releases of Shredder Travis Stone (Pig Destroyer) & Igor Amadeus Cavalera handling bass duties.
The album’s intro might be a little more subdued this time, but it perfectly fits the darker & deeper sound the band are unleashing on the album & first track “From The Past Comes The Storms” just shows how iconic those early Sepultura songs were. Now with this new leash of life you can really understand the true power the brothers & co had writing these tracks.
The biggest takeaway from this rerecording is obviously the new sound captured as a whole but each element of this production does so much & gives a whole new life to the record. Most notably Iggors true power as a drummer here is heard. The use of his tribal-like tom rolls, his mental ability of his double kick pedal speeds & just how much of a beast drummer he is.
“To The Wall” is just proof of how much groove & rhythm was deeply rooted in the band from the early days. Still using the building block of that core thrash sound from the 80’s but incorporating the catchy riffs that would be more & more prevalent in the group’s sound on each record moving forward.
Max’s right hand is still like a sledgehammer, for a man who is 55 this year the speed he is still able to play some of these tracks is unbelievable. Yes there might be a little studio magic but I was lucky to see the Cavaleras tour in 2023 on the Besital Devastion tour & the icon still has it!
“Escape To The Void” is just one of the tracks that shows off the powerhouse of lead guitarist Travis Stone & how he adds so much to revisiting these tracks. The solo work on this record is just another pillar to just how fantastic these songs are & how unfortunately the original recordings didn’t do them one ounce justice.
Like the last records the brothers have treated us to a new track, replacing “Troops Of Doom” with a new banger named “Nightmares of Delirium”. This track is a total frenzy & pure chaos in the most blissful way. Dipping its toes in the blackened metal realm & having these crazy style riff sections & Max’s languishing vocals spewing over the chaos is just perfect. It’s so nice to feature old unused riffs to create a new track that the fans haven’t heard from that era of the band. This track might be some of the best early Sepultura material to date.
The Cavalera’s have yet again given us something we didn’t think we needed but now will adore for the rest of time. Finally giving “Schizophrenia” the production & care it deserved back in 87, Now with the lens of 2024 will show a whole new generation & fans of this seminal classic record just how untouchable the Cavalera’s once were & will forever be the brotherhood steel we always love & need.
Schizophrenia is out via Nuclear Blast Records on 21.06.2024
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. From The Past Comes The Storms
3. To The Wall
4. Escape To The Void
5. Inquisition Symphony
6. Screams Behind The Shadows
7. Septic Schizo
8. The Abyss
9. R. I.P. (Rest In Pain)
10. Nightmares of Delirium