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Class 6(66)
Sepultura: Arise
19/03/10 || Habakuk
Introduction
This used to be the gem in my CD collection, back in my young metal aficionado days. I had never heard these guys but picked up their disc at a used CD sale somewhere only to find out sometime afterwards that it was actually the non-re-release version, which immediately made me a cult old school follower by definition. Lucky was I to discover that the music on that fine little disc was also of the utmost awesomeness. To date, this is one of my favorite thrash albums of all times, joining ranks with the likes of Demolition Hammer’s “Epidemic of violence”, Sodom’s “Agent Orange” or other namedroppable classics . Also, I consider it Sepultura’s crowning achievement. The jury’s still out on that, I know, but this is my review, so fuck you and your jury.
Songwriting
9. These are not run-of-the-mill thrash songs by numbers. Sepultura at the height of their game (read: on “Arise”) handcrafted some pretty neat arrangements indeed, interweaving the fast thrash parts into a dynamic web of awesomeness. Rarely will you find a better build-up than during the first minutes of “Desperate cry” that Sepultura morph into a beastly verse section, killer riff and lyrics included, only to kick down the pedal further down for the solo and move onwards. Thrash breaks are everywhere you want them, and they’re nothing short of awesome. And if all this wasn’t enough, the album is enhanced by a few tracks that start out with dark, cavernish, tribal-esque intro sounds or clean guitar parts that really fit the surreal cover image – the moment the title track erupts from a percussion-driven intro part like that into frantic thrashing, you know these guys are on. You will find no fillers on “Arise”, just a couple of stand-out tracks, such as the first three, “Altered State” and “Under Siege”. Five out of nine… not too bad, huh?
Production
8. Scott Burns at Morrisound took care that the sound of this album will appeal to any death metal fan as much as it will with the thrash crew. “Arise” has a meaty low-end to it that however doesn’t take away from the band’s ability to get into thrashy speed heights. The drums sound thick and natural, and the snappy kick drums hit the right spot with me. The guitars and the bass (when audible) sound great, as will be debated later on, and the overall mix is pretty much top notch. Nice guitar sound on the solos, especially, as they never revert to ear-piercing shrieks.
Guitars
8.5. With a killer sound to back them up, all Max Cavalera and Andreas Kisser need are great riffs, right? Right. And that’s exactly what they’ve got. This is obviously no “technical” stuff (Max doesn’t even have the top two strings installed on his guitars…), but they’re a tight bunch, these two, using their great sense of timing and small variations to take the relatively simple stuff they play to a higher level, and if need be, they also know how shred their path through a song. The guys’ talent isn’t limited to that, though, instead the lead sections are cleverly fit into the arrangements and Kisser’s leads and solos actually sound pretty damn good. This is no fretboard wankery but playing with some thought behind it and a sinister melodies that complement the overall sound quite well.
Vocals
9. I for the life of me can’t understand people that don’t like Max’ vocals. To me, they embody perfect thrash shouts, as opposed to so many bands’ vocalists’ that opt for the high-pitched approach. Rough, throaty and with a still audible awesome Brazilian accent, everything is perfect here, and it fits the underlying thick sound like a studded leather glove.
Bass
7.5. Very rarely does Paulo Jr.‘s bass playing shine through, as the full bass drum sound overlays it a bit, but when you actually hear it (as in “Subtraction” at 3:16, “Dead embryonic cells” around 1:20 or during the palm-muted part in “Arise” at 1:45), you’ll find it actually has a really great sound to it whose only problem is that it simply fits too well into the overall soundscape to be made out all the time. The playing mostly follows the guitars, as it was only with and after Chaos A.D. that Sepultura really made the bass a prominent element of their sound.
Drums
9. Igor Cavalera to me always seemed like a really gifted drummer with a natural flow and a very distinct, energetic style. No difference on “Arise”. He sure knows how to put the double-bass pedals to good use, he’s got little trademarks like the missed first bass drum beat when he changes to a faster section, his rolls sound great as do his thrash beats, and he is capable of laying down a massive groove like showcased with the off-beat use of the china during the slower breaks in “Subtraction”. Pure bliss that makes me wish I could actually play drums instead of just ranting on and on about them. If my coordination didn’t suck so hard, I’d probably consider Igor a major influence, but, alas…
Lyrics
10.
“Chaotic violence in my eyes
this whole world moves backwards
peace, another sign that lies
life today is not worth the pain”
“Obscured by the sun
Apocalyptic clash
Cities fall in ruins
why must we die?”
“Death the coldest wind
seeps into your pores
a nation born of hate
forgotten distant time”
Classic lines, and I love the fragmented style that Max Cavalera and Andreas Kisser used. Apparently they had someone help them with the translation, but I couldn’t care less, honestly. These are some of the best thrash lyrics I’ve ever seen.
Cover art
10. If this is not a ten, what is? Exactly – nothing. We didn’t put this into the Top ten album covers just for a joke, foo’. It’s sinister, surreal, other-worldly, apocalyptic, good-looking, detailed, hell, it even complements the predecessor’s cover. Man, that is one fine picture. I need to start wearing my “Arise” t-shirt more often again.
Logo
8. Nothing too great, but it’s characteristic, readable and a huge step up from the more “brutal” but hopelessly shitty one they started out with. The first time appearance of the infamous “S” on the actual CD makes up for the lack of distinctiveness in this version of the logo, too.
Booklet
8. I don’t know about the re-release version, but my worn-out booklet gets an eight because I actually used to read through it a lot, it has a really cool design and layout, lyrics in great fonts, cool individual band member shots with Max sporting a Ratos de Porão shirt that made me check out that great act some day, and obviously a huge thank you-list. Special kudos for the prominent mentioning of “The Sepultura Skin Artists”, too.
Overall and ending rant
Well, what do you know. I love this album and I should listen to it even more than I already do. You should, too. If anyone reading this hasn’t heard “Arise” yet, would he/she (yeah right, girls reading a metal site…) please go out and do so immediately or get his/her metal license revoked at his/her local town council. It’s usually taken care of in the same department that deals with gender mainstreaming issues. Thank you for your cooperation.
- Information
- Released: 1991
- Label: Roadrunner Records
- Website: www.sepultura.com.br
- Band
- Max Cavalera: vocals, guitars
- Andreas Kisser: guitars
- Paulo Jr: bass
- Igor Cavalera: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Arise
- 02. Dead embryonic cells
- 03. Desperate cry
- 04. Murder
- 05. Subtraction
- 06. Altered state
- 07. Under siege (Regnum irae)
- 08. Meaningless movements
- 09. Infected voice
