Cavalera – Bestial Devastation

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Back in 1985 when Sepultura released its debut E.P. 'Bestial Devastation' the Brazilian juggernauts gave birth to a worldwide legacy that became one of the most original and influential acts in the genre. Sepultura simply grasped the Latin American extreme sound in the rawest and most primitive form of death thrash metal. Thirty-eight years later amid reminiscing the classic era of Sepultura the Cavalera brothers Max and Iggor exert their abilities to re-record the classic debut with the modern technology of today.

Although I consider this as genuine and smart thinking from the Cavalera brothers who have resurrected one of the blasts from the past that take you back to the early years of formation, this motive can also be perceived as a revised version to improve the poor sound of the recording at that time. ‘Bestial Devastation’ unleashes new energy and reverb vocals before unloading devastating riffs that are steered with the passion of black/death metal’s raw spirit. The Cavalera brothers have succeeded in unearthing the true inspiration behind re-recording the old tracks, pulling the parallels between Hellhammer and Celtic Frost that influenced them when they were teenagers.

For the most part, this is a brilliant piece of old-school thrash that sounds brutal and evil at the same time. The E.P. begins with a short intro ‘The Curse’ and transitions into the furious riff-paced tempo driven by the formidable drumming of Iggor in the next track ‘Bestial Devastation’. The guitars excel at channeling the raw evil riffs and are backed by the frenzy barks of Max. Still, though the songs have a cult quality, the drenched reverb vocals of Max enhance the tone of the music.

The drums are played extremely fast and hellish and bring a devastating shock to the ears when the grinding percussion unleashes pure satanic aggression on ‘Antichrist’. The tempo shifts are aplenty, recapturing the style of bands like Possessed‘s classic album ‘Seven Churches’ and packed with old-school thrashing riffs from the fast shredding solos and the constant fierce drum kicks onslaught. The riffing hits you with a crowbar and offers the trademark vocals of Max’s grunts. Respectively, the Cavalera brothers offer something quite worthy for the fans and I can only imagine myself revisiting the classic albums of Sepultura like ‘Schizophrenia’, ‘Beneath the Remains’ and ‘Arise’.

Tracks like ‘Necromancer’ have plenty of grooves and head-banging riffs which open in a blistering manner to the thrashing drums that hold the raw primitive black/death metal feeling. The fast sections of the drums come as brutal as the previous ones. The drums and the guitars were recorded professionally and the duo have made a remarkable achievement in how the songs are bolstered by up-tempo aggression and brutal riffing. Although the slower passages are still fucking heavy, it’s only a matter of moments before the distinct drumming of Iggor stomps at maximum force.

The drum solo at the beginning of ‘Warriors of Death’ exhibits the unrivaled skills of Iggor and with the riffing mayhem sounds extremely aggressive in the mid-paced tempo, infused with savage grooves and showcasing the most ferocious moments in the track. The guitar solo channels the raw classic roots of death/thrash metal, urging a craze for the barbaric riffs and proving that the Cavalera brothers are still relevant to the underground metal scene.

While it’s hard to deny the thrashing intensity in this re-make E.P., the performance is as relentless and furious and captures the old spirit of Sepultura. The Cavalera brothers end the madness with a new track ‘Sexta Feira 13′ by offering a berserk thrashing action of the pounding drums and the angry vocals of Max who sings in his native language. The track somehow hints at the mid-era of Sepultura’sChaos A.D.’ and ‘Roots’ albums. The amazing cover which conjures a satanic theme also has been changed in this re-make and it looks fucking beautiful!

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 8/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 8/10
  • Mix / Production 10/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 10/10
  • Originality 10/10
9.2

‘Bestial Devastation’ is a must for the aficionados of extreme metal who have been waiting for this release. The re-recorded tracks sound the way they should, emphasizing the extreme and raw spirit of 80s death thrash metal.

 

 

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