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Sepultura: A-lex

13/01/09 || Euthanatos

When opportunity presented itself for reviewing the new Sepultura album, I jumped on it immediately. It’s not that I’m a huge Sepultura fan, although, like any normal human being, I throroughly enjoy their albums until “Arise”, think “Chaos A.D”. is okay-ish and everything after that is pure garbage. It’s just that Sepultura is such a train-wreck by now, with a well-publicized divorce with Max Cavalera and now with Igor having left as well, it leaves the band in the uncanny position of having only one founding member, Paulo Jr., who is about as important to the fold as Rex Brown was to Pantera. So, nothing more fun than kicking someone when they’re down, right? Yeah, I knew you would understand me.

As I mentioned in a recent review, the problem with Sepultura is that, after Max Cavalera left, no one had the chops to write a decent song. Or haven’t you noticed that ever since “Against” their songs barely pass the 3 minute mark? Or that Andreas Kisser has basically been repeating the same riff over and over again, trying to rehash that hideous guitar sound from the “Roots” era? And it’s not that Derrick is a bad singer, but really, it’s hard to fill Max’s shoes as he had such a strong identity within the band and a familiar growl, one of the most unique.

Anyway, “A-lex” is the first album without any of the Cavalera brothers, Jean Dolabella now filling in for Igor. He’s a talented youngster, and since Igor didn’t do much song-writing, it doesn’t change much for the band other than the fact that the Cavalera bros’ band doesn’t have any of the Cavalera’s anymore. Have I emphasized that point enough?

“A-lex” is based on “The Clockwork Orange” book, the album title being a play on words with the main character’s name and the Latin term for “No law”. Clever.

The record itself starts off with, not counting the useless intro, a hardcore number; it’s blatant that Derrick’s background has played a big part in modern Sepultura, but I think this kind of song is featured so frequently because of Kisser’s inability to write anything metal.

Speaking of Derrick, I really like some of the depth he has added recently to his vocals, like using clean vocals, and I think that’s also given Sepultura more freedom to explore different things, like the indian-like chants in “Filthy Rot”, but not becoming nu metal/mediocre, such as in “Roots”. If it wasn’t for the repetitive riffs, this song would be pretty good, with it’s percussion elements and all that.

“We’ve Lost You” is an absolutely shitty song, so fucking boring I was snoring before the one minute mark, and just my luck, it’s one of the few songs that’s actually more than 3 minutes long. Fuck.

There are actually 18 songs here, but some of them are instrumental fillers, like “A-lex” and “A-lex II”. I’m surprised they’re not very good, as Kisser’s “Hubris I & II” solo work actually has some appealing instrumental stuff. Maybe he keeps all of the good stuff for himself. Cheap bastard. “A-lex IV” is pretty good, though, I’ll give him that.

Eventually they’ll try and do something that remotely resembles their past, like in “The Treatment”, but they fail. Miserably. It’s just not there. You either can write a song, or you can’t. It’s not like they’re going to learn after all this time.

But it gets even worse when they try and adapt someone else’s music. Don’t even get me started on the shitfest they did on “Ludwig Van”. I’m pretty sure Beethoven is rolling in his grave right now.

Some good ideas, sure, but bottom line, Sepultura is dead, and it’s a shame they keep dragging the putrid corpse all over mud and feces like this. Call it a day, fellas, I’m begging you. Or better yet, call Max. You know he’s dying for a reunion. He’s said so many times himself. I know you love Derrick, sure, great guy, he’s black, probably has a big cock, fantastic. Give him some money, some gummy bears, whatever, but give this line-up a rest. Please. If you stay on this path, you won’t be any better than all of those Sunset Strip bands of the 80’s that survive these days as nothing more than a tribute band of themselves and their works past. And that’s deplorable.

The cover: Pretty cool and well-developed, an amalgam of weird shit. Sepultura’s covers have been really good as of late. Shame you can’t say the same for the music.

4 members in the band which aren’t called Cavalera out of 10.

Information
Released: 2009
Label: SPV
Website: sepultura.uol.com.br
Band
Derrick Green: vocals
Andreas Kisser: guitars
Paulo Jr.: bass
Jean Dolabella: drums, percussion

Tracklist
01. A-Lex I
02. Moloko Mesto
03. Filthy Rot
04. We′ve Lost You
05. What I Do!
06. A-Lex II
07. The Treatment
08. Metamorphosis
09. Sadistic Values
10. Forceful Behavior
11. Conform
12. A-Lex III
13. The Experiment
14. Strike
15. Enough Said
16. Ludwig Van
17. A-Lex IV
18. Paradox

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