In a short time, Sepultura will be releasing their new album, Nation. We must make sure that this does not happen.
A petition drive, firebombing their label, anything to keep this piece of crap out of stores. In case you don”t know (and I don”t blame you if you don”t), Sepultura is a mostly-Brazilian four-piece, speed-metal, hardcore-something band. They make the kind of music that the 35-year-old fat guys with shaved heads listen to. The guys who pick up junior-high girls, mosh at any opportunity and live in mom”s basement.
As for Nation, it is, according to Sepultura”s label, “the most diverse record of their career.” Funny, I was beginning to think that maybe Sepultura was Portuguese for “loud, homogenous music.”
Musically, Nation blows it is almost all typical “chugga-chugga” metal that left me really, really looking forward to the silence between tracks. The only odd song was the symphonic, orchestral instrumental (Oh, wait! There”s the diversity!) that closes the album out. I thought it was going to be a cool-ass G”n”f”n”R”-type lead-in. Nope. Just some weird-ass track. Whee.
The vocals, by American Derrick Green, are terrible. He tries so hard to be noticed that you just don”t care, but at least he wasn”t rapping. I was actually sort of looking forward to “Politricks,” a track featuring vocals by Jello Biafra, ex-singer of Dead Kennedys, but it sucks as much as everything else.
Lyrically, the album was surprisingly good, as the band tackled such issues as overpopulation, corrupt politicians, and the human condition.
Other than the lyrics, though, only Igor Cavalera, the drummer and persussionist, was worth listening to. His tribal-influenced drumwork actually kept my foot moving during the times my mind was wondering off elsewhere.
Sorry, Sepulfans (all several dozen of you), Nation Sepulsucks. It”s just another boring album with hard music and pissed-off vocals. Whee.
Grade: D