SEPULTURA — Beneath the Remains (review)

SEPULTURA — Beneath the Remains album cover

Album · 1989 · Thrash Metal

5/5 · 2010-11-07
Diogenes

Sepultura’s third official release, and final LP recorded in their native country of Brazil, is hands down one of the finest pieces of thrash metal ever made. For a band that would evolve much over their storied career, Beneath the Remains represents the thrash peak of Sepultura, as well as most of the 80’s in general.

First, let’s talk about the riffs. This album is chock full of them. Yeah, it’s thrash metal, so there should be lots of good riffs-but allow me to elaborate. If the riffs on Beneath the Remains represented units of food, say, pizzas or double decker sandwiches, then the entire country of China would go hungerless for two weeks. Or, if each of these riffs were American quarters, my financial worries would be over, since I own this album. Get the picture? Bottom line, these riffs absolutely slay, and if you’re a fan of good thrash riffs (who isn’t?), then stop reading this review and go buy this album right now. DO IT!

Ah, now on to the drumming. The Igor Cavalera that played drums on Sepultura’s earlier releases is gone and has been replaced by a robot on this album. I’m exaggerating of course, but Igor’s technique has improved so much since Morbid Visions, you might think that Sepultura went out and just got a new drummer. His style is relentless, full of energy, and punishing, not to mention executed with perfection. The drumming here complements the riff assault perfectly; you really couldn’t have asked for a better performance than this.

Working with producer Scott Burns on Beneath the Remains benefited Sepultura greatly. While I have a soft spot for the raw, 5 cent production job on Schizophrenia, the instruments are done more justice here. The production is clear as a bell; the guitars are sharp but not suffocating, and the drums no longer sound as if they are being hit with golf clubs. Max’s vocals are actually somewhat understandable this time around, and are more growl-oriented as opposed to shouts hidden behind the guitars. If I had to nitpick, I’d say that the only beef I have with the production is that the guitar tone is too thin. However, this would be fixed on Sepultura’s next album, and like I said, the production here is such a big improvement that the few flaws can be overlooked.

The overall sound on this album is aggressive and angry. Make no mistake about it, “goofy” thrash this is not. If you’re looking for friendly thrash, then go elsewhere. The harsh vocals, punishing drums, and dark lyrics all contribute to the death/thrash orientation of this album. Sepultura is one of the innovators of this style, and this album is the reason that no band does it better than they do.

Beneath the Remains is everything you could want in a thrash metal album. It is a flat out masterpiece; there’s no other way of putting it. Not many thrash metal albums are timeless, but I feel that this is one of the few that will always be looked upon as a classic. 5 stars