SEPULTURA — Bestial Devastation (review)

SEPULTURA — Bestial Devastation album cover EP · 1990 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Bestial Devastation" is an EP release by Brazilian thrash/death metal act Sepultura. The EP was released through Cogumelo Records in 1990. The 5 tracks on the 15:37 minutes long EP were however previously released as part of the December 1985 split release with fellow countrymen Overdose. So "Bestial Devastation" did not exist as an individual release until this 1990 reissue (which doesn´t feature the Overdose material from the original split release). Later reissues of Sepultura´s 1986 debut full-length studio album "Morbid Visions" typically feature the tracks from the "Bestial Devastation" EP as bonus material.

After the atmospheric spoken word track "The Curse" is done, Sepultura immediately set the record straight with some fiercely fast-paced, brutal, and aggressive death/thrash on the following title track. It´s obviously the early releases by the teutonic trio of Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, which are the main influences, but there are also nods toward both Venom, Hellhammer, and even a blast beat on "Antichrist", showing a hardcore/grindcore influence. It´s intense, angry, and raw, but actually really well performed. The tracks reek a burning passion and they are quite catchy too.

The sound production is filthy and raw, but not murky, which means you are able to hear all details of the compositions and the performances. Upon conclusion "Bestial Devastation" is a great first release by Sepultura and it makes perfect sense that Cogumelo Records opted for an individual reissue (excluding the Overdose material from the original split release). The label probably saw a chance to make some money after the commercial success of "Beneath the Remains" (1989), but I think there are enough artistic reasons to release "Bestial Devastation" to cut them some slack. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
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