SEPULTURA — Chaos A.D. (review)

SEPULTURA — Chaos A.D. album cover Album · 1993 · Groove Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Stooge
I recently rediscovered this album after finding it buried in a mix of old metal albums while I was moving. I don’t know why I hadn’t listened to it in around 3 or 4 years. I guess I thought there was a bigger drop-off in quality between Chaos A.D. and it’s predecessor, Arise. I was slightly mistaken.

Fans of their death/thrash style may be disappointed with this release, as much of the riffing has loosened up with a focus on more of a slow, groove-based style. This is most evident on tracks “Refuse/Resist”, “Amen”, and “Propaganda” among others. In this respect, Chaos A.D. is one of those albums often cited towards inspiring the nu-metal phenomenon of the late 1990s. Even much of the lead guitar, courtesy of Andreas Kisser, is making a shift from more traditional metal lead playing to just about exclusively “noise” based solos. This may upset some purists, but I think they work well within the context of the songs. To my amusement, drummer Igor Cavalera has certainly expanded his sound with more use of tribal percussion and, in general, more inventiveness in his playing.

There is also a rather punk/hardcore influence on certain tracks from the music side, and also in the lyrics as several of the songs tackle various political issues. Even ex-Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra contributes lyrically to the track “Biotech Is Godzilla”, which may be the fastest paced (as well as the shortest) song on the album. “Manifest” also contains some punk-inspired moments, and the cover “The Hunt” certainly sounds like it may have been a pure punk rock song originally.

Oddly enough for a metal album, two of my personal favorite tracks come in the form of “Kaiowas” and “We Who Are Not As Others”. “Kaiowas” is an instrumental piece inspired by a Brazilian tribe that committed mass suicide in a government protest. The track makes marvelous use of percussion and acoustic guitars in a manner that you would not expect from a metal band. “We Who Are Not As Others”, with the title of the song serving as the only lyric, takes rather basic, repetitive guitar and bass patterns, and arranges them rather nicely. Great blend of a chugging, distorted riff, with some of the most melodic guitar on the album.

I’m not as excited about Sepultura in this form as I am with some of their previous stuff, but Chaos A.D. is certainly a great listen on its own. Not essential, but definitely a solid purchase!
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