SEPULTURA — Machine Messiah (review)

Album · 2017 · Groove Metal

4.5/5 · 2017-02-24
Unitron

Sepultura hasn't gotten a whole lot of appreciation since 1993's Chaos A.D. While Roots does get a bit more appreciation from those who don't have an issue with nu-metal, you won't hear many talking about any of the post-Cavalera albums. Four years after the release of the lengthy titled The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart, which was seen as Sepultura's return to a thrash metal-based sound, the band returns with the much simpler titled Machine Messiah.

Machine Messiah features quite a variety of musical elements, inside and outside of metal, and actually comes across as quite experimental. There's a blend of tribal groove metal and crossover thrash throughout the majority of the album, the latter being most prevalent in "I Am the Enemy". It's one of the most crushing songs the band's released in a while, and instantly got me hooked with its chromatic death metal riffing, rumbling bass sound, and punk-thrash pace. Want more thrash, "Vandals Nest" brings some total old-school thrash mixed with some great melodies towards the end. I must also give mention to the guitar tone on this album, it's got such a razor-sharp punch to it, while having a dissonant tone for the slower bits.

The album opens up and ends on an odd note for Sepultura, with both the title track and "Cyber God" being melodic heavy metal/alternative metal tracks with a bit of a metalcore vibe. This may be seen as a negative for some, but I think it works great and makes these among the best on the album. "Sworn Oath" is another song that displays some of this influence at the beginning, but soon picks up a killer groove with majestic symphonic instrumentation. Derrick Green's melodic vocals on this track are really deep and emotive, and creates a nice contrast to his usual gruff barks. Speaking of said vocals, his gruff vocals on this album remind me a lot of Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke at his most raw and are delivered with great conviction. Just check out his performance on "Silent Violence", that's what I call pure raw power!

Also among the best on the album are "Phantom Self" and the instrumental "Iceberg Dances". The former is a groovy tune that has a middle-eastern sound to it played by an instrument that I can't tell if it's just a guitar or something else. "Resistant Parasites" also features a bit of middle-eastern instrumentation towards the end. "Iceberg Dances" is the best instrumental track I've heard in a while, blending a tribal groove with some unexpected influences. Most notable of these would be the organ that surprisingly fits right in, who knew organ and groove metal would sound so awesome together?

Sepultura's done it, they've made a masterpiece to rival their 80's and early 90's classics. Instead of trying to imitate their classic material, the band blended a wide range of styles and influences that ended up mixing together perfectly. If you're looking for an eclectic groove metal album, look no further than Machine Messiah. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!

more than 2 years ago
Permalink
Report #338962

Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer

Please login to post a shout

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah it´s a nicely varied album which explores quite a few new territories for the band.

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah, I definitely agree. I was surprised with not only how great it is, but how creative it is as well.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I´ve listened to the album a couple of times now, and I think it´s a really strong album. Definitely their most interesting release since the glory days of the early 90s.

Nightfly wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I'm quite impressed, listening now.

adg211288 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

All this praise...guess I better look into this one.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I just saw them play live a couple of weeks ago, and they slay in that environment too.They actually played "Resistant Parasites", which is mentioned in this review, and damn that song worked great live.

Bartje1979 wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I never thought of myself that I would ever buy a new Sepultura release, but since recently I am the proud owner of a Machine Messiah 2LP Picture Disc. Very creative, above expectations.