After 35 years on the global scene, Sepultura are entering the Twenties with the force of great quality metal music. Quadra is unlikely to bring new hits that resemble Sepultura’s classic “Roots Bloody Roots”, 1996, or “Refuse/Resist”, 1993; however, it suggests that Brazil’s metal giants are approaching new intellectual heights in their music and career. Quadra demonstrates impressive joined-up thinking around universal themes from the realms of philosophy, history, and mythology.
The new album lets pretty much every fan find what they are looking for. If you are after powerful thrash metal tracks, there are a fair few here, like “Isolation” and “Last time” with Derrick Green’s unforgettable vocals standing out. Or, if you want to find out if metal musicians from the superstar canon are capable of exploring new musical territories, then you can get solid evidence from this album. Listen out for Andreas Kisser’s guitar compositions in the borderline progressive instrumental “Pentagram”, and for the fantastic guest vocals from Emily Barreto from fellow Brazilian band Far from Alaska appearing on the final song “Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering”. And, if you are craving some food for thought – Sepultura’s new music may inspire you to delve into a world where magic and science come together.
The very title, Quadra, suggests connections with the concept of quadrivium in philosophy, or the four subjects of arithmetic, geometry, music, and cosmology, all harmonically united by the importance of numbers. Indeed, Sepultura take numbers seriously: Quadra contains 12 songs, like the 12 months of the year, organised in four audible “seasons”. The album begins from Sepultura’s thrash “roots”, moves to slower and heavier contemplative tracks, followed by a set of experimental and sophisticated compositions, and concludes in music that highlights the band’s new flirtation with orchestral and choral sounds. It’s heady stuff and shows that these South American metalheads are in no danger of running out of ideas yet.
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