HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Chaos A.D. – Sepultura

1993 was a pivotal year for SEPULTURA. It was the year which saw the release of the Brazilian band’s fifth album Chaos A.D., the record that took them from a beloved cult band into one of the biggest on the planet.

SEPULTURA had already undoubtedly made waves in the metal scene; from their raw beginnings on Bestial Devastation (1985) and Morbid Visions (1986) to their breakthrough record Beneath The Remains (1989). However, Chaos A.D. would blow things wide open.

Sonically, the band expanded upon their death and thrash metal roots yet added a whole host of other influences to Chaos A.D.. This resulted in a brave new world for both SEPULTURA and for metal in general, showing that there was so much to experiment with and incorporate into heavy music. Those influences included all manner of punk and hardcore bands such as DISCHARGE musically and lyrically. This also included crucial tribal influences which saluted SEPULTURA‘s homeland; seeing the quartet Max Cavalera (vocals/rhythm guitar), his brother Igor Cavalera (drums), Andreas Kisser (lead guitarist) and Paulo Jr (bass) rise to the upper echelons of metal.

With grunge still in full swing in 1993, extreme music had pretty much gone underground. Yet bands such as FAITH NO MORE, MINISTRY, PRONG, and HELMET, who incorporated eclectic influences into their music, had broken through into mainstream. With Chaos A.D., SEPULTURA were about to join them. Chaos A.D. was recorded at the legendary Rockfield studios in Monmouthshire, Wales where the likes of BLACK SABBATH, MOTÖRHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST had recorded. The band also reunited with producer Andy Wallace, who had worked on previous album Arise (1991).

A sample of the heartbeat of Max Cavalera‘s then unborn son Zyon soon turns into a pummelling tribal rhythm from Igor Cavalera on opening track Refuse/Resist. The riotous number hits like a Molotov cocktail, a rousing call to arms. From then on, the whole album is an eclectic and electrifying heavy music masterpiece. The tribal groove and anti-war stance of Territory and the anti-censorship anthem Slave New World (co-written with BIOHAZARD‘s Evan Seinfeld) are undisputed album highlights with the former being a live favourite ever since. The instrumental Kaiowas (recorded in the open air at the majestic Chepstow Castle) was a monumental highlight of Chaos A.D. as it saw the band fully embracing their Brazilian heritage with a storming song in tribute to a Braziallian Indian tribe with its hypnotic rhythms working well with the heaviness which surrounded it. Other cuts on the album such as Amen, Propaganda, and Biotech Is Godzilla (with its lyrics written by DEAD KENNEDYS‘ Jello Biafra), were just as powerful and made this a must listen to album.

As Chaos A.D. closes with the mighty Clenched Fist, it’s extremely clear this album is a statement of intent by SEPULTURA and one that pack sa punch to this day. The band had achieved all they had set out to do with the recurs and ushered in a new era of heaviness.

The three singles; Refuse/Resist, Territory, and Slave New World, SEPULTURA were a constant on MTV. Not just on premier heavy music show Headbangers Ball  but also appeared on more of the mainstream shows. The band also made a memorable appearance on the UKs most popular late night youth culture show The Word where fans were bizarrely kept waiting in a giant cage and then let loose to go crazy while the band played Refuse/Resist.  For SEPULTURA, this new exposure was more than well deserved. The band were also constants in magazines like Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Metal Maniacs and Terrorizer, being the first band to grace the cover of the latter.

SEPULTURA would hit the road in support of Chaos A.D. the month after the album was released with UK doom metal masters PARADISE LOST. This tour cemented their status as one of heavy music’s greatest live acts. The Chaos A.D. tour continued into 1994 with the band playing a memorable set at the fabled Monsters Of Rock festival at Donington in June of that year as well as completing a holy trinity of 90s metal tour in the US with PANTERA and BIOHAZARD.

With Chaos A.D., SEPULTURA firmly established themselves in metal’s premier league and saw their stature grow considerably across the globe. Thirty years on, Chaos A.D. stands as a turning point for extreme music, where metal became unafraid of straying from the path. We can thank SEPULTURA for taking those risks as they definitely paid off, and what is considered commonplace nowadays was genuinely groundbreaking back at the time that Chaos A.D. was released.

Chaos A.D. was originally released on September 2 1993 via Epic Records.

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