ALBUM REVIEW: Quadra – Sepultura

In their staggering 35 years plus career SEPULTURA have achieved feats that some bands can only dream of. They have nothing left to prove but their sheer desire and drive keeps them marching on. Their 15th studio album entitled Quadra is due for release on February 7th via Nuclear Blast Records, will this release cement their legacy even further?

Isolation commences with pounding drum beats and a tense atmosphere which culminates in demonic sounding thrash fuelled riffing and venomous bellows courtesy of their commanding frontman Derrick Green. The quartet come surging out of the gates with all guns blazing. Alongside their signature frantic stylings there are enticing progressive elements which show that after all this time the band are still willing to get their hands dirty and experiment with their sound rather than just revisit the well trodden path.

Means To An End keeps the pace heightened with short and snappy drum segments and sturdy guitar work. The raw grittiness on show gives a nod to their classic material which instantly instils the warm feeling of nostalgia. Last Time opens with a flourish of impressive technicality before diving head first into punishing heaviness and swift shredding. Eloy Casagrande unleashes waves of savage blast beats to enhance the ongoing fury. Towards the midway point the tempo takes an alluring shift as further virtuoso guitar skills are exhibited by their legendary axe-man Andreas Kisser which compliments the dramatic nature of the track.

Capital Enslavement witnesses a resurgence of the tribal elements which brought SEPULTURA such acclaim back in the 90’s with their much adored Roots release. Rapid fire lyrics are accompanied by additional breakneck shredding. Ali brings forth a distinct quirkiness alongside addictive riffing which chops and changes as it progresses to keep you guessing. Raging Void introduces one of the albums most intriguing additions with some clean vocal segments. Whilst being an unexpected surprise they slot seamlessly into the arrangement rather than feeling unwelcomed.

Guardians Of The Earth follows suit with the curve balls, this time in the form of acoustic guitars blended with soaring choir vocals. Just as you begin to sit back and take it all in you’re greeted by powerful riffing. The Pentagram revisits the chaotic progressive frenzies introduced earlier and dials it up a couple of notches for good measure with twisting, turning riffs are interwoven with crushing blast beats. Autem ensures we haven’t seen the last of the clean vocals as Green switches between melodic choruses and vicious screams.

As we approach the final stretch, title track Quadra provides a brief catchy flamenco style interlude before transitioning into the calming tones of Agony Of Defeat which is easily one of the most experimental tracks SEPULTURA have attempted to date. The theatrical and orchestral nature of this piece is like nothing we have experienced from the band before and it will definitely be a talking point post-release. The track is so unexpected that it becomes utterly captivating as you eagerly anticipate how it will unfold. Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering brings us to the end of this musical voyage but in some cases they have saved the best for last as the musicianship is jaw dropping. There are so many layers to the arrangement but rather than feeling overwhelming it surrounds you in its diverse splendour.

Quadra will undeniably leave devoted followers of SEPULTURA in a state of shock and awe. Whilst there are still copious amounts of all the raw intensity which has helped build the backbone of their sound for decades, they have bulldozed any preconceived notions of what their sound should be and have fearlessly left it all on the table for the world to see. Kisser has expressed such an inspiring level of creative freedom throughout this release and the introduction of Green‘s clean vocals has helped elevate their levels of experimentation to new heights. If you had any expectations of SEPULTURA ‘winding down’ then you couldn’t be more wrong.

Rating: 9/10

Quadra is due for release on February 7th via Nuclear Blast Records.

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