EP REVIEW: The Cloud of Unknowing – Sepultura
After forty years and what feels like forty new band members, Brazilian metal outfit, SEPULTURA are bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career. However, before they officially call it a day, they have unleashed their brand new EP on us, The Cloud of Unknowing, to capture their final offering in a creative moment and preserve it for posterity. It shows that the band are always pushing their sound and experimenting, yet it doesn’t always stick the landing.
It’s opener, All Souls Rising is the closest the EP comes to that classic SEPULTURA aggressive sound that we have come to know and love over the years. It has a blasting and thrashy nature which gives it some high energy and driving intensity. The rapid drums and barking vocals set the tone early. There are even some orchestral touches layered beneath the chaos that hint at an ambition beyond straightforward metal which you can give the band some plaudits for. However, while it is punchy and effective, it does feel somewhat familiar giving us more of a reaffirmation of past strengths than a bold new direction. It works great as an opener but doesn’t quite stand out in the band’s broader and albeit more impressive back catalogue of hits.
Its follow up track, Beyond The Dream does mark a sharp stylistic pivot. A slower, introspective ballad that slows momentum down instantly. It leans heavily on clean vocals and a dark atmospheric approach. It has mournful sounding guitars and an emotional tone with Derrick Green stepping away from the harsher vocals. There is some praise to be had here by embracing a softer side. However, it does feel like the end result is what was left over from what METALLICA didn’t use when making their track One. It lacks a dynamic payoff needed to justify the change of pace. It’s interesting, but never truly wins you over.
Sacred Books is the EP’s penultimate track and arguably its most divisive and most intriguing moment. It builds around a slower groove and incorporates unexpected elements like a jazz influenced piano and extended instrumental moments. This experimental track works as both a strength and a weakness, on one hand it demonstrates SEPULTURA are still willing to take risks, even in the twilight of their career and on the other, the genre blending feels disjointed. The song never quite resolves its ideas to fit into a cohesive whole, making it more interesting in theory than in execution.
Closing out the EP is The Place and it works as the most emotional and thematic centrepiece. It gradually builds from subdued beginnings into a heavy and aggressive climax with lyrics touching on immigration and identity. Musically, it balances melody and heaviness more effectively than its predecessors. The shifting dynamics and thematic weight offer a sense of purpose that the rest of the EP occasionally lacks. Even so, it never really fully clicks and its slow burning structure may only resonate with a few rather than many listeners.
On the whole, The Cloud of Unknowing reflects a band in transition rather than one delivering a definitive final moment of their career. It does blend heavier material with more experimental and reflective moments and showcases how far SEPULTURA have evolved over their four decades as a band. But it lacks cohesion, each track feels like it is pulling in a slightly different direction. There are moments to appreciate, strong musicianship and flashes of creativity show a refusal to rehash old ideas. But as an overall listening experience, it doesn’t quite reach the heights it is aiming for, Instead it lands in the middle ground where it is occasionally impressive but never fully wins you over.
Rating: 6/10
The Cloud Of Unknowing is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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