Roots
Sepultura
1996
Album Summary
Roots is the sixth studio album by Brazilian metal band Sepultura. It was released in Europe on February 20, 1996 (1996-02-20) and in the U.S. three weeks later on March 12 by Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last studio album to feature founding member and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Max Cavalera. Following the shift to slower tempos and Latin-tinged rhythms on the album Chaos A.D., Roots delves even further into Brazilian musical textures and features significant contributions from iconic Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown, who guided and arranged the sections throughout the album that feature ensemble percussion playing. Both in sound and overall aesthetic, Roots is also a conscious nod to Brazil's marginalized indigenous population and cultures. The song "Itsári" features a Xavante chant that re-appears on the song "Born Stubborn" and serves as a loose thematic thread for the whole album, which on the whole showcases the band's increased affinity for experimentation and collaboration. "Lookaway" features guest appearances by Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis, then-Korn drummer David Silveria, House of Pain/Limp Bizkit turntablist DJ Lethal, and Faith No More/Mr. Bungle vocalist Mike Patton. Riff-wise, Roots also draws influence from the then-surging nu metal movement, specifically Korn (whose first two albums were also produced by Roots producer Ross Robinson) and Deftones. After leaving the band, Max Cavalera would continue to pursue the nu metal and "world" stylings of Roots with his solo project Soulfly. Since its release, Roots has sold over two million copies worldwide.
WikipediaOk This is so fucking good. Best Metal album yet! Holy Shit so much creativity. And the energy is absolutely off the charts, would love to mosh to these guys.
‘You’re probably gonna think I’m crazy, but I’d like to record a concept record and it’s gonna be recorded with the Brazilian tribes’ - Max
Ah, now we're talking. Compared to other albums here, we'd need a truckload of stars to make this album justice. Damn good stuff
Used to listen to this and Chaos AD with some friends in high school. A most unique fusion of musical elements and influences. I dare say one of the most creative and adventurous metal albums of all time. An album that brings the modern and traditional together in a deep and meaningful way.
This album goes through so many different subtle changes in metal genres. Great Album. Some tracks don't hit as well as others though.
Heavy and without the chaotic non-sense nosebleed-causing ruckus of other hardcore/metal bands, "Roots" is that dirty clean type of metal where the growling and screams might actually have an intelligible word here and there. In this reviewer's experience, metal generally was a pre-game music choice or something to encourage aggressive focus. Sepultura's "Roots" fits that bill. Melodic and heavy, the sounds/songs are progressive and orderly, yet when it is time to go a bit harder, so is the listener. While Sepultura certainly does not stand alone in achieving this kind of balance between the chaotic expression of metal and the demanding order of focused aggression, it should stand out that they do it very well.
I admit that death and thrash metal is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I don't love the screaming but I love the frenetic guitar playing and booming bass lines. So Roots Bloody Roots hooked me in, and the singing made me wonder if I should stay hooked. Another issue with this genre is that it all kind of sounds the same. And I don't just mean this album - yes, some songs sound similar to each other but also to so many other Slipknot, Disturbed, etc. albums. Mixing in some Brazilian / Latin music (and bongos!) gives some songs a different feel, but absent those features it can get monotonous. Ratamahatta was pretty unique actually with its use of Brazilian sounds; didn't always love it, but kudos to the band for doing something different. Conversely, I really liked the mix of thrash and Brazil in Breed Apart, but the final moments with distortion was truly irritating. Loved the music in Straighthate, needed some melody somewhere though. Got kind of monotonous from there for about 5 songs. Jasco and Itsari changed it up with some nice acoustic, almost classical Spanish guitar playing. Showed a bit of chops there. Good album as far as death metal goes, need less screaming though.
The mix of thrash with Brazilian instruments is interesting but overall not my thing. Took some points off for the length of the album
Brazilian heavy metal. Loud, aggressive, precise, definitely virtuosic. But despite all their rage, I just don’t feel the music.
There are some interesting things happening rhythmically here and the riffs are pretty heavy and fun, but I just can't cope with the vocals. The older I get the more trouble I have with such abrasion. The gutteral shrieks and howls just turn me off.
Music is pretty good if a little hard for my tastes. The raw guttural screaming that passes for singing is just not to my taste. I have to admit that musically there's some pretty impressive playing. 2.5
A fantastic blend of traditional Brazillian music into groove and nu metal. Even a little death metal influence in there. I haven't listened to this record in a very long time, I forgot how much I loved it.
I've listened to about 70 albums of the 1001. This is my biggest discovery yet. Once I got used to the screaming I was amazed by the guitar work. There's a lot of "the prodigy" vibes. So many great riffs I often wish they would repeat them more often. Then the latin folk mix in Ratamahatta got me convinced fully. I even showed to my wife and kids who also digged it. Not sure we would listen to it as a family but they "got it". Highlight: Bloody Roots, Ratamahatta, Jasi/Itsari, Canyon Jam.
Incrível! Ainda mais sabendo que é de uma banda brasileira - e de Minas Gerais! Um estilo que pouco conheço, mas que me agradou bastante. O álbum tem referências indígenas belíssimas (aliás, a última faixa é um deleite). Ouvirei de novo.
I'm a big Sepultura fan and I listened to this just a few days ago in the car. So not actually going to listen again today... although coincidentally, as I load this project today I'm watching a live video of them from 1996 and tons of Roots material is on it, so eh. Normally I'd rate it in relation to the rest of Sepultura's (Max-era) catalogue and it'd get a 2 or 3; compared to their previous albums it's too long and half the songs have a dumb jam feel to them. When it came out I wasn't surprised it sounded like it did, but I was still disappointed - I knew there was zero chance it'd sound like Arise, but I was hoping it'd be more like Chaos AD than it was. The nu-metal sound was just everywhere, all my favourite bands seemed to be doing the mid-90s in a way I didn't like and I remember hearing Roots and thinking "oh for christ's sake, Sepultura as well?" These days I like it more than I did in 1996 (and the title track has always been A+) but it's still at the bottom end of their catalogue. I gave up on Sepultura after this album, simply because Max left the band and the album after it was just crap. I do have to give Kisser, Paulo and Green a tip of the hat because they've stuck at it for so long since, and their last album is actually really good, but I'm just a Cavalera tragic at heart. Roots was basically end of the line for me. But then again, compared to the absolute SHIT this project throws at me 6 days per week, Roots is a fucking masterpiece. I'm not judging it by other Sepultura albums today; I'm rating in comparison to the same late 60s folk/pop/rock yawnfests I hear over and over every day. And on that scale, Roots gets a 5/5.
4.7 - Wow, I had very low expectations for this (yet another nu metal album?!) but I actually think it's amazingly innovative. Somehow the fusion of indigenous Brazilian beats and instruments, corny and misguided as it may look on paper, actually comes together and provides for some amazing moments. I especially love the instrumentals "Jasco" and "Itsari" that act as a sort of intermission in the middle of the record. Unlike other nu metal records I've listened to, this one is almost absent of the "I-hate-my-stepdad-and-want-to-kill-everything" vibe. Instead, Sepultura takes on headier topics such as civic disobedience ("Ambush" and "Dictatorshit") and ecological decline ("Endangered Species"). The record ends on a high with "Canyon Jam", a drum circle that sounds like it was recorded in the middle of the Amazon under the moonlight.
I love this album, though a lot of that is for nostalgic reasons. They really jumped on the nu-metal bandwagon with this album, but 16 year old me didn't care about that in 1997, I just loved playing this and Chaos AD over and over. In addition to being a gateway metal album from my formative years, Sepultura was also one of those bands that kind of opened my eyes to a wider world beyond the small conservative community I grew up in. To this day, I just love Max Cavalera's voice, and Igor Cavalera varies up his drumming so much that even songs with the simplest riffs end up being some of the most dynamic.
This is so fucking sick. Makes me want to bench press a blue whale. Heavy, but not in that annoying "SATAN BLOOD DEATH! MY PARENTS ARE GETTING A DIVORCE" kind of way (Looking at you, Slayer). Mixing the screaming and insane guitars with Brazilian tribal music somehow works incredibly well. Favorite track was either "Ratamahatta", "Endangered Species" or "Roots Bloody Roots". Honorable mention goes to the 13-minute bonus track "Canyon Jam". A 2.76 global rating? Made me think I was going to be listening to Poundland Megadeth or something.
All the stars aligned to make this a perfect Monday morning album. Sounds counter intuitive but for some reason it all fell into place perfectly and set me up for a solid week.
Well, I've never really been a fan of the atonal screaming metal vocals. I just don't feel like they add anything to the music. Apart from that, this is a pretty cool album. It has a lot of the elements of nu metal instrumentals without feeling completely shitty and soulless like so much of that music does. The traditional Brazilian influence does a lot for this album in terms of adding substance. It slowly seems to stop being a metal album and becomes a Brazilian folk music album 4/5
Le tengo cariño a este disco, fue un regalo que me hicieron y lo escuché bastante en su momento. Sigue sonando bien la mezcla de Metal y toques étnicos. Desde "Roots Bloody Roots", "Ratamahatta", "Breed Apart", "Born Stubborn", "Jasco" hasta "Itsári" hay un mosaico de guitarras y percusión de otro nivel.
One of the more unique yet intense metal albums I've heard. Their Brazilian roots are incorporated into the music in such a fun, clever way! It was cool to hear!
Heavy nu metal from my childhood, enjoyed this, deffo reminded me of being an angst riddled teenager
- Strong concept and sound. - Overstays welcome with somewhat repetitious energy - No musicianship flair in the solos - Pioneering but not quite timeless
Love it! Roots bloody roots! Not my favorite Sepultura album (chaos ad), but still very good with cool tribal influence
The vocals are so clear in this mix. i think its because the kick drum is so soft on the attack. Roots, Bloody Roots has my attention. Ratamahatta is a real cool groovy. Ambush has some classic hardcore metal gang vocals. I feel like I am obligated to take off a star because of a 12+ minute album closing canyon jam session, though one of the instruments is a gun?
While I’ve never been a fan of Death Metal I have to say I was impressed with the range displayed on this album, no doubt influenced by the many guest musicians who contributed. The Brazilian rhythms really added a unique context. Roots exceeded my expectations.
It's anyways tough for me to get past screaming vocals, but when I was able to, there was some very interesting stuff happening on this album rhythm and instrumentation wise.
Au debut je n'étais vraiment pas certain d'écouter l'album, car je ne feelais pas trop pour du Black / Death Metal mais l'album est bon et après chaque tounes, j'avais envie d'écouter la suivante. Les riffs sont bon et le son de la guit est malade. Juste le chant qui est un peu too much pour moi à la longue. Probalement que je n'écouterai pas les 1h12 de l'album mais c'est une belle experience. 4.10
Adding berimbau and other traditional Brazilian instruments goes a long way towards covering up the faint whiff of nu metal that otherwise might have turned me right off... Fave track - love the swivel eyed mania of "Ratamahatta"! "Roots Bloody Roots" is also a tune...
Auténtico thrash con toques de tribus brasileñas. Cañero, guitarrero y con mucha percusión.
In my opinion, Roots is not just an album by a mature ensemble, but an avant-garde work whose songs are well thought out. (7/10) FT: Roots Bloody Roots, Ratamahatta
Chaos A.D. et Roots sont les deux plus gros albums de Sepultura. Sur Chaos A.D., une signature commence à apparaître avec un métal plus rhythmique. À l'époque où j'écoutais des bands comme Metallica, Slayer et Pantera, Chaos A.D. avec ses chansons Refuse/Resist et Territory amenaient de la nouveauté dans le genre. Roots, l'album qui a suivi, est selon moi leur album le plus authentique avec une plus grande place aux éléments culturels du groupe. C'est ce qui en fait sa force. On a un son aussi vraiment plus lourd avec le tuning plus grave. L'album est un peu long, mais c'est un classique que j'aime revisiter. Pièces préférées: Roots Bloody Roots, Ratamahatta
The best Sepultura album. The way it mixes thrash metal with the groove elements is still unparalleled.
I understand the controversy behind this album. Nu metal has always been derided (tbh, including by myself) and this must have seemed like a sellout move for Sepultura. But I’ve always erred on the side who considers this revelatory. I don’t think Max Cavalera was chasing trends, but he genuinely has always been a guy who has had his pulse on the current scene and likes to follow course in his own way. Look at Soulfly’s recent material for an example. When the album embraces their literal roots and adds Brazilian influences, it’s a triumph. But it goes on for way too long- the CD era had to die for a reason. Even as someone who still likes CDs and uses them, I definitely do not miss the desire to fill a disc of material. This would be a good bit better if it was at least a brisk 50 minutes. B-
Heavy and groovy as fuck with some great touches of Latin music to make it stand out more than your standard nu-metal. It's a bit on the long side but I had a great time with this!
I had heard this before and it didn't really click, but I enjoyed it more this time. I'd say it is a little long for no good reason, and it would be better if it were like 40 minutes instead of 70.
Damn, how the first five tracks of this one SLAP! The inclusion of Latin American rhythms within some of the most uncompromising metal of those years is just seamless. From "Roots Bloody Roots" to "Breed Apart", not a second is wasted to make this fusion works. Special mention to "Ratamahatta" and its incredible featuring of percussionist Carlinhos Brown. And Ross Robinson did a hell of a job on production (better than Andy Wallace for the former Sepultura classic *Chaos A.D.*). The later inclusion of field recordings of Amazonian tribes is also very nice. Sonically and topically relevant. I just wish that seamless inclusion of Brazilian influences has worked *until the end*. The second part of the album is indeed a little more hit or miss, and loses some of its momentum through its many u-turns (there's still that somewhat atmospheric track with Mike Pattton and Jonathan Davis--but such moments are too far and between). As a result, this record might just be a little too long. So, to put it in a nutshell, *Roots* is based on an awesome concept, one that somehow renews the whole metal genre. But the second half of this album *might* just be a little lacking in terms of sheer execution. That being said, even with those minor shortcomings, it should still be included in a list of 1001 most important albums. If only because there are not many crossover albums like this in the whole metal genre, ones that can bring curious listeners from the outside without alienating its hardcore fanbase. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 896 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 55 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 27 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 23
Best Song: Ratamahatta. I really like the intense staccato delivery. It pairs well with the metal backing, and isn't something you often see in the genre. Close second to Itsári. Worst Song: Straighthate. I'm not a big fan of when metal artists try to cram this "edgy" lyrical content into their songs as a way to, I don't know, gain credibility? The music is heavy enough to stand on its own without the cheesy lyrics. Overall: Pleasantly surprised by this album. There was a diverse enough set of sounds to keep an album this long interesting (which isn't always the case in metal, where bands can tend to be a little one-note). I think the name "Roots" is fitting, and I most enjoyed the parts of the album where the band took inspiration from traditional/aboriginal Brazilian music. These elements felt really unique, whereas some of the more typical, English-language tracks were a bit boring.
Abso-fucking-lutely. Just a great, strong, heavy album. I am totally in love with the plethora of percussion instruments on this record; the breakdown for "Breed Apart" did NOT need to go that heavy, but I'm glad it did. Praise aside, it's a bit of a long one, and while there are flourishes of texture, it can be a little repetitive at times. Still, phenomenal album. Favorite tracks: "Breed Apart", "Ratamahatta", "Roots Bloody Roots", "Itsari"
I don't necessarily dislike Death Metal, and it's cool that they are from Brazil. Beyond that, it feels very typical heavy metal, a bit uninspired for me. Then again, I'm not a metalhead so :shrug:.
Pretty good, mostly. Couple of songs I could've skipped and not missed much, but pretty good.
Only listened to one song. I like it okay but it’s also pretty NuMetal and that isn’t really my thing
Not usually into metal, but I thought I would try this one out because its from Brazil. Not a fan of the whole Screaming vocal style, but there are some really interesting moments here (the final track is a standout for me), which I think place it a cut above other metal albums that Ive listened to. Closer to a 3.5, but I just cant take the screaming vocals seriously.
The songs definitely have a cool metal groove. Some of it is the stuff nightmares are made of. I don't mind some growling, but this was a little much for me. Wish I could hear this with a singer who wasn't constantly screaming because the music is pretty awesome. Giving it a 3 but would have given it a 4 with less screaming.
I'm not into the nu metal genre and this is the first time I've listened to Sepultura. This album was pretty good at times and I especially like some of the exotic rhythms that the band used on multiple tracks. They seemed to be trying to do something different here which is always a risk because you don't know how fans are going to react. One of my criticism (apart from the growling vocals which isn't my thing) is that the band seemed to do the one thing that a lot of bands in that era did and that is fill up the entire CD. I think they would've benefited a lot by taking at least 2 tracks off and making a better overall album. Dusted and Born stubborn could easily have been bonus tracks or used on an E.P. It would have been a 4 star album but I think it's length makes me drop it down to 3.
I like the musicality of the band, but I have never been a fan of death growl vocals. So it was really difficult for me to get past that.
Intense, relentless, piercing sound. Brutal, guttural-to-screaming vocals. Cathartic, angry lyrics. I enjoyed the use of Latin and indigenous musics, which pushes this creatively to a level beyond what I expected, particularly on the back half of the album. The closed it out nicely with "Canyon Jam." Overall hard on the ears, and not really my genre of choice, but this is a well made album. Glad I gave it a chance. Fave Songs: Breed Apart, Ratamahatta, Jasco, Itsari
Musikgenren er ikke ligefrem. Dog kan jeg godt høre kvaliteten i den. Generelt er stemmen ret irriterende og musikken for hurtigt. 3 stjerner
This sounds like the granddaddy of metal but very current. I'm impressed, though it's not my typical listen.
I really liked some of the songs, but this album is just too long. I can only take so much screaming at once. That being said, the music is top notch. I really like the musicians and the Brazilian roots really shine. Truly fantastics musicality. 2.5/5 but rounding up to 3/5 for great music. The screaming just is too much.
Never given this band a proper listen before, and dismissed them at noise. Glad it has appeared on my list and I’ve given them a proper bit of attention. Impressive control, tempo and rhythms, and clever use of dynamics and multiple percussion instruments to keep things interesting. I still don’t quite get the vocal style but the musicality is great and I really enjoyed trying this from start to finish. Top tracks: Ratamahatta, Breed Apart
The music was tight. Impressive drums, instrumentals and tribal percussions. Pretty strong vocals with mostly intelligible lyrics. Interludes/extro add a different pace with itsari, canyon jam.
This was a somewhat enjoyable listen for me, which is saying a lot considering my general feelings regarding metal. Vocals aside (I'm not into them and the lyrics aren't much better), the guitars were rad. Especially on the tracks that weren't as...heavy.
Pas un fan du genre mais j'ai apprécié l'écoute Pour moi c'est vraiment l'aspect roots, les éléments de musiques traditionnelles et field recordings, qui m'ont plus Le disque est bien réalisé et les jams de percs et autres interludes rendent ça digeste pour les non-amateurs de métal comme moi mettons. Il y a de quoi que j'ai jamais compris dans les sons de bass métal. All clank and noise pis pas de fondamentale de la note. Même en solo on a peine à distinguer qu'est-ce qu'y joue....🤔
I listened to Sepultura at the gym, which was a good place to listen to it. I didn't mind it, good in places (Straighthate, Spit, Born Stubborn especially) but again, when I'm listening to metal of this style I want a little more nuance and skill to it. Maybe I've been spoiled by Avatar. Anyway, 3/5.
Eh. It's not for me but it's a very good example of what it is. It certainly didn't offend me.
It’s still pretty good (better than I remember), but it’s still ridiculously long for a nu metal record. 3.5
What a stark contrast from the other Sepultura album Arise. I haven't listened to Chaos A.D. but they dramatically slowed down their riffs, and I am now convinced nu metal is just groove metal with heavier, grungier riffs and hip hop vocals. There's a ton of Korn inspiration here, especially in "Attitude" and "Endangered Species", and in fact they were so obsessed they even got Korn to play in "Lookaway." They also incorporate Brazilian indigenous themes in the lyrics, instrumentation, and sometimes vocals as in the peculiar "Ratamahatta" or the last few tracks. It's a solid album. Production work is good. There's good mixing and nice Korn-esque effects like distortion. It's also super influential, for being one of the first albums to popularize nu metal, which of course would dominate mainstream rock for the next half decade. There's only a few highlights in the album, much like Arise. I didn't find the vast majority to be memorable. Also double album syndrome made it hardly bearable to listen to entirely. Tracks are too long, most of them going over 4 minutes. They try to spice it up near the end with more unconventional indigenous-themed tracks which does blend in well but hardly grabbed my attention. "Itsari" and "Dictatorship" are the only tracks I enjoyed after "Lookaway."
I have heard of them before but have never heard them before. It was a pretty rocking album for my Saturday morning walk!
Pretty unique for a metal album. Some central american/other elements like a didgeridoo? chanting and lighter drums like bongos or something. Didn't end up adding any songs to my Spotify just because metal isn't really my genre of choice but a couple songs had me nodding my head.
A better produced album with more songwriting than noise like their earlier work. It also includes acoustic and worldly deviations which gives the album more in dynamics and structure. However, far too long of a runtime.
Some of the heavy metal guitar riffs are tasty but the screaming vocals are just a non starter for me - I don't relate to that aggressive intensity and it's not pleasing to my ear.
I didn't like this, but it was interesting. Metal but mixed with some tribal/latin kind of beats.
Brutal, physical attack music. Some cool blends of tribal rhythms and rock grooves. Won't be riding further in the Sepultura train though, as it's too aggressive and tuneless for my ears.
Very Loud, Very hard, Has a great sound, but you really have to be in the mood for this kind of music to enjoy it. First time hearing this band or the album. 2/5 for me.
Tried really hard to like it. Love the concept, don't mind a bit of metal if well done. But this was faaaarrrr tooo long and repetitive. Best tracks broke out from the mould (canyon jam and the tribal one).
Nope, not for me. Really surprised this band has two albums on this list. Their music is strong, but I can’t get with the vocals.
Repetitive black metal, a few moments and a couple of “please can’t we play something else?” tracks.
The opening of Roots Bloody Roots promised so much, yet as soon as the vocals started it was a big fat no for me. A shame as potentially some bangers with the guitar riffs but I couldn't persevere with vocals that sound like a cat being dragged bum first over a sandpaper covered rasp.
So much metal in this list. I have nothing else to say about Sepultura. The appearance of Latin influences in some of the music were welcome relief but I just find the croak/growl shouting pointless and intolerable.
I enjoy the tribal chants and percussion but nu-metal/groove metal has never done it for me. I wish they would have stuck with their sound from the first 2 albums and worked the tribal elements I and that.
not for me. Interesting to capture melody as a distinct element of thrash metal. Still, merely a curiosity for me, I don't think I could warm to this. Rating here is purely subjective.
Hard to make up my mind about this one. I don't like the local delivery but I do like some of the riffs. Death/Thrash metal isn't really my bag, but it did have some parts I enjoyed. Does it stand up for inclusion on this list, hmmm dunno
I recognise the power and the uniqueness of this band, but it really is a godawful racket.
Non content de nous avoir cassé les oreilles sur un premier album encore aujourd'hui considéré comme le pire album de cette liste, Sepultura revient avec un projet grandiloquant d'1h16. Malgré quelques promesses intéressantes d'un projet certes heavy metal mais digeste, Sepultura ne pourra jamais tenir l'auditeur pendant toute la durée de l'album. Pire encore, pour ajouter à leur médiocre musique, Sepultura a profité de la visite du producteur aux portails dans leur pays de résidence, le Brésil, pour l'inviter sur la dernière piste de l'album (le producteur aux portails étant présent sur place suite à sa collaboration avec Os Mutantes, voir la review de leur album). Difficile de laisser passer toutes ces erreurs, Sepultura s'en tirera néammoins avec un 2/5, soit le double de la note du très critiqué Arise.
Ces métalleux ont passé les trois quarts de l'album à danser autour d'un feu de camp dans le but d'appeler la pluie et d'assurer la protection des récoltes... En un mot : insuffisant.
OK, I made it through song 9 and I've heard enough. Death metal just ain't my thing and this didn't help. It's listenable, barely, just barely. 1.5stars rounding to 2.
Creative within extraordinarily narrow parameters. When everything word has to be growled and every instrument beat to shit, there's only so much you can do. They do most of it really well, and it's still tired after track two.
Not nearly as over the top as I remember it being. It's actually quite melodic in places. It's still too much for me really, but I can appreciate it's a very well made album and at the forefront of 90s thrash metal. It does its thing very well, its thing isn't for me though.
Never liked this type of rock derived from Zeppelin a/o Sabbath (as the band biography indicates). But, understand why a band like this was formed is interesting. Some info from wikipedia Sepultura (Portuguese: [ˌsepuwˈtuɾɐ], "grave")[1] is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, the band was a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal and death metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments drawing influence from alternative metal, world music, nu metal, hardcore punk, and industrial metal. Sepultura has also been credited as one of the second wave of thrash metal acts from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.
Is the ridiculous growl supposed to be masculine or something? It's awful. Best track: Jasco
Ugly arse cover… The album starts with roots bloody roots it’s the kinda in your face slipknot type stuff that oversteps the barrier too much the instrumentation isn’t even good enough to pass on as great. I like the effects put at the start of attitude sounds like a space tribe and the screaming gives the song a needed atmosphere but the screaming isn’t even good screaming. Cut-throat is just more viking screaming. Whereas rathamahatta is a caveman chant better and more primal that it’s predecessor. The vocals in breed apart are way too odd just either creeky or a screamy mess ( wow I hate this album). Okay something I like the first minute of straighthate is interesting instrumentally them it’s the same old shit. Actually, to prevent boredom the rush from spit to dusted all have this same nasty sound to them which I hate, some have redeeming moments where I can see other people loving this but it’s all scream mo substance. But born stubborn kinda hits with me with the rapid instrumentation, it’s a better use for the screaming, still not my kinda thing but I don’t hate it ( now that’s saved this from a 1/5). Now there is a 2 song block of instrumentals first jasco it’s not much just a short bit of folk music. But then is Itsari, well I guess it’s not fully instrumental but it’s still a stupid acoustic based chanter. But I prefer it over like 70% of this album. And the ooga booga voice is back with ambush It’s just repetitive, uninteresting and predictable. The intro to endangered species is cool but then we’re back to the same noise. I guess the spine of the album ends with dictatorshit a drum based rampager with very little guitars, it was a good try and they failed. Canyon jam isn’t worth sitting through! Without these small instrumental moments of greatness it would easily be a 1, this shouldn’t be 16 tracks long this band could only do like 10 okay and there was still some filler. Best songs= the singles Worst songs= that boring stretch in the middle that I didn’t bother reviewing properly
This was just too "metal" for me. Too drums-focused and noisy and too little singing/too much screaming and growling
At times, under all the angry shouty man stuff, there's some interesting things going on at times.
Roots Bloody Roots - So, how is this on this list? Hilariously has a verse that sounds like the heavy metal version of Elevation by U2. Attitude - I Cut Throat - Hate Ratamahatta - This (this one is kind of funny though) Breed Apart - Album StraightHATE this album.
19. Roots - Sepultura. 16 Tracks. Some of the instrument playing is really good, but the vocals are just more shouting I'm afraid. It's a half step up from Slipknot, but only a half step. It's just noise to me with some shouty bloke who needs a throat lozenge.
Het begint met het typische "stofzuiger" geluid van de rockmuziek. Afschuwlijk. Na megadeath in een tijd van leuke TOP 2000 nummers, kan ik helaas niet anders dan wederom 1 ster uitdelen. Misschien is "Ratamahatta" dan een ietwat grappig? En dan strijk ik nog met mijn hand over het hart. *
Sorrý, ég bara skil ekki þessa tónlist. Mér finnst þetta ekki "bara hávaði", en svo stór hluti af þessu er hávaði sem drekkir hinu sem vel er gert. Tvö söngvaralaus lög í seinni partinum, Jasco og Itsári, eru áheyrileg, en restin rennur saman í eitt. Svaka orka bla bla ..., en ég nenni þessu ekki.
aw shit, first Pantera now this yeah this album really has nothing special about it for me, I fucking hate trash metal I talk about it more on the Vulgar Display of Power review, shits just ass in my ears, 2/10
Didn't get very far in. I really struggle with this genre, can't really differentiate one band from another.
Pas mon genre, pas super intéressant, pas particulièrement drette et agressant en plus. Y’a du ben meilleur métal que ça.
I was hoping this would be an album called Sepultra by the Roots. It wasn't. I'm not a fan of screaming metal at all really (although one of the plus points of this singer was that it was relatively easy to understand the lyrics). Still, this genre of music has never done anything for me really, and this album has done nothing to change that. 1/5.
Wybitnie niesluchalny pick sie dzisial wylosowal, polaczenie wyjcowania z rytmami egzotyki, bo Sepultura to brazylijski zespol, ktory na albumie Roots postanowil skapitalizowac swoje egzotyczne korzenie, bo przeciez takie wycie z dalekich i dzikich krajow sprzeda sie lepiej niz typowo hamerykanskie wycie, wiec na ich szostym studyjnym krazku taka strategie wlasnie obrali, nie wiem jak wygladaja ich poprzednie czy kolejne materialy, bo ten z 96 wymeczyl mnie wystarczajaco, bo poza ultra wyjcowaniem, piekielnie oklepanym graniem i nic nie wnoszacymi wstawkami egzotycznie akustycznymi, ktore mialy zmieniac ton i budowac klimat plyty jako tego egzotyka, a jedyne co robia to rozciagaja te meke do 72 minut, a glownym oprawca w tym czterosobowym skladzie jest Max Cavalera, ktory jest tworca tekstow i glownym wokalem, a dodatkowo brzdaka na gitarze rytmicznej, to jego wycie najbardziej niszczy podczas odsluchu, jest to ten rodzaj growlowania, ze czlowiek nawet nie proboje sie zastanawiac nad tym co jest skrzeczane, wiec nijaki album o niczym, chociaz pewnie jest tam wiele nawiazan do kultury, historii, religii, czy tego co sie dzieje w jego korzeniach, bo wskazuja na to tytuly utworow, nawet jesli same teksty pozostana dla mnie zagadka nie do odszyfrowania, discog kataloguje album jako trash metal, z czym jak najbardziej sie zgodze, bo smieciowy byl to odsluch
Not really digging this. I know it's kind of an old album but the production is so muddy and the vocals are not good. I love metal, harsh vocals aren't a deal-breaker but bad harsh vocals are. I'd rather just listen to Korn.