Wow! This is Sepultura’s 14th album and the second with this line-up, but what really makes this album good is the fact that it is rather dynamic with plenty of changes of tempo and feel. Derrick Green’s vocals range from deep baritone crooning to his majestic roars over Andreas Kisser’s soaring guitars or delicate picking with Paulo Jr. filling out the sound as ever and Eloy Casagrande driving the tempo home.
The title track “Machine Messiah” is also the opening track with its rather sedate but heavy guitar strumming and easy going drum beat. It sort of lulls you into a false sense of security that the song is just going to plod along aimlessly but never deliver, but once the leads start you know this is just an invitation and it’s time to get comfortable.
“I Am The Enemy” is the shortest track on the album and blasts along rapidly at full pelt with nothing but anger and aggression being spewed at high speed. No finesse like the previous track, but then I don’t think it’s meant to have any.
Some tribal percussive instruments along with sitar sounding strings kick off “Phantom Self” and remain as an undercurrent surfacing occasionally throughout the song giving the guitars a brief reprieve and adding a new unexpected flavour to the song.
Rather more mid-tempo in “Alethea” the guitar slowly works its way through the myriad of drum beats to show what a technical lead can do to elevate a song a step further and emphasise the vocals beautifully.
The instrumental “Iceberg Dances” reminds me a little of the fast changes in tempo and structure employed by Mekong Delta but still keeping with heavier tuning and deeper sound. Even the organ doesn’t sound as amiss as you’d expect it to and the acoustic bridge just whets your appetite for the lead that follows.
The album cover has a rather 70s prog rock feel to it and somehow “Sworn Oath” seems to carry that torch in a Sepulturesque way as Derrick’s vocals are far from gentle and the guitars get nice and heavy, but maintain their melodic edge as they wind their way through the song.
“Resistant Parasites” has a great riff accompanied by a steady beat that is littered with tribal drum fills that allows the guitar to throw extra things into the mix keeping things interesting, which I’m certain this song shall be in a mosh pit.
I think that “Silent Violence” may be a misnomer as it’s anything but silent as the drawn out roars are punctuated by the snap of a snare and piercing of the leads.
An excellent thrash riff is used on “Vandals Nest” which combined with the blistering drumming and acerbic vocals has the lead sounding rather flowery before the vocals change to suit the more melodic ending to the song.
“Cyber God” finishes the album with a mix of fast and slower more complex movements letting Derrick do more with the vocal arrangements to complement the mood during those changes.
While not their fastest or heaviest album, it certainly feels like their most mature with the way it manages to hold itself back when required but certainly lets rip whenever it can.
(8/10 Marco Gaminara)
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