Music Banter - View Single Post - Sepultura

Certif1ed · 10-13-2009, 07:07 AM

First listening light analysis of Sepultura: Morbid Visions

Morbid Visions - like Hell Awaits with Chuck Schuldiner doing vocals. Very cool and fast, but not particularly distinctive and severely lacking in the solo department.

Mayhem - badly out of time, and very similar to Morbid Visions, with the same Slayer riffs. Same kind of slowing down/speeding up thing going on. A Jeff Hannemann solo still shows the "influence" clearly on the sleeves. Still cool somehow.

Troops of Doom - now this has a more unique flavour. Kind of like a more bouncy version of Death, but not the same. Very Slayer solos.

War - Possessed seem to have crept in as an additional influence, and maybe a dab of Kreator, Testament and even a touch of Sacred Reich. Good influences to have in 1986, and a logical mix. Mmm. Definitely Sacred Reich. And a lot of Slayer. Good to hear someone having a decent stab at Dave Lombardo's style.

Crucifixion - I can only continue commenting in terms of the influences really - they stand out so strongly, but despite the derived nature of the music, it's all performed so well and with so much metal grit, that it simply does not matter how derived it is. This is simply a good, brutal, metal song that delivers.

Show Me The Wrath starts out a bit Sacred Reich - but there's definitely something unique bubbling under. Then it ploughs into the familiar mix of Kreator/Death/Slayer/Possessed - but somehow more manic, with an insanely fast double bass drum that makes the rest seem somewhat laboured - but I'm being picky on details here. It's the overall song that counts, and this is another good one.

Funeral Rites begins in a doomy vein - OK, that's a bit predictable, but some predictablility is necessary in a balanced album, and after 6 slices of mayhem, some slowing down (however brief) is welcome - because it all blows up again into Bathory speed manicness (is there such a word?). This goes into the whole slow/fast structure thing that plagues many "genres" of metal that seem to think that doing this all the time makes for variety. Sepultura pull it off, because they've found the balance that occurs naturally when you're writing songs.

Empire of the Damned - I wasn't expecting another slow start, and it doesn't stay slow for long, and neither does it hurtle into breakneck speed immediately. I'm hearing a touch of Celtic Frost in here somehow alongside the usual suspects. Some really nice changes (and plenty of them) in this one - they saved the best for last!

Altogether, a thrash album that belongs in anyone's top 20 of early thrash ('83-86), and while not as polished as the offerings from the big guys, it's a debut that shows so much promise that I can't wait to get stuck into the follow-ups.

10-13-2009, 07:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
Certif1ed Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 194	Sepultura - an analytical assessment (sort of) First listening light analysis of Sepultura: Morbid Visions Morbid Visions - like Hell Awaits with Chuck Schuldiner doing vocals. Very cool and fast, but not particularly distinctive and severely lacking in the solo department. Mayhem - badly out of time, and very similar to Morbid Visions, with the same Slayer riffs. Same kind of slowing down/speeding up thing going on. A Jeff Hannemann solo still shows the "influence" clearly on the sleeves. Still cool somehow. Troops of Doom - now this has a more unique flavour. Kind of like a more bouncy version of Death, but not the same. Very Slayer solos. War - Possessed seem to have crept in as an additional influence, and maybe a dab of Kreator, Testament and even a touch of Sacred Reich. Good influences to have in 1986, and a logical mix. Mmm. Definitely Sacred Reich. And a lot of Slayer. Good to hear someone having a decent stab at Dave Lombardo's style. Crucifixion - I can only continue commenting in terms of the influences really - they stand out so strongly, but despite the derived nature of the music, it's all performed so well and with so much metal grit, that it simply does not matter how derived it is. This is simply a good, brutal, metal song that delivers. Show Me The Wrath starts out a bit Sacred Reich - but there's definitely something unique bubbling under. Then it ploughs into the familiar mix of Kreator/Death/Slayer/Possessed - but somehow more manic, with an insanely fast double bass drum that makes the rest seem somewhat laboured - but I'm being picky on details here. It's the overall song that counts, and this is another good one. Funeral Rites begins in a doomy vein - OK, that's a bit predictable, but some predictablility is necessary in a balanced album, and after 6 slices of mayhem, some slowing down (however brief) is welcome - because it all blows up again into Bathory speed manicness (is there such a word?). This goes into the whole slow/fast structure thing that plagues many "genres" of metal that seem to think that doing this all the time makes for variety. Sepultura pull it off, because they've found the balance that occurs naturally when you're writing songs. Empire of the Damned - I wasn't expecting another slow start, and it doesn't stay slow for long, and neither does it hurtle into breakneck speed immediately. I'm hearing a touch of Celtic Frost in here somehow alongside the usual suspects. Some really nice changes (and plenty of them) in this one - they saved the best for last! Altogether, a thrash album that belongs in anyone's top 20 of early thrash ('83-86), and while not as polished as the offerings from the big guys, it's a debut that shows so much promise that I can't wait to get stuck into the follow-ups.