Sepultura - Roots

If Sepultura's album Chaos A.D. established the band as more than just another death metal outfit, Roots expands both its search for identity and its quest for sheer aural destruction. Frontman Max Cavalera explores his past in "Roots, Bloody Roots" and "Endangered Species," and plays with a remote Brazilian tribe on "Rattamahatta". Elsewhere, Sepultura experiments with minor-key dynamics and atonal harmonics, imbuing their wall of noise with an oppressive sense of mystery. They also extend their musical horizons, adding clattering tin drums and what sounds like a jew's-harp to "Breed Apart," and garnishing "Lookaway" with DJ scratching, half-speed vocals, and a gothic, chiming mid-section. --Jon Wiederhorn Amazon.com

Still Stands in top 5 of 1996

I popped this in after having spent almost 10 years away from it... and I have to say that this album inspires.

It is not as technical as any of their previous works, but does leap off where Chaos AD left off.

The goal here... was a return to simplicity. We all know they can write technically inspired and classical riffs... they knew that too. The goal is no more apparent than when you look at the cover and title of the album. The fact remains that an album of this type has not been repeated by any other band since.

The riffing is very simplistic at times, but to beat the dead horse: that was the point. I challenge metal listeners to find another song that sounds like Itsari... the native singing and dancing combined with some well-crafted Spanish acoustic. Only the Swedish metal bands were doing anything remotely similar, specifically Dark Tranquillity and In Flames.

Another reviewer commented that the historical relevance of the album is what contributes to its greatness; I agree, but take the other view.

In 1996 we also had Tool's "Aenima" and Manson's "Antichrist Superstar." This is the only other album that year that stands in line as a memorable performance with those three, and to contrast the Scandinavian release that year was In Flame's "The Jester Race," and all four are albums I can come back to 12 years later and say, "that was f#$%^ good." September 25, 2008

The birth of Soulfly....right here....and a new sound

You can see the birth of Soulfly on Roots...at the time a pioneering CD where the fast slowed down, and tuned down...to create a crushing new sound. Highly recomended, along with Skinlab...SkinnedAlive the live Cd that's new is incredible!Skinned Alive

April 17, 2008

Is this Sepultura or Soulfly

Ok, first of all...is this soulfly or Sepultura. All the tracks on this album sound like a heavy Soulfly. Sepultura has now totally lost their edge with the off-time thrash/death metal that their REAL roots were, what made one of the top metal acts of the 80s and 90s. This album all the makings of a nu-metal(Soulfly) album. Very basic riffs, very stupid lyrics, and very basic jams in the songs. The complexity of Igor's drumming, Andreas' guitar and riffing and Max's growling has all left for nu-metal styles. Igor's playing sounds as simple as Lars Ulrich, Andreas' playing is no longer complex, he sounds we came out of Soulfly with the basic riffs. Max yells at the top of his lungs and no longer has the growl he is known for. The album even has DJ scratching and Jonathan Davis from Korn on the track "Lookaway". You can't any more nu-metal than having Jonathan Davis cameo on a track.

THis album is major disappointment for any one who knows the REAL Sepultura, the pre-"Chaos AD" Sepultura. January 8, 2008

a metal classic

I believe this was one of the best metal album of the 90's. Sepultura are much more influential the they are given credit. Finally there was a band that used the heavy death metal sound with lyrics with actual meaning rather than just relying on shock value. I'm not saying the lyrics were splitting the atom but they were much more mature than what death/black metal had been doing for the last 10 years. The funny thing is when I first heard Roots I did not realize they were the same band that I had read about in the mid 80's who were said to have a sound similar to the great Celtic Frost. If you love heavy music and have not listened to Sepultura than buy this cd. November 15, 2007

Sepultura!!!!

I grew up on thrash metal back in the 80's and no matter how much I tried I could not get into the older Sepultura albums, I know they're classics but I find them generic and mediocre. So that leads me to say Roots and Chaos A.D. in my opinion, are the best Sepultura albums. They're both innovative and experimental..world music meets metal...pure genius. Thick as a brick guitars, pounding drums and brutal vocals...and I love the tribal beats mixed in as well. The only downfall about these two great albums is it may be responsible for giving birth to Nu-Metal which I detest. September 6, 2007

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