So Sepultura. These Brazilian metal guys been around forever, started off playing this crazy thrash stuff back in the day, and by the time we get to 1996 and “Roots”, they done went and switched it up completely. Like, I mean completely. This ain’t your Arise-era Sepultura anymore, folks. This is something else entirely, and honestly? It works pretty damn well.
Right off the bat, “Roots Bloody Roots” just hammers you in the face. This track is pure groove metal perfection, heavy as a truck but catchy enough that you’ll be humming that riff for days. It’s the song that basically put these guys on MTV and made them mainstream metal darlings, and for good reason. The tribal elements mixed with that down-tuned guitar sound is just brutal in the best way possible. Following that monster up with “Attitude” was a smart move, another banger that keeps the energy going with Max’s trademark yelling and that unmistakable groove. These two tracks alone could carry the album, but there’s way more where that came from.
“Cut-Throat” brings back some of that old-school thrash energy, it’s probably the most “classic Sepultura” track on here, heavy as fuck and relentless. Then you get “Ratamahatta” which is just pure fun, Brazilian folk music mixed with metal shouldn’t work this well, but damn if it isn’t catchy as hell. The collaboration with Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown really shows here, adding these percussion elements that make the whole thing feel authentic instead of gimmicky. “Straighthate” feels like Cut-Throat’s meaner brother, more groovy but just as heavy, keeping that momentum rolling.
Now, the album does get a bit spotty in the middle. “Lookaway” featuring Jonathan Davis from Korn is… well, it’s something. The vocals get pretty whiny and out of place, and honestly it’s one of the weaker moments. Some folks hate the experimental stuff, but tracks like “Itsári” with the Xavante tribal chants actually add to the atmosphere instead of taking away from it. The acoustic “Jasco” gives you a breather before things get heavy again, and “Ambush” brings back that crushing sound we all came for.
What makes this album work is how Sepultura leaned hard into their Brazilian roots instead of trying to be another American thrash band. The tribal percussion, the folk elements, the way they mixed traditional Brazilian music with heavy metal, it all comes together to create something unique. Sure, it’s not as technically complex as their earlier thrash stuff, but it doesn’t need to be. The riffs are simpler but they groove harder, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want from your metal.
The production by Ross Robinson is raw and loud in all the right ways, no polished bullshit here, just pure heavy sound that hits you right in the gut. Max’s vocals are strained and aggressive, like he’s putting everything he’s got into every scream. Some people call it nu-metal, others call it groove metal, but honestly who cares about labels when the music hits this hard?
This album is a masterpiece, no doubt about it. It’s Sepultura at their most adventurous and it pays off big time. They took a huge risk moving away from their thrash sound and it could’ve been a disaster, but instead they created something that stands completely on its own. Every metalhead should give this one a proper listen, it’s got something for everyone, from the headbangers to the folks who want something a little different from their heavy music.