Sepultura pulled all the stops on this first date of their final European tour, and delivered an epic show which drew from every era of the band and showcased the power and creativity of this unique band.
In the spirit of transparency, I'll admit to not having followed Sepultura very closely since the split with Max. Even though I would always listen to their new album, and often enjoy them a great deal, I haven't seen them live since 1996 and was never as emotionally invested in the band as I was back in the day. And to be honest, I feel the same about the Cavaleras' various projects. But this 40th Anniversary tour is being touted as the band's farewell, and it felt like I needed to attend this date to see that band off. They were, after all, one of the most important Metal acts of their era, and remain an influence on the newer generations in several different Metal sub-genres, their legacy forever cemented in the hearts of fans the world over.
My first surprise was how heavily they relied on the past in their current setlist. After having spent decades trying to distance themselves from their former members, they are now bringing it all full-circle and embracing the catalogue that made them such a powerful commercial force in Metal. And maybe they have always done that in concert, but again this isn't something I was witness to. They're even going as far back as their early Death Metal days with tracks from Schizophrenia, Beneath The Remains and Morbid Visions.
Opening with three tracks from Chaos A.D., Sepultura quickly transformed the Paris arena into a searing pit of energy. It wasn’t quite the same madness I witnessed here 28 years ago, but we’re all a bit older now. For the next 110 minutes, the intensity stayed sky-high, with security handling a steady flow of bodies from the relentless moshing and crowd-surfing. It was pure, exhilarating chaos.
New drummer Greyson Nekrutman is an absolute beast, replicating the tribal feel of Igor Cavalera and the more modern Extreme Metal technique of Eloy Casagrande and bringing it all together in an implacable, relentless machine of groove and aggression. Vocalist Derrick Green is a force of nature and an undeniably charismatic presence with a powerful voice, excelling in both harsh and melodic vocals, commanding the stage and leading the audience like a true Heavy Metal warrior. It's been nearly thirty years since he was given the unenviable task of replacing an icon, and what the future holds for him after the band has folded is anyone's guess, but we look forward to him infusing his next endeavors with the same ferocity, commitment and intensity as he has Sepultura. Paul Jr. is the quintessential Metal bassist: somewhat discreet, playing spartan lines, reliably holding down the fort and laying down the grooves with almost surgical precision. Andreas Kisser, who has kept the band alive amidst shifting trends, flailing membership and personal tragedies, is Thrash Metal's great unsung guitar hero.
In face of such a fantastic performance, with four decades of recordings, thousands of devastating shows and nothing else to prove, Sepultura is leaving it all on the stage. This is your last chance to see the band fucking shit up on stage, your last chance to groove, jump and mosh to their ageless Metal anthems, your last chance to scream at the world, with Sepultura and a few thousand of your fellow metal fans, at the top of your lung, this one word which can translate in every language: Porra!
