Album Review: Sepultura, Kairos

Album cover for 'Kairos' by Sepultura. Photo / Supplied

As the ritualistic rumblings of Spectrum escalate, so begins the latest, and one of the best, chapters in the hard, pummelling and heavy Sepultura story.

The Brazilian metal band - formed by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera in 1984, which helped extreme metal gain a wider following with albums like Beneath the Remains and Roots - have been through many highs and lows over the years.

After the departure of frontman Max in the late 90s they carried on, but his dominant legacy was hard to throw off. However, once new vocalist Derrick Green got a foothold they hit back with 2003's Roorback.

These days Sepultura is a Cavalera-free zone with the exit of Igor in 2006, and on Kairos (the second album since the drummer's departure) they dish up a statement of brutal intent. It's the band's most powerful, and freshest-sounding record, since Roots in 1996.

With Spectrum as the primer, it takes off with a muscular lurch on the title track and works up to a stabbing riff frenzy, and then ratchets up to a more extreme level with a cover of Ministry's bludgeoning anthem Just One Fix, which is a mongrel mix of hammering, savage, fun.

And elsewhere, with the neck-destroying groove of Dialog, the maniacal music massacre of Mask, and Born Strong's dissonant tangents, Kairos is the closest Sepultura have come to capturing the potency of their late-80s, early-90s heyday. Beautifully relentless stuff.

Stars: 4/5
Verdict: Best album in 15 years from Brazilian metallers
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- TimeOut