And now for a retro review. Arise was released by Brazilian thrash legends Sepultura in 1991, the year I was born. The band has an interesting link to the South African metal scene. The lead vocalist of the incredible band The Broken Result (now disbanded) was previously part of a musical project that toured with Sepultura.
The title track and opener Arise has a guitar tone similar to Metallica. I didn't pick up on any other Metallica-like elements on the other tracks. The sinister introduction of this song is an introduction to the theme of the whole album - a world that has gone disastrously wrong, and is now filled with despair, instability and looming danger. Vocalist Max Cavalera's ragged, strong delivery fits perfectly with the lyrical themes. The band adds variety to the track Desperate Cry For Help, with an acoustic guitar interlude and tempo changes. There's a great solo from lead guitarist Andreas Kisser, with a great effect. The stampeding drumming also adds flavour to the track. Subtraction has a galloping rhythm towards the end, and more great guitar effects, which I came to like very much over the course of the album.
The album highlight came in the form of Altered State, which opens with Latin percussion and tribal drumming. Chanting and flute-playing add to the ritualistic atmosphere, and then the guitars come rumbling and screeching in, starting the glorious thrashy journey that is Altered State. The lyrics in Meaningless Movements save it from being entirely boring,since the music isn't one of the strongest compositions on the album. Strongly closing the album is Orgasmatron, with a punchy, feedback-imbued intro. The tribal drumming makes a second appearance on one of the bonus tracks, C.I.U (Criminals In Uniform). There's a sound effect in the intro that sounds like a rattlesnake, which adds to the song's sinister tone. The solo has a distant, spacey sound, which I liked. C.I.U was another standout track for me.
The lyrics on this album meld very well with what's going on musically, just as the music melds very well with the lyrics. I liked how the lyrics continued the theme of a chaotic, despair-filled world throughout Arise. The songs on this album grew on me with each listen, and I expect they'll be residing in my mental heavy metal filing cabinets for a long time to come.
The title track and opener Arise has a guitar tone similar to Metallica. I didn't pick up on any other Metallica-like elements on the other tracks. The sinister introduction of this song is an introduction to the theme of the whole album - a world that has gone disastrously wrong, and is now filled with despair, instability and looming danger. Vocalist Max Cavalera's ragged, strong delivery fits perfectly with the lyrical themes. The band adds variety to the track Desperate Cry For Help, with an acoustic guitar interlude and tempo changes. There's a great solo from lead guitarist Andreas Kisser, with a great effect. The stampeding drumming also adds flavour to the track. Subtraction has a galloping rhythm towards the end, and more great guitar effects, which I came to like very much over the course of the album.
The album highlight came in the form of Altered State, which opens with Latin percussion and tribal drumming. Chanting and flute-playing add to the ritualistic atmosphere, and then the guitars come rumbling and screeching in, starting the glorious thrashy journey that is Altered State. The lyrics in Meaningless Movements save it from being entirely boring,since the music isn't one of the strongest compositions on the album. Strongly closing the album is Orgasmatron, with a punchy, feedback-imbued intro. The tribal drumming makes a second appearance on one of the bonus tracks, C.I.U (Criminals In Uniform). There's a sound effect in the intro that sounds like a rattlesnake, which adds to the song's sinister tone. The solo has a distant, spacey sound, which I liked. C.I.U was another standout track for me.
The lyrics on this album meld very well with what's going on musically, just as the music melds very well with the lyrics. I liked how the lyrics continued the theme of a chaotic, despair-filled world throughout Arise. The songs on this album grew on me with each listen, and I expect they'll be residing in my mental heavy metal filing cabinets for a long time to come.
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