Flashback Friday Album Review: Sepultura "Roots"

1 1/2 out of 5

I've just gotta say it: this album isn't good. As the last album by the mighty Sepultura to feature leader Max Cavalera that followed on the heels of two colossal records ("Arise" and "Chaos A.D.") this hyper-aggro slab of Nu Metal caveman rock just plainly, in the simplest of terms, fucking sucks.

That isn't to say that there aren't redeeming qualities within the record, it's just that every year the record ages it sounds more and more like a bad throwback to 90's era Korn, which washes away any bright spots that could've shown through. And before you laugh, yes this album intentionally mimics Korn. That muddy production and thick slappy bass sound are all thanks to Adidas-Rock mastermind Ross Robinson. It's easy to blame external players like the producer or fad genres for the limp outcomes of records like this, but if I could find one person to blame for the overall dog shit quality here it's blatantly apparent that it's Max himself. The lyrics and vocal delivery are dumbed down; the guitars and music are similarly devolved. Sepultura were a technically capable Thrash band who decided to play like they were a group of angsty methed out suburban teens banging on pots and pans in defiance of their parents. Had Max not gone on to front Soulfly (the tribal themed Nu Metal skid mark responsible for the genre defining battle cry of "Jump Da Fuck Up") I might be able to assume that "Roots" was a prime case of groupwide delusion. After seeing that the remaining members went back to the thrashy Groove Metal of their older albums while Max committed 100% to the most all time hated sub-genre of Heavy Metal is all the evidence I need to place blame. Max, you fuckin blew it, dude.

Sure, there are some jams, sort of, if you squint your ears and cock your head sideways. "Roots Bloody Roots" has a big chunky groove that hits hard on first listen but (as stated above) ages poorly. As Max shreds his vocals screaming "watch me freak!" I'm instantly removed from the song. "Attitude" and "Dictatorshit" are fine, but compared to "Refuse/Resist" and "Dead Embyonic Cells" they're duds. 

I pull out "Roots" once a year and give it a spin and end up at the same conclusion. If you want simplistic Metal that doesn't challenge you (and incorporating Brazilian tribal jams into your Butt Metal isn't a musically challenging endeavor) and deals in short bursts of angry lyrics that you can mosh to then this is your album. If you need anything other than the unbridled rage of a rabid chimpanzee mid-masturbation then I'd recommend literally anything else.