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After 40 years, 15 studio albums, and a lineup that has been both paradoxically malleable and stable, Brazil’s Sepultura made their indelible mark on thrash, death, and nu metal. The band officially played their final show in North America on Saturday in New York City, and the name of the tour couldn’t be more fitting: the Celebrating Life Through Death tour. Joined by NYHC legends Agnostic Front and old-school death metal forefathers Obituary, this was a must attend affair for thrashers, headbangers, and Lusophones alike (yes, I did have to look up how to refer to someone who speaks Portuguese.).
And for the uninitiated, this varied lineup of New York hardcore and Tampa Bay death metal makes scientific sense when you begin to pick apart Sepultura’s discography. Started in 1984 by the mythic Cavalera brothers, Max and Igor, Sepultura’s first four albums are metal canon, perfectly bridging the then vitriolic gap between thrash and death metal. In the ’90s, they began to explore new territory by incorporating groove metal and nu metal, influenced by the rhythms of indigenous Brazilians. Despite the eventual departure of the Cavalera bros, the band has continued pushing the boundaries of genre exploration with Derrick Green at the helm for over 20 years. Recently, they added 22-year-old prodigy drummer Greyson Nekrutman to their lineup.
I arrived at the venue just in time to catch Agnostic Front finishing their set, and as always, it was a real treat to see Vinnie Stigma performing on his home turf. The crowd was frothing at the mouth for their double-bass-driven “Addiction.” Seeing hometown heroes on a big stage like the Palladium Times Square is incredibly heartwarming, especially when the set ends with barricade hugs, high fives, and even a sweaty kiss on the head for one lucky fan.
Obituary was up next, keeping the heart rates high with the intense buzzsaw sounds from their over 30-year discography. Walking out to Pat Travers’ “Snortin’ Whiskey” before diving right into “Redneck Stock,” the boys were keeping it pure South. The slower tempo of the stomping was a red herring; next up was “Threatening Skies,” an absolutely devious song that required a second drummer on the floor tom to achieve the right depth, quickly followed by “By the Light” and the timeless “Chopped in Half” from Cause of Death. Hot tip: They’ll be performing that album in its entirety at Maryland Deathfest next year. The band wrapped up their set with “Slowly We Rot,” the track that started it all from their debut album of the same name.
At 9:15 PM sharp, the moment had finally arrived—the last North American show for Sepultura. The lights dimmed, and instead of the band emerging, “War Pigs” began to play. This was a fitting nod to the lore that Sepultura was founded by the Cavalera brothers through divine intervention, having heard Black Sabbath immediately after receiving the news of their father’s death. The crowd obliged, singing every word perfectly. The sentimentality quickly faded as they launched into “Refuse/Resist” and “Territory” from Chaos AD, an album so universally beloved that the Cavalera brothers chose not to re-record it, even when revisiting many of their other works.
The entire set was a treasure trove from their 40 years of recordings, and hearing “Kairos” from Roots (1996) followed by “Means to an End” from 2020 was nothing short of magical. Speaking of which, drummer Greyson Nekrutman was one of the most surprisingly impressive examples of percussion talent I’ve ever witnessed. Guitarist Andreas Kisser knows talent when he sees it and made a call to the crowd to vote for Nekrutma as the best drummer of 2024. All I can say is, if not this year, then soon. Sepultura’s set lasted a mesmerizing 90 minutes, and if you’re a fan, it won’t come as a surprise that they ended with the powerhouse anthem “Roots Bloody Roots.” It was a night to remember in metal history. If you missed them in this part of the world, you still have a chance to catch them in Europe or on their home turf in Brazil.
Check out photos of Sepultura and Obituary in NYC, taken by Adam Schwartz, in the gallery below. For all remaining Sepultura tour dates, click here.
Obituary:
Sepultura:
Check out fan-filmed videos:
Sepultura setlist:
Refuse/Resist
Territory
Kairos
Phantom Self
Attitude
Means to an End
Choke
Guardians of Earth
Breed Apart
Escape to the Void
Kaiowas
Dead Embryonic Cells
Agony of Defeat
Orgasmatron (Motörhead cover)
Troops of Doom
Inner Self
Arise
Ratamahatta
Roots Bloody Roots
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