SEPULTURA – Dante XXI

It has been 10 long years since Sepultura was on everybody’s lips after the release of Roots. Derrick Green has been the man in front since then, and though there have been some moments, Sepultura’s recent albums have lacked the x-factor that Arise, Chaos A.D., and Roots definitely had.

Dante XXI shows, on the other hand, that the band is still highly ambitious, and this particular album is a concept of Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, through the eyes of the 21st century.

The album is separated into 3 parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise … as the main character from The Divine Comedy goes through each throughout the plot of the book.

The music in the first part of the album is amongst the most brutal Sepultura has ever produced. The breathtaking intro of “Dark Wood Of Error,” where drummer Igor Cavalera and guitarist Andreas Kisser shows tremendous skills, is quite impressive. Further on, “Convicted In Life” is one of the albums best tracks with a great guitar riff.

“Fighting On,” with yet again a magic guitar riff signed by Andreas Kisser, is a heavy and monumental track that stands out as a highlight. “Ostia” is a masterpiece, and with great strings and piano, it shows Sepultura from a dramatic, theatrical side.

As you get Dante XXI more and more under your skin, it gets clear that this is the best release for quite a long time from these Brazilian veterans. On tour now with In Flames, they play some of it, but as Derrick Green said in a recent interview with Metal Express Radio (listen here!), it may happen that they play it from beginning to end on a headlining tour later in the year.

That will really be something to look forward to, because this is a impressive piece of work from beginning to end. Ambitious, creative, and solid. Hats off!