Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 10/22/1996
Run Time: 46:48
Chaos A.D. was the record where everything came together for
Sepultura, when they graduated from being an excellent, if derivative, band into one of
metal's most unique voices. Their strident political dissidence is more focused than ever, referring explicitly to injustices in their native Brazil. The band's thick, chunky guitars, busy percussion, and hoarsely shouted vocals may be rooted in
death metal, but it was often hard to call
Sepultura a true
death metal band, even if they flirted heavily with the style by way of
Slayer;
Chaos A.D. is rooted just as much in
hardcore punk in its lean, stripped-down assault, featuring a cover of
New Model Army's
"The Hunt" and a collaboration with
Jello Biafra on
"Biotech Is Godzilla." At a time when '80s
thrash giants like
Metallica and
Megadeth were streamlining their music for greater accessibility,
Sepultura's aggression actually increased along with their tightened focus, borrowing from
hardcore arguably more effectively than any other true
metal band. Additionally,
Sepultura began to draw upon the influences of their native Brazil, audible in the acoustic instrumental
"Kaiowas" and in the way the band's complex rhythms move and breathe, to offer a much wider range than any of their contemporaries seemed willing to pursue. The band's songwriting became almost airtight, giving up the breakneck speed and long progressive passages borrowed from mid-'80s
Metallica, and concentrating instead on creating texture and dissonance. But really, it's the unbelievably powerful rhythmic base provided by
Igor Cavalera that gives
Chaos A.D. its knockout punch. Endlessly playable (there isn't a wasted or unnecessary note on the album), passionately performed, and a sign that a new
metal underground was finally bearing artistic fruit,
Chaos A.D. ranks as one of the greatest
heavy metal albums of all time. It's a remarkable achievement not only in its concentrated power and originality, but also in the degree to which
Sepultura eclipsed their idols in offering a vision of
heavy metal's future -- a vision that would only grow more compelling with their next release.
~Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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