After releasing 2020's dizzying concept LP
Quadra
,
Sepultura
was ready to hit the road and preach the progressive thrash gospel from the stage. Instead, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the band went into lockdown mode and began moshing from the relative safety of home. A Q&A-style podcast was started and before long others from the displaced metal community were joining in to talk shop and jam. Those weekly team-ups with friends and peers have been collected on
SepulQuarta
, a socially distanced live LP that features contemporaries like
Devin Townsend
Scott Ian
(
Anthrax
),
Danko Jones
, and
Matt Heafy
Trivium
) helping to re-interpret some of
's best tracks. The set commences with a blazing
Ian
and
David Ellefson
-assisted rendering of concert staple "Territory," one of several cuts that allows frontman
Derrick Green
to finally put his tenured renditions of the band's
Max Cavalera
-era material to tape.
Sacred Reich
bassist
Phil Rind
helps the band tear through a propulsive version of 1989's "Inner Self," while
Fernanda Lira
Crypta
, ex-
Nervosa
Angelica Burns
Hatefulmurder
), and
Mayara Puertas
Torture Squad
) join
Green
on a relentless take of 1998's "Hatred Aside." In keeping with
's spirit of innovation, the band is joined by influential Brazilian drum legends
Joao Barone
Charles Gavin
, who add some regional flair to an eclectic rendition of 1996's "Ratamahatta." The set closes with a driving and menacing version of
Motoerhead
's "Orgasmatron" (featuring
Phil Campbell
) that adds a nice sharp exclamation point to the proceedings. ~ James Christopher Monger