Sepultura - Beneath the Remains (1989)

Sepultura - Beneath the Remains (1989)

25 years ago a few kids from Brazil created a thrash metal album that would later be considered a classic of the genre. Sepultura's Beneath the Remains, their third album and first release through major label Roadrunner, is hard-hitting and thrashy as hell. If I was to introduce someone to the genre, this would be a must-listen album I would give them. Even though various members of Sepultura have since taken different paths and seem to be doing their darnedest to sabotage their own legacies, this album lives on as a staple of the genre.

This being Sepultura's first time working with the now legendary producer Scott Burns, the production is much better than the band's two previous efforts. There are so many good Sepultura songs on this album. Inner Self is still one of my favourites by the band, even though its a bit more groove oriented than the rest of the album. After a seemingly pointless acoustic intro played with a strange echoey effect, the album kicks into high gear with the title track, and manages to maintain its intensity throughout most of its runtime. Unfortunately, I'm listening to the remastered 1997 version of this thing, which for some reason includes a god-awful cover of an Os Mutantes song, plus two poorly recorded instrumental versions of Inner Self and Mass Hypnosis. But lets just forget about those and call this thing a near-flawless thrash record.

The only problem I have with Beneath the Remains is one that kind of relates to the entire genre. For a style of metal that focuses on fast, energetic riffs, a lot of thrash metal bands tend to make their songs a bit long and drawn out. And while Sepultura are not even close to being the worst offenders (cough cough Metallica), I find that an average of 5 minutes is a bit trying when the focus is on speed and intensity. Maybe that's just my problem though.

Beneath the Remains' straightforward thrash riffs played in very technical rhythms with frontman Max Cavalera's dark yet realistic lyrics (performed in a super-thick accent) concerning social corruption, struggle with self and the follies of war made this album unique for its time. I'm listening to it 25 years later and it seems to have lost none of its original spark.