Search - Sepultura :: Roots

Roots

Bjorn Viberg | European Union | 12/18/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Roots being the 6th studio of Sepultura and their 1996 release does not sound like alternative metal, groove metal, or death metal. It sounds more like alternative rock with metal glimpses here and there. Compared to earlier releases like Arise and Chaos A.D. the speed has been considerably slowed down and the texts refering to Brazilian politics and culture is hard to understand for someone that gets very little news from that part of the world. Rolling Stone gave the album 3/5 whilst Allmusic gave it 4/5 in their respective reviews. I am not saying that it a bad release by any means but compared to prior releases it is not as strong. 3/5."

Mildly Interesting

Feathers Fell | 253 | 05/04/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's easiest to view Roots as one of the following: it's either one of the most innovative alternative and/or nu metal albums with its tribal embodyment throughout, or it's a complete regression from the Beneath the Remains days. It's very easy to agree with one of these statements, seeing that this album was released during the impending uprise of nu-metal in the late 90's, and the band managed to entwine tribal elements in very obvious ways with this album.



I am a fan of Sepultura's releases before this, and Chaos A.D., while it signalled a change in sound, was still an excellent album with memorable grooves and drum fills. With "Roots", the guitars are tuned lower, everything sounds distorted (even Max Cavalera, who would make his last appearance here), and there are so many elements that would sound really out of place in their earlier albums, such as a turntable and maracas. In all honesty, this could have worked out well and could have been a high point in experimentation in metal, but let's just say that I wasn't kidding when I mentioned that the outside elements are way too obvious that they get in the way. Tracks like "Ratamahatta" and "Lookaway" are two shining examples of how this falls flat by covering up extremely simple songwriting with guest vocals and tribal instruments.



However, I'm not saying that this whole album is a bust. Sometimes, it can work well, like in "Attitude" and "Cut-Throat", which are some tracks that are to the point and not sounding like a complete mess. "Roots Bloody Roots" has a downtuned riff that'll get stuck in your head (whether you view it as a good or bad thing is up to you). My main gripe with this album isn't necessarily the change in sound, but instead, it is how it is executed.



With that said, this is better than the following three Soulfly albums that would follow that beat this formula to the ground. It is interesting to an extent, and yes, it is original when compared to the faceless nu and groove metal bands that came out during this time. However, this could have been done so much better. If you're warming up to the back catalog of Sepultura in their prime, this or Chaos A.D. is a good starter album."