Melburnian metal heads shuffled into the Forum with schoolkid excitement to witness one of metal’s seminal records played in its entirety. For the Richmond Tragics in the crowd, it was the culmination of a day filled with nervous energy.
First up, Wales’ Skindred did their nu-metal fusion thing. It was a blend of metal, reggae, dub, and ska. The pendulum of reggae and metal swung back and forth as a couple of mild circle pits formed. To shift gears a little, frontman Benji Webbe brought out Whitfield Crane from Ugly Kid Joe to perform a duet – a pairing that seemed slightly left of field but when they kicked into War Pigs it made sense. Webbe was hellbent on getting the crowd to follow his every command. Maybe asking the crowd to take off their shirts and swing them around like a Kevin Sheedy scarf works better in Europe? He said people love it around the world. I’ll have to take his word for it.
There isn’t a much higher office held than that by Max and Iggor Cavalera – they’re metal royalty and were treated as such when they walked onstage. Max’s greeting was a simple scream, “Roots…bloody roots” before launching into the opening track of the 1996 album. My favourite moment could’ve been when Max brought out his Berimbau, the traditional one-string Brazilian instrument to kick off Attitude. It was great to see it played in a live setting. My other favourite moment could’ve been the pit that managed to reach the perfect balance of intensity and mateship. It was refreshing to see everyone looking out for one another while keeping things rough and tough. It was nobody’s first rodeo. Roots was played out as promised and the epic encore featured Ace of Spaces. Pretty bloody great.
I’d probably consider myself a casual metal fan – meaning that I love some and bypass most. I do love the classics and tend to steer clear of vocals that grate like gravel, but even though Max Cavalera does sing this way, it never deters me. In fact, it helps separate Sepultura from others because the groove and dynamics of their music come out even more. Max’s riffs and Iggor’s grooves bring a feeling and subtlety to the genre that most others can’t get near. I think it’s a nuance and craft that comes from Brazilian tradition.
Highlight: Roots Bloody Roots.
Lowlight: Carnival prices at the bar.
Crowd Favourite: Ratamahatta.
