Open Web Player
I would have said this album is the best metal album of the 1980's, but then I remember "Master of Puppets" came out in 1986. So, this album will just have to settle with being the best death metal album of the '80's, and maybe the best death metal album ever.
Yes, I prefer "Beneath the Remains" to Slayer's "Reign in Blood". Don't get me wrong, I think "RiB" is great, and was more influential to the metal scene, but these songs are longer and heavier. Something about "Beneath the Remains" just grabs me and doesn't let go; it holds my attention better than most death metal. These riffs may not be as fast as "Reign in Blood", but they are catchier and sound more like real music. The guitars play a mile-a-minute, but the way these songs are played gives the listener time to absorb and enjoy the first riff, before another one comes.
Plus, this entire album is full of bone-crunching, inspired and all around great riffs and leads, but Sepultura don't exhaust their song formula or structure, something I thought they did do on their next album, "Arise."
The drums are audible (which means Igor really has to beat those drums), very fast, and give the beat that "boom-boom" sound. The drums, although important, aren't overpowering, so they give way to the real good stuff: the guitars.
Next, the solos, while not metal's all time best, are just as blistering as any of Slayers. The one area where Slayer is better than Sepultura is speed/beat changes. Most of the songs on "Beneath the Remains" have two or three speed/beat changes, but they're much more subtle than Slayer's, and they only last a couple of seconds (then it goes back to the first speed.)
Musically, "Beneath the Remains" is like `80's Slayer meets Morbid Angel. But vocally, Max Cavalera differs from Slayer's singer Tom Araya. Max, unlike Araya, doesn't struggle to keep up with the music and he isn't just yelling as fast as possible. Araya usually shrieks so fast and loud that I can hardly ever understand what he's saying. That isn't the case, here. Max goes at his own pace. Plus, his voice is more of a death metal voice: yelling, barking and growling.
Finally, the lyrics. When Max wrote these lyrics, he wasn't trying overly hard to be tough or evil, so these lyrics don't come across as cheesy or contrived. Instead, they come across as personal and at times almost political.
Now, it's hard to give most death metal albums a track-by-track review, as all of these songs are equally as good as the one before it (all killer, no filler), but if you're a newcomer to Sepultura and looking for standout tracks, I'd recommend "Beneath the Remains" (which has an acoustic intro, then changes gears and rockets into hyper-speed), "Inner Self", "Sarcastic Existence" (which has a drum intro, a pounding double bass, and two scorching solos), and the two ending songs.
Some of metal's all time best albums have an instrumental (i.e. Metallica's "Orion" and "Call of the Ktulu", Testament's "Musical Death", Iron Maiden's "Losfer Words" and Megadeth's "Into the Lungs of Hell"). "Beneath the Remains" doesn't have an instrumental--it has two! The instrumentals (the aforementioned last two songs on the album) are brilliant and bring the album full circle. These songs are only available on the remaster edition of this album (they do not appear on the original which came out in 1989.)
In conclusion, this is a great album. Metal may not appeal to the whole population, so death metal appeals to an even smaller percent. But the bottom line is, if you're a metalhead and/or love bands like Slayer, you need to own this C.D.! Finally, if you're new to the band, this is Sepultura's finest hour, and a good place to start.
Frequently bought together
$38.14
Get it Jun 7 - Jul 1
In stock
Usually ships within 4 to 5 days.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Reviews with images
Thrash/death metal
This is one of Sepultura's best albums. Lots of thrash and some death metal. Also, it comes with two discs. One is the regular album, the second has some songs before they were mixed in studio and also 10 live tracks at Zeppelinhalle, Kaufbeuren, West Germany, 22nd September 1989.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2005
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2015
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2023
This is one of Sepultura's best albums. Lots of thrash and some death metal. Also, it comes with two discs. One is the regular album, the second has some songs before they were mixed in studio and also 10 live tracks at Zeppelinhalle, Kaufbeuren, West Germany, 22nd September 1989.
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Ernesto Gilberto Martinez Romero
Excelente disco
Reviewed in Mexico on October 23, 2023
Parfait livraison bien reçue
Vinyle Réédition 2020
Reviewed in France on April 9, 2024
Parfait livraison bien reçue
Reviewed in France on April 9, 2024
Images in this review
