sepultura live

For those of you not familiar with it, the Waterfront is the music venue equivalent of an oven. It can be minus ten outside and the Waterfront will be uncomfortably warm. On a balmy July evening, being inside the place feels like being slow-roasted.

Not that local lads Shrapnel were bothered as they hit the stage running and intent on turning up the heat a few notches. Having won a slot at the forthcoming Bloodstock festival, the up and coming thrashers are quickly making a name for themselves with their aggressive take on Municipal Waste-style crossover meets Bay Area brutality. Their musicianship and stage craft is highly impressive, and the fantastic reception afforded to them far exceeded any kind of local band loyalty. This lot may just emerge as the best of the UK’s burgeoning thrash scene.

In comparison, Gama Bomb seemed a little tired and flat with no amount of shape-throwing appearing to enthuse either band or audience. For whatever reason, this was an untypically below-par performance which can hopefully be put down to no more than a bad day at the office.

Twenty five years into their career and it seems that, unlike their openers, Sepultura are still incapable of having a bad day at the office. The South American legends were present at the birth of thrash and were instrumental in defining nu-metal, never once losing sight of the DIY punk / hardcore work ethic that runs as a common thread throughout their body of work.

Tonight, all those elements dove-tail into a career-spanning show packed with energy and vitality. The visual focus of the band is shared by livewire guitarist Andreas Kisser and the hulking, imposing frame of vocalist Derrick White, both of whom dominate the stage with the confidence of performers on top of their game.

Kicking off with Moloko Mesto, the band then launches into crushing renditions of Arise and Refuse / Resist. Playing two such strong cards so early in the game speaks volumes for the bands confidence in their post-Max era material.

It’s a confidence that isn’t misplaced; the likes of Spit, Convicted In Life and a fantastic Sepulnation all re-affirm the bands status as true innovators, as crucial in today’s metal scene as they have ever been.

All of that said, the big, familiar sticking point remains. Green has been in Sepultura for well over a decade now, but still the spectre of Max looms large, a fact highlighted by the second half of the set and encores being dominated by Max-era numbers.

Slave New World, Territory, Inner Self and Roots Bloody Roots still stand out head and shoulders as the real crowd-pleasers, and the band play them all with an undiminished vigour. It’s hard not to hypothesise though as to whether there is any deep rooted sadness at having to acknowledge the fact that regardless of how good any newer material may be – and on tonight’s showing it is very good – the best response will always be reserved for twenty year old songs written and recorded with a different vocalist.

A Sepultura show in 2010 is a joyous and life-affirming place to be. If only we could get over this whole Max thing.

by Marcus Jervis