When I put on ‘Roots’ for the very first time, all those years ago, I was absolutely blown away. Sepultura had come of age and had produced an album I never actually thought possible and they went from being a band on my radar to an outfit I was definitely interested in. Since then I have followed the career of all those involved with both interest and some disappointment. Could Max ever recapture that intensity and power, and would a Max-less Sepultura ever really challenge again? Well, although Sepultura have produced some good work, they have never really hit a home run while Max has been patchy to say the least. The debut Cavalera Conspiracy was a stunner, but have Soulfly ever really done anything to match their own debut?
Well, there is nothing here to change that. What we have is a very run of the mill album, which for me personally is a huge disappointment. Sure, Max has brought in some guests and there is the odd number that captures the intensity and power, but for the most part this just doesn’t work. I mean, what on earth is “Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla” all about?
I wanted to enjoy this, I really did. I wanted it to be the rebirth of Soulfly, but all it does is make me add my voice to the many others and ask when on earth are they all going to bury the hatchet and take Sepultura back to centre stage where they belong.
