The Band:
- Max Cavalera – vocals, rhythm guitar
- Igor Cavalera – drums, percussion
- Paulo Jr. – bass guitar
- Andreas Kisser – lead guitar
Tracklisting:
- Intro
- From the Past Comes the Storms
- To the Wall
- Escape the Void
- Inquisition Symphony
- Screams Behind the Shadows
- Septic Schizo
- The Abyss
- R.I.P. (Rest in Pain)
- Troops of Doom
It’s 1987, Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ is in the charts for five weeks in a row. Enter, Sepultura. Schizophrenia is a fast, aggressive and powerful thrash record. It’s not just fast and angry, however, as always with Sepultura, there’s a surprising amount of melody to be found here, surely Andreas Kisser’s introduction with this record saw to this change in style over the band’s debut?
Indeed, there are plenty of memorable dual riffs here where Max Cavalera and Kisser play alongside each other really rather well. ‘Inquisition Symphony’ is where this comes to the fore. This seven-minute instrumental is a glorious mid-point to the record. It contains all the elements of a classic Sepultura track without the vocals and more of an ear for the melodic and progressive. It gives each members of the band a chance to shine with some awesome guitar solos, drum work and bass playing throughout. Even without the vocals, it is one of the finest Sepultura tracks ever recorded.
Schizophrenia is a quality album and one well ahead of the band’s years. With the smart use of percussion in tracks such as ‘Screams Behind the Shadows’ and the excellent use of dual guitar in ‘R.I.P. (Rest in Pain), you wouldn’t think that it is only the second album from the band. It sounds as if they have been doing it for years the way it is put together. There’s even some violin in ‘Intro’, reminiscent of the Psycho stabbing scene that lets you know you’re getting into something rather intense. Schizophrenia is a smart, well thought out record.
4/5
Fast, aggressive stuff, Schizophrenia showcases a band that were ahead of their time.
