It was generally assumed among most that without guitarist/vocalist
Max Cavalera,
Sepultura would choose not to carry on, but the remaining members added vocalist
Derrick Green (who often sounds much like
Cavalera) and recorded
Against. The results are much better than one might expect from a band that's lost its leader, as
Andreas Kisser,
Paulo Jr., and
Igor Cavalera prove they're no slouches themselves. But the problem with
Against is that it seems to lack a clear vision or direction; the band seems unsure of whether to return to the controlled, hard-hitting brevity of
Chaos A.D. or the epic, experimental sprawl of
Roots. And while the group's trademark ethnic fusions are present -- most notably the Japanese-flavored instrumental "Kamaitachi" (featuring the percussion troupe
Kodo and some lovely flute) and the violin-centered "T3rcermillennium," two of the album's most intriguing tracks -- some of the songs don't really experiment much at all. As a result, the fusions sometimes sound forced, and some songs are too standard a brand of hardcore-tinged thrash'n'bash to match the highest points of the
Sepultura catalog, even with
Jason Newsted co-writing and playing on the track "Hatred Aside." So all in all,
Against finds the band regrouping and struggling to recalibrate itself, which is to be expected given the circumstances; even if it's somewhat disappointing compared to the group's best work, it's much better than one might hope, and there are enough flashes of the old
Sepultura brilliance to suggest that great things are still to come. ~ Steve Huey