Sepultura is one of those legendary bands that nearly every metalhead cuts off after a certain album. But unlike Metallica and Slayer, whose cutoffs at …And Justice for All (1988) and Seasons in the Abyss (1990) respectively are almost universally agreed upon, Sepultura’s cutoff depends on who you ask. While some rough it out until Max Cavalera’s unceremonious post-Roots departure, and others cling to Chaos A.D. as an early 90s classic, my cutoff is Arise. Despite being more polished than its predecessors, it’s still an unabashed thrash fest, boasting such classics as “Dead Embryonic Cells”, “Infected Voice”, and the title track.
We all know what happened after. These Brazilian giants began to stumble, making one groove/nu metal oriented after the other. The very brothers who started the band would soon be out of the picture, and while we patiently awaited a return to the classic 80s sound, that was not to be. Soulfly could’ve been called Roots: The Band and Cavalera Conspiracy play a rather predictable brand of modern thrash, not much different from what passes off as Sepultura these days.
So here we are, nearly 30 years since the last great Sepultura release. At this rate, Aerosmith could relapse and make their first sleaze ridden hard rock masterpiece in nearly 4 decades before a member of Sepultura returns to their roots (no pun intended). Or could they? The Troops of Doom are the heroes 2020 didn’t know it needed, but deserves. Led by classic Sepultura guitarist, Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz, ToD is a throwback project, emulating the earliest days of Sepultura.
While Tormentor’s tenure in Sepultura was short lived (1985-1987), it was an exciting time. Here were four kids hellbent on making music so extreme, I don’t even think they knew what to make of it. Was it thrash metal? Death metal? Black metal? All of the above? Back then, it didn’t matter. It was Sepultura and that was that. This reflects on ToD’s debut EP, The Rise of Heresy. “Whispering Dead Words” and “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” are a one-two punch of blinding fast, primitive death metal. They’re raw, unapologetic cuts, capturing the unholy spirit of the mid 80s that seemed all but lost.
“The Confessional” is a “palette cleanser” of sorts. This riffs on this midtempo rager are clearly frostbitten…Celtic Frostbitten. There’s even an “OUGH!” or two! Tom G. Warrior is undoubtedly scowling in approval, looking down upon his “Jewel Throne”. The title track kicks things back into overdrive: a brutal display of blastbeats and blistering riffs. Heresy closes with two Sepultura covers, “Bestial Devastation” and “Troops of Doom”. Personally, I would’ve preferred two more original tracks, but I can’t complain about these faithful covers. After all, they’re played by the same man who played them 35 years ago.
If you think The Troops of Doom are another cheap throwaway band/project, clinging onto the coattails of the past, think again. All four original songs are high quality, old school death/thrash. Not to mention, they’re more Sepultura sounding than anything anyone from Sepultura has released in a quarter of a century. I look forward to seeing what Tormentor has planned for the future. In the case of The Troops of Doom, the past IS the future.
6 out of 10
Label: Blood Blast Distribution
Genre: Death/Thrash Metal
For fans of: Sepultura, Celtic Frost, Possessed