The Rise of Heresy ep has been released by three different labels.  Blood Blast Distro for the cd in October, then Metalized Distro with the cd and a patch and now Repulsive Echo Records for the cassette.  Since Kostas Vaxevanos, Repulsive Echo Records owner, is a friend of mine amd is now putting the release out in cassette format I listed his label at the top.

Hailing from Brazil, yes you will recognize the band name, as a Sepultura song – “Troops of Doom” off the classic 1986 Morbid Visions album.  Jairo “Tormentor” Guedz was the second Sepultura guitarist on the Bestial Devastation 1985 ep and the Morbid Visions debut Sepultura album.  Both releases are near and dear to me, as I got them when they were released on vinyl, when they were first released.  To see/hear Jairo, still playing guitar, and bringing back the raw Sepultura sound is really quite outstanding.  Although he was not on the Schizophrenia album in 1987, there are some nods to that album as well, which is excellent for me, since that is my favorite Sepultura album.  This is raw, fast and heavy death/thrash metal and it sounds like it was recorded in the 80’s and picked up for a new remaster, many decades later.  This is intense and way better than anything Sepultura ever recorded, post Max Cavalera.

“Whispering Dead Words” is the longest song on the ep, at over 5 minutes, starts the ep off with some orchestra intro, that calls to mind the opening to Morbid Visions.  Monster isolated guitar riff and Alex Kafer is an excellent thrash metal singer who also plays bass.  The band being rounded out with Alexandre Oliveira on punishing drums and Marcelo Vasco as the second guitarist.  The sound is ripping and picture Bestial Devastation/Morbid Visions and some doses of Schizophrenia technicality thrown in a blender and out pops this bastard child. The guitar solo over the thrashiness at the 3.15 moment is chaotic and intense as the song is just a killer thrash metal opening song with splashes of old school death metal with a nice old school homage guitar riff, seemingly lifted off Morbid Visions, towards the end of the song.  Pure intensity.

“Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” comes blasting in as if it was a leftover from the Bestial Devastation recording sessions.  Early on some nice slow build-up towards an excellent double bass section.  The vocals are venomous and sounds like early Max/and other Brazilian singers from bands like Chakal and Mutilator.  The classic beat at the 1.55 moment is excellent and pure headbanging bliss, before the song picks up speed and gets into a nice guitar solo – -piped in louder in the mix to knock your head off and then a quick ditty of a blast beat that slows down and then back into the blast beat.  It’s really old school blasting, like Slaughter (CAN) and is just insanely awesome to hear this.

The rest of the original songs, “The Confessional” and “The Rise of Heresy” are intense, especially the title track.  The last 2 songs are reserved for old school Sepultura covers, “Bestial Devastation” and of course “Troops of Doom”.  Both retain the original intensity and really sound like they were recorded during that time – Jairo has the goddamned guitar tone down to the proverbial T.  The songs are tighter than the originals and played with modern day intensity.  The ep is a quick listen at 22 minutes and you will want to repeat all damn day.  I’ll admit to not being a real fan of Sepultura after Max departed.  I liked a few of the albums like Against and Roorback, but for me Max with Igor + Sepultura = genius.

It seems like a true Sepultura reunion will never happen but that is what Cavalera Conspiracy is for, I guess, but Jairo’s The Troops of Doom really gives a middle finger to what Sepultura sounds like nowadays as The Troops of Doom has all the qualities/essence of what Sepultura was first about.  Aggressive, punishing and punch you in the face non-stop brutal death/thrash metal.  This ep destroys.  What a walk down memory lane with this sucker, but also returning to the modern day with an about face.  Buy or Die!

[Visit the band's website]

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