Sepultura’s 13th studio album, The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart, is a milestone for a couple reasons. This marks the metal veterans’ first disc recorded in the United States since 1998’s Against, as well as the first release to feature drummer Eloy Casagrande, who joined the band in 2011. The deluxe edition also includes a DVD documenting the making of the LP.
The record is full of intensity from beginning to end. “Tsunami” features chugging guitars and punchy drums before coming to a sudden stop, acting as a cliffhanger for its successor, “The Bliss Of Ignorants.” There are also several tracks on the record that incorporate theatrics into the music, which makes sense as the band cites the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis as a major inspiration behind many of the songs, though the group has stated they don’t consider it to be a concept album. This is evident in “The Vatican,” as it greets the listener with ringing chimes and eerie, dark organs before vocalist Derrick Green breaks into his trademark scream. A similar structure is found in “Grief,” which starts off softly with Green’s groaning chants before breaking into a much heavier sound, which continues to fluctuate between calm and frantic for the remainder of the track.
Sepultura close the album with a cover of Chico Science & Nacao Zumbi’s “Da Lama Ao Caos,” which translates to “From Mud To Chaos.” Though the tracklisting claims it is 25 minutes long, the song itself spans only over four, and eventually leads into a hidden, seven-minute drum solo by Casagrande.
The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart is exciting, and its ever-changing musical stylings will constantly keep listeners on their toes and interested in the record, right down to Casagrande’s finale.
In A Word: Compelling
