Cavalera Conspiracy

When the Cavalera brothers announced their reunion some three years ago, the metal world breathed a collective sigh of relief. Still, we were anxious as to how 2008 full-length Inflikted would come across. Proving themselves still capable of the aggressive power that created not only a great band in Sepultura but a succession of vital heavy albums and a legion of metallic offshoots, we once again exhale. Now that the critical tests are over, we're back to expecting pure genius from these Brazilian behemoths, a situation they don't take lightly. Ensuring they're still capable of everything from tribal stomps to frenzied thrash on sophomore work Blunt Force Trauma, Max and Igor explode with confident malevolence and incredible riffs. Exploring everything from Roots-ish barbarism on opener "Warlord" to vicious half-time chugger "Killing Inside," the Kraut-inspired "Genghis Khan" and the double-time, titular closing title track, Blunt Force Trauma is just as primal and provocative as its predecessor; it's everything we've been wanting from this fraternal faction for many, many moons.