Sepultura

When drummer Igor Cavalera reunited with brother Max in his well-documented departure from Sepultura, his Brazilian bandmates were left to their own devices. After concept albums A-Lex and the mind-blowing Dante XXI, the mighty Seps snubbed the Cavalera brothers by announcing that there is absolutely no chance of reunion shows with them, forging on with Kairos. "Spectrum" and the title track are mid-paced thrashers that feature precision riffage from guitarist Andreas Kisser and ample phasing between the left and right channels. Frontman Derrick Green's growls are as vicious as ever, verging on death metal grunts in "Relentless." He apes Al Jourgensen in their by-the-numbers cover of Ministry's "Just One Fix," yet retains his nightmarishly brooding whisper in the verses of "Dialog." "Relentless" sounds like a more death-y Chaos A.D. outtake, with surprising technical chords, while "No One Will Stand" turns up the tempo, and spotlights one of Kisser's shreddingest solos, to approach, but not encroach upon, "Beneath the Remains." Kisser unleashes more fret board fury in soon-to-be mosh anthem "Mask" and even switches to intriguing prog-ish bridges in "Born Strong." Short, atmospheric interludes ("2011," "1433," "5772") provide breathing room for growlers "Seethe" and "Embrace the Storm." On a Ministry tip, they attempt ham-fisted industrial-cum-tribal with the unnecessary "Structure Violence (Azzes)," though it's somewhat justified by their cover of the Prodigy's "Firestarter," which closes the album as a hidden track. Though not as catchy and urgent as Dante XXI, the accessible thrash of Kairos furthers Sepultura's reign as thrash titans.