Arise

Following the classicist thrash of Beneath the Remains, Sepultura started to evolve its sound. By integrating elements of industrial music, hardcore punk, and—most crucially—South American rhythmic traditions, the group started to assert itself outside of the towering influence of Metallica and Slayer. Not that Arise is a left-field outing by any means. The two leadoff singles—“Arise” and “Dead Embryonic Cells”—are built on the established template of Beneath the Remains, but they're more textural and more dynamic, and they include more unexpected sonic surprises. The industrial influence comes alive on “Altered State” and “Under Siege,” which not only highlight Sepultura’s search for new rhythmic forms but prove that Sepultura is as interested in setting a mood as nailing a riff. Propelled by drummer Igor Cavalera, the group first began to uncover a new kind of swinging, low-end groove in songs like “Desperate Cry.” The album closes with a fist-pumping cover of Motörhead’s “Orgasmatron,” verifying that no matter what risks Sepultura might have taken with its music, at heart it still considered itself part of the rock 'n' roll tradition.