Beneath the Remains

Sepultura – “Beneath the Remains” (1989)

This is a fundamental album in the history of thrash metal. It highlights the band’s international breakthrough and solidifies their reputation as one of Brazil’s best musical exports.

This album shows the transition from raw, underground Death Metal to polished, ambitious Thrash Metal that would catapult the band straight into the world mainstream

The production, directed by Scott Burns, shows Sepultura’s maturation, with greater clarity in the guitars and thundering drums, allowing each instrument to shine. The vocals are the raw and visceral force, writing lyrics that explore the most pressing events of the moment and that needed to be shown with a sense of urgency and anger.

The album opens with a 50-second acoustic instrumental that is dark and deep, followed by “Beneath the Remains”, which showcases the band’s energy. The song balances aggression with precision. Max Cavalera’s growling vocals add to the heavy riffs, highlighting what lies ahead.

This is followed by “Inner Self” and “Mass Hypnosis”, the most technically complex song, which features Kelly Shaefer from the band Atheist. We can see the band’s ability to balance melodic simplicity with aggression. Underneath all the chaos, the band shows an ability to create memorable, hook-laden songs without sacrificing brutality.

“Sarcastic Existence” and ‘Slave of pain’ deal with human suffering and existential dread. They are the most varied tracks, showing Sepultura’s ability to experiment with rhythm and atmosphere. A bit of what went before Beneath the Remains.

“Lobotomy” follows the idea of ‘Mass Hypnosis’ and the theme of manipulating the masses is very present. What we see getting worse with time, in any society. The rhythmic variation, the slowing down, gives us a sense of what the band’s next work might be.

While “Hungry” reflects a desire for change and survival, both personal and social, “Primitive Future” seems to draw the path to achieving what you want by showing life’s mishaps. The song fits in with the album’s broader theme of disillusionment with the status quo.

Beneath the Remains is not only a testament to Sepultura’s musical prowess, but also a statement of their relevance within the global metal scene. It paved the way for the band’s future experimental efforts, while remaining rooted in the style that brought them recognition. The album remains a ferocious and cathartic work, a portrait of a band hungry to leave a lasting mark, and remains one of the most influential metal records to emerge from South America.

And the album was recorded in Brazil!