The Gramercy Theater was electrified with anticipation as the venue became filled to capacity. It’s a surprise to no one that this show is sold out – this was special. Special to the old heads that cut their metal teeth on Sepultura from the very beginning. Special to the later fans that came up with Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy. All these people came out to show their love and respect to Max and Iggor as they came to honor their legacy and make the masses move to songs from the classic albums Arise and Beneath the Remains.
So I knew the show was sold out and I was prepared for it to be packed but damn! It felt like a next-level full house. It made me forget about the last few years and 2019 for better or worse. It never gets old seeing the line wrapped around the venue and fans so hyped for doors to open. And let me just tell you I ended up getting knocked on my ass and covered in various liquids (drinks, sweat, blood) and I wasn’t alone. Dudes in the pit were dancing like they haven’t been out in a couple of years!
Raw, angry aggression with attitude was served up by every band on the bill. Healing Magic opened up the show and these two guys – yes, just two guys – definitely set the bar high for everyone else on the bill. These guys were killing it and I guess you’d expect nothing less from an heir to the Cavalera metal throne. Igor Cavalera, the other, other son of Max, is the vocalist and guitarist along with drummer Johnny Valles and these guys bring it so hard they don’t need any more members!
Warbringer came on next and kept their foot on the gas. These California guys have been around for a while and the Gramercy crowd responded to their set by pumping their fists and keeping the pit swirling. The audience made sure to let the band know “we are with you “ during songs like “Remain Violent” and a new song called “Outer Reaches.”
“Under New York black skies, we shall Arise!” Max Cavalera yelled to the crowd and the mayhem began. The band was tight and brought the energy and fury of a bunch of 20 year-olds playing the albums that reshaped metal. The brothers Cavalera, Max, and Iggor, the founding brothers of Sepultura were back and musically passing razor blades, they were so sharp. The only word I can use to accurately describe this spectacle is flawless! If I wasn’t seeing the show with my own eyes I might have thought they were using backing tracks. Iggor is still one of the finest metal drummers ever and basically played every song note for note. Max’s vocals were in top form and the audience was just his to command however he desired. You could literally hear the audience singing “Dead Embryonic Cells” louder than the P.A. They even threw in a little bit of Slayer’s “Raining Blood” with “Troops of Doom.” Just icing on that thrash cake. This was really a perfect storm kind of show – expectations were set so high and the show lived up to and surpassed them.
WORDS AND PHOTOS MELISSA TUNYLA – OPTIC MONKEY IMAGES