Max Cavalera may be more prominently known for his work with Sepultura and more recently Soulfly, but his musical endeavours don’t end there. After a falling out with his brother, Igor Cavalera while still playing in Sepultura, the forming of Cavalera Conspiracy 7 years ago marked their reunion not only personally but also musically. After a three-year break, the brothers return this year with their latest studio album, Pandemonium (Napalm).

Throwing away the older out-and-out groove thrash sound that has marked a large portion of their career, this is distinctly darker. ‘Babylonian Pandemonium’ is a sinister opening, as a low drum echoes over a deep cascade of chanting and dissonant sounds setting the tone before Pandemonium descends into a thrash based cacophony of ideas. The album moves through the usual metal styles, but with hints of more electronic influences surfacing at the edges of the songs. Vocals take a deep menacing sound for this record which is perhaps the most noticeable difference from previous work. Moving back to a more guttural style not heard for a long time, the production drenches this in reverb creating a huge sound that compliments the tribal influences that occasionally creep into the tracks.

Despite the development in sound, the album is really let down by its predictability. Each song takes on an identical structure, starting with riffing, throwing in a solo in the appropriate place and Max shouting the title of the song over and over in the chorus. While this works well for a few songs, 12 tracks later it has become more than a little stale.

Pandemonium may not break much new ground and it doesn’t touch the quality of the work that launched their careers, but it doesn’t really need to as it’s still an enjoyable album that cuts right to the heart of the Brazilian thrashers style.

7.0/10

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CAITLIN SMITH