ON_THE_ROCKS

The Worcester Phoenix
March 15 - 21, 2001

[On The Rocks]

As metal as it gets

Sepultura carries on, Carry the Zero mix it up

by Phil MacNamara
It's a tragedy that millions of kids are buying Limp Bizkit records, thinking that they're actually listening to heavy metal. All is not lost, however. Diehards like Sepultura and Slay-
er, along with newer hardcore metal bands like Hatebreed and Earth Crisis, have quietly sold their share of records; well maybe quiet's not the word. The Sepultura/Hatebreed tour that touches down in Worcester at The Palladium on Friday, March 16th, is being billed as one of the heaviest on the metal circuit this year, and rightfully so.
Sepultura was formed in 1984 in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte, amid the country's emergence into democracy after twenty years of military dictatorship. They pioneered a tribal death metal sound originally captured in their early records Morbid Vision and Schizophrenia. The quartet of Max Cavalera on vocals, his fourteen year-old brother Igor on drums, bassist Paulo Jr., and guitarist Jairo T. had a hard time finding rock records in their native country and had to travel to the big city of Sao Paolo to get their Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Slayer albums.
By the late '80s, Sepultura had replaced Jairo T. with Sao Paolo guitarist Andreas Kisser whose searing guitar work fueled the albums Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos A.D., and Roots; records that made them one of the most influential metal bands of the '90s. Roots, released in 1996, broke new creative ground for the band. Described by some as heavy metal world music, with Brazilian percussion and musical stylings mixed in with the metal attack, the album was Sepultura's most successful to date. The band seemed to be in a continual rise to fame when Max Calavera announced that he was leaving the band. Within a year he formed his own band, Soulfly.
After an exhaustive search, the band found Derrick Green from the Cleveland hardcore band Outface. Though the band retained its original intensity, critics didn't give them much of a chance with out Max, widely viewed as the creative genius of the band. In response to this, the band named their next record Against.
"We felt that nobody believed in Sepultura [after Max left]. We had to put everything back together and prove a lot to a lot of people.", Andreas says about that time. "Against" won back fans as did their live shows on the 2000 Tattoo the Earth Tour.
Sepultura recorded their new album, Nation, at AR Studios in Rio de Janiero and Ouvir Studios in Sao Paolo. It's their first album recorded in Brazil since 1989's Beneath the Remains. The album begins with the familiar tribal stomp of "Sepulnation," but quickly goes old school hardcore with "Revolt." "Border Wars" incorporates tribal rhythms with the mantra, "The walls that we build/We are taking them down/Imagine every life/They won't allow us to live".
The band calls in an interesting cast of guests, with dub-reggae legend Dr. Israel lending his wisdom to the opening of "Tribe to a Nation" before the band brings down the heavy hammer. "Politricks" was co-written with Dead Kennedys' founder Jello Biafra, who lends his cynical takes on business, government, and the media. The frantic "Human Cause" gets a boost from Jamie Jahsta of Connecticut's Hatebreed. Jamie has long been influenced by Sepultura and jumped at the opportunity to sing with his mentors.
Jamie expects that this tour's going to be one for the books. The 34 shows in 43 days that the bands are playing together stretch from Columbus, Ohio through New England, down South, out West, and up to Canada. Take advantage of the opportunity to see one of the heaviest and most important metal shows of the year Friday at the Palladium. I'm envisioning the Hatebreed and Seputura crowd in a mosh pit on Friday and thinking, "That'll be neat to watch -- from a distance." This is not a pit that's recommended for novices; be forewarned.
Defying probability
Carry the Zero has spent the last year stumping anyone trying to put a label on them. They recorded seven songs at the Tremolo Lounge with Roger LaValle this past summer and fall for their debut CD, Bar Code (the days of the demo tape are done; now everyone's got CDs). Bar Code provides a welcome break from the sounds coming out of Worcester or Boston nowadays.
"Roger wasn't too familiar with us when we set up to record this record, but he really liked our fliers," the band's guitarist/vocalist Matt Ehartic tells, "When we started recording, he said that he heard two different bands, a rootsy bar rock band and a dramatic alternative soul band. So we had to figure out how to make it all work together."
The opener "Rev `Em Up" starts with Ed Paquette's noodling keyboard and Ehartic's angular guitar fills, but soon gets into a retro mod sound, like they're Wormtown and they don't even know it. "Bad Intentions" sounds like it could have been lifted out of a '60s B-movie. So where are these guys coming from? Ehartic says that it all started with him answering an ad put up by Paquette and drummer Bill Gaudette looking for a guitarist and singer into The Beatles, The Doors, and The Cars. Throw in Ehartic's pop, punk, and rockabilly influences and you're on the way to Carry the Zero's unique sound. Their tight guitar/drums/keyboard jam somehow makes you forget that they don't have a bass player (Paquette plays bass lines from his keyboard).
Beyond the band's innovative musical vision , Ehartic's songwriting has improved since his days with local pop-punk greats Gas, Food, Lodging. Maybe his days since high school have caused him plenty of real life angst to write about. The picture of the working week he paints in "Empty" or of relationships in "Apologies" and "Forever and a Day" is testament to that. This is all unique enough to get the gentlemen out of Worcester and on to places like the Met Café in Providence and CBGB's and Brownie's in New York (all of which they're playing this spring). In the meantime, fans are looking forward to hearing them Friday night at the Lucky Dog when they help celebrate the return of classic New York garage rockers the Fleshtones, with Huck and Random Road Mother.
Heavy Dates
Thursday night kicks it into gear early with Jason James and the Houserockers at Gilreins, Jennifer Tefft Band and Counter Culture at The Lucky Dog, and Johnny Wishbone and Second Class Citizen at Liquid in Leominster. On Friday, the heaviest date of the weekend goes to metal pioneers Sepultura who are visiting town at The Palladium with Hatebreed, Puya and Flybanger; while the upstairs room has Cryptopsy and Poison the Well. Also on Friday, the Preston Wayne Four rev it up at Ralph's and Fatwall Jack swings through Gilrein's.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by stopping by The Irish Times and having (at least) a pint with the Brennan Brothers Saturday afternoon. Saturday night C-60 rock the Lucky Dog and Simon keeps it experimental but tight at the Above Club. On Tuesday the 20th, the Anniversary (fresh off their tour with the Get Up Kids) stop by Grind Central at Clark University.
Lastly, there's the key event for all hip music scenesters to see and be seen at, The Worcester Phoenix Best Music Poll Kickoff Party. It goes down Thursday, March 22nd, at Jillians on Grove Street in Worcester, with entertainment provided by the Wormtown 2001 All Stars, featuring members of Curtain Society, Deal, Carry the Zero, Thinner, Huck, and Pet Rock.