The Return To Roots Australian tour ended in fashionable metal style on Tuesday night in Perth at the always lovely Astor Theatre to a sold out crowd who were more than keen to see the reunion of Max and Iggor Cavalera performing the iconic Sepultura classic ‘Roots’ album in it’s full glory. Sure Cavalera Conspiracy has already seen the two brothers reunited musically but this was a different beast and the anticipation among the crowd was electric.
Opening for the entire tour was Welsh rockers Skindred whose fusion of reggae, funk and metal was met with both curious and ecstatic embrace. A high energy show with about as much crowd participation as one could ask for, with a stack of help from frontman Benji Webbe who happily forced punters in getting in the mood for partying and more. If nothing else it was an entertaining spectacle as the band put on a theatrical performance that included both electronic dance and fusion funk rock and metal elements to appease as wide of an audience as you could really get. The appeal here was simply to have a good time and Skindred certainly made sure of that, the tribalistic nature of the band made a natural lead in to the main event.
Speaking of which, the Return To Roots tour featuring the Cavalera brothers Max and Iggor (or is it Igor, I’m never quite sure now) was bound to be one of the most anticipated tours of the year. The iconic album ‘Roots’ first released back in 1996 made such an impact on the metal scene that it is still felt today with countless bands pointing to that release as a landmark album that influenced many, the sheer variety and experimental ideas of it makes the 20 plus years seem even more fantastic given how fresh it still sounds today. Tonight we saw the full impact of the tracklist from start to finish, from the massive title track ‘Roots Bloody Roots’ to the now lgendary ‘Ratamahatta’ and so many more, this was an album that was made to be played live in full.
Seeing it live is a different experience of course and made even more memorable, the powerful drums from Iggor together with Max’s scorching vocals and rhythmic guitar tones was as fluent as the original recording. Together with Soulfly members Marc Rizzo holding the main duties on guitar and Tony Campos on bass, the whole thing was done brilliantly even if Max’s voice has taken a battering over the years. Nonetheless as the band whizzed through the entire album, it was a quick reminder that Roots is still a beast of an album that unsurprisingly is a favorite amongst the Sepultura elite. Hearing songs like ‘Cut-Throat” and “Dusted” was a real treat especially considering that they are no longer a staple in any incarnation of the original members setlist.
While cleverly forgoing any reference to the iconic “death’ name, it always makes you wonder just what would of happened had the original quartet remained together after ‘Roots’. After the album playthrough, Max and Iggor came out as a duo to perform a couple of classics from the 1993 album “Chaos A.D.” including shortened versions of “Slave To The World” and “Refuse/Resist” before pumping out an improv version of “T.N.T.” from AC/DC and a reprise thrashy plus doomy version of “Roots Bloody Roots” to end the night. A night to remember for sure and one that will be one of once in a lifetime deals.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Tammie Molotov – Molotov Enterprises & Photography
