Sepultura, live at The Academy

Groove metal. Nu-metal. No Cavaleras. Shitpultura. Right? Not for those in the packed sweat box that was the Academy. Many outrageous slings and arrows have been thrown at this band over the years, a lot of which have come from those who have failed to recognise that, for better or worse, Sepultura is, has, and always will be a band that has constantly changed, developed and realtered its sound. Nowadays they exhibit a more stripped down punk din. This is not surprising, as punk was an integral element to their sound from the beginning (Sepultura always had more in common with Discharge than Death) but is now brought more to the fore through the corrosive larynx of frontman Derrick Greene.

The band ripped through a set that displayed the many faceted elements from their rich back catalogue, kicking off with tracks from their current A Clockwork Orange inspired concept album A-Lex before blasting into 'Arise' and 'Refuse/Resist'. The crowd is whipped into a circle-pitted frenzy by a band that is (despite a few technical problems) on top form. A medley of 'Troops of Doom', 'Escape to the Void/Septic Schizo' and 'Necromancer' off the Bestial Devastation EP delivers head shredding delights from the early days. An unexpected highlight of the set was a twisted cover of U2’s 'Bullet the Blue Sky', which is dragged through the murky Brazilian jungle to emerge as a raw primordial roar. 'Territory', 'Inner Self' and encores of 'Ratamahatta' and 'Roots' leave the Sepulnation bruised, battered and beaming. No soccer, no samba, but a night of Brazilian carnival carnage.