Screams Behind the Shadows

I have a soft spot for Schizophrenia (1987), Sepultura’s sophomore effort with Roadrunner Records. DD was kind enough to give me the cassette: my first extended exposure to Brazilian thrash delight.

The album far surpasses Morbid Visions in musical competence, variation, and for this listener, interest. Schizophrenia, despite being largely composed before Andreas Kisser arrived, still wears his mark on lead guitar. Check out the riffing on Screams Behind the Shadows. Igor Cavalera’s drumming is also vastly improved. Thrashtastic fast with breakneck tempo changes. This time the album actually sounds like it was produced, only augmenting the band’s newfound tightness.

Gone is the silly satanism. The obligatory scary keyboard intro remains intact. The album roars into gear with the deliciously fast From the Past Comes the Storms. Who are these guys? No pause for reflection, you’re To the Wall.

The time changes in Escape to the Void are a perfect pit passion frenzy. To be chased with the 7 minute opus, Inquisition Symphony. By this point the listener is about as Septic Schizo as the band. Take a breather with  The Abyss, a short acoustic number, then right back into R.I.P. (Rest in Pain). Then on to glory with the newly produced and now classic Troops of Doom. For those missing the production of Morbid Visions the album closes with rough mixes of From the Past Comes the Storms, Septic Schizo, and To the Wall.

Schizophrenia is the not a masterpiece like next week’s Beneath the Remains. It’s simply Sepultura’s first really great thrash album.