The thrill of seeing screamer/guitarist Max Cavalera and drummer Igor together on the same stage is one that the world's missed out on since 1996, when Max left Sepultura at the height of their popularity. Since then, Max indulged his nü metal side in Soulfly. Igor ran his old band into the ground with a group that claimed the name "Sepultura" about as convincingly as the band that calls itself "Lynyrd Skynyrd" does today. They're not quite ready to reunite the old band, but Cavaleras are making music together again, and Cavalera Conspiracy's new album, Inflikted, is the best release from either party in a decade. But they'd have to play more than that to not get blown away by Dillinger Escape Plan.
Diving into "Pansonic Youth," Dillinger's show was loud and violent even by metal standards. Guitarist Ben Weinman nearly decapitated his bandmates on several occasions, swinging his guitar around by the strap and frequently lunging into the crowd. He never missed a note in the process. Weinman and acrobatic lead singer Greg Puciato couple Fredrik Thordendal's precision with Kurt Cobain's disregard for peril, but there's really no other force in metal that competes with DEP's blend of incredible musicianship with an out of control performance. When Weinman's ESP cut out right before the start of "43% Burnt," rhythm guitarist Jeff Tuttle jumped in with a haunting instrumental until the problem was fixed, confirming that nothing could stop the music or spontaneity of their set.Riding on Ire Works, one of the decades' best metal albums and arguably DEP's finest to date, the band gave deafening tracks like "Fix Your Face" and "Party Smasher" the performances that they deserved. Save for "Milk Lizard," an entirely fantastic blend of Converge, AC/DC and a horn section, the band's more melodic moments were all left at home. Even if it meant dusting off tracks from obscure, older EPs like Under the Running Board, Dillinger played their most abrasive music all evening. It was all a metalhead could ask for, and then some, in the form of a move that shocked this longtime DEP fan.
"We're going to change up the set a little tonight," stated Puciato. "We've done this song maybe three or four times before, and that was only at the Warped Tour, for a bunch of 14-year-olds who didn't know who Van Halen are." My mind rushed with excitement as I hoped to hear "Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love" or "Unchained." Beyond my highest expectations: "This next song's called 'Hot for Teacher.'"
The ensuing cover was one of the greatest things I've ever seen at a show. From the peerless drum intro to the perfect chorus to every distinguished cover, DEP nailed one of the best songs in hard rock history. Puciato gave David Lee Roth's high-pitched hollers a hardcore makeover while Weinman and drummer Gil Sharone gave the brothers Van Halen the mathcore metal prestige that they deserve. DEP could be forgiven for losing their momentum after that, but they still outdid themselves by culminating with "Sunshine the Werewolf," off Miss Machine. Puciato climbed into the rafters and flung himself into the audience, Tuttle jumped in after him, and the set ended with the band members pressed against the congregated fans in the jam-packed mosh pit, rocking out to the bitter end.
The severe New York humidity and body heat in the room were taking its toll on the front row, and male headbangers fought the furnace-like conditions by downing water and removing their shirts. Our collective wimpiness was exposed when the shaggy, warmly-dressed band walked onstage. Dreadlocked, bearded and sporting his signature Brazilian-flag six-string, Max Cavalera grinned broadly while his heavily tattooed brother waved and sat behind a kit of almost Neil Peart proportions. Prolonging the anticipation, Igor stretched the drum intro of "Inflikted" for several measures until Max's herculean growl pushed the song into motion. But after a few new songs the show really took off.
The thunderous drumming to "Territory" took over the venue, and suddenly everything about the show seemed bigger and stronger. One of the best songs off Sepultura classic Chaos A.D., the screamalong anti-occupation anthem resonated more than ever before. Max clearly caught the audience's response. "We're going to play everything," he vowed through a thick Portuguese accent.
Cavalera Conspiracy did try to play everything, which was sometimes at the expense of the songs. Playing all the top-notch Sepultura songs would've kept us there until August, thus songs like "Arise" and "Dead Embryonic" cells were shortened and rushed through to fit into the set. The all-star band, which was filled out by bassist Johnny Chow (Fireball Ministry) and lead guitar whiz Marc Rizzo (Soulfly, Ill Niño), often sounded like a heavier Bad Brains, with breakneck-paced political songs thrashing into each other over a rigorous set. Their cover of Brazilian hardcore staple "Polícia" sounded like a Cavalera original next to the faster live renditions of "Innerself" and "Biotech is Godzilla." But the pacing was a minor complaint for an excellent show. The setlist passed my expectations, and the music was too arresting to think of anything else while the band was playing.
Like the band preceding them, whom Max honored by donning a black Dillinger Escape Plan XL, the Cavaleras stuck to playing their fastest and heaviest music. The tribal, percussion-heavy music that Sepultura mastered on Roots and Chaos A.D. was forgotten, and Soulfly may as well never have existed that evening. Instead, we got "Desperate Cry," "Propaganda" and a mind-blowing "Refuse/Resist," all of which rightfully made Sepultura one of the most respected bands in metal history. The absence of Sepultura's most experimental tracks underscored the world music influences in their heaviest music, which is part of what distinguished them to metalheads worldwide. Few bands can incorporate such diversity into death and thrash metal, and being in the presence of the Cavaleras playing songs like "Attitude," even without the digeridoo, was nothing short of awesome.
The band rescued "Troops of Doom" from their late-'80s death metal era, and introduced the song with a special guest. Igor, Jr., who didn't look a day older than 12, handled his father's drums to the audience's cheers of "Junior! Junior!" The boy clearly pushed himself to keep up effectively and showed promise as a death metal drummer. When his father came back on helm for "Roots Bloody Roots," Max, Chow and Rizzo took the song's relatively simple riff as a chance to throw themselves into headbanging frenzy. The crowd followed suit, creating a mosh pit that encompassed nearly everyone in the room until the song ended and the band walked offstage. Hopefully, they'll keep this up.
Being the second of a two-night stint, the venue seemed a little empty. Most metalheads in town had probably flocked to the Saturday show. Distressingly, the band that calls itself Sepultura today could probably sell more tickets, but any headbanger worth his salt could tell you that your best bet would be to check out Cavalera Conspiracy.
I caught the last two songs of Throwdown's set, which included a piece of fifth-rate, watered down Pantera and a cover of Alice in Chains' "Them Bones."
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