Arise [Vinyl]

It's rare for a band to follow up their watershed album with an album of equal merit, but that's exactly what Brazil's Sepultura did with ARISE. Where 1989's BENEATH THE REMAINS thrust the band into the forefront of the international metal scene, ARISE--by matching BENEATH's songwriting, chops, and brilliantly brutal execution--made sure that the band maintained their status.
ARISE's single "Dead Embryonic Cells" proved popular, thanks in no small part to its controversial video. But it's the musicality of this track, and tunes like the title cut and "Altered State," that represent Sepultura's incontestable power. Lead guitarist Andreas Kisser shreds without ceasing, and singer Max Cavelera growls and screams amidst double-bass, jackhammer rhythms. BENEATH THE REMAINS may top more lists as an essential album, but that's largely because of its place in the band's discography. Equally intense and accomplished, ARISE is no less of album for being the successor.