A quote from the Dalia Lama, "Peace on earth depends on the peace in the people's hearts," and wise words from Mother Teresa, Ghandi, and Albert Einstein grace the album booklet of
Sepultura's 2001 release,
Nation. When
Sepultura's vocalist
Derrick Green screams long and hard enough, you bet your sweet, tender eardrums that he's got something important to say. On its 2001 release,
Nation, the Brazilian quartet is infuriated -- and with good reason. As
Green scrapes the lining of his vocal chords through the brash, impassioned tracks, he's singing about more than just "one nation, Sepulnation"; he's suggesting something bigger, something worth shouting about and fighting for.
Nation was created to epitomize
Sepultura's concept of creating a new nation built upon the foundations of unity and a utopian society that thrives without violence or guns. In interviews,
Green has said, "Every song will be related to the idea of building this nation. We will have our own flags, our own anthem." Leave it to
Sepultura to break down the walls and build something beautiful out of the rubble. Indeed, each song meets these expectations in a series of hard-rockin', tight tunes. Drummer
Igor Cavalera's timing and tempo couldn't be more perfect as the adrenaline heightens until the album's intensity burns right through the speakers. Die-hard
Sepultura fans will likely salivate over skull-crushing tracks like "Who Must Die?," and when
Green sings "you are our livestock/we make you love it" on the creepy anticorruption song "Politricks,"
Sepultura virgins will be speechless. The album explodes with the final track, "Valtio," an instrumental piece (complete with violins) that sounds more like the score to a war movie, with the innocent lying in waste in the dust. Trust that
Nation is far more real and way scarier than when your mean older brother used to lock you in the closet and play
Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf," but it's well worth the ride. ~ Kerry L. Smith