I was still pinching myself into reality as I walked into Eatons Hill on Thursday to see Sepultura Roots rock out the house. Support act Skindred opened up to a crowd hungry for metal, rock and guitars - they were even hungrier for Max and Iggor Cavalera. They whipped the crowd up into a frenzy with a short set and before plunging them into darkness.  

Soon it was time for Sepultura Roots to take their rightful place on the stage. The band walks on; Iggor gets behind the drums first, then finally Max walks on stage and the whole place lights up. Max yells “ Lets get back to our ROOOTS” – and the band open up with the title track from the Roots album. This is the tour we never saw, as Max split up with the original Sepultura line up soon after the Roots album was recorded. This gig set the record straight once and for all.

The guitars were a bit muddy to start with but picked up in no time. Eatons Hill has good sound overall, but the volume could have been cranked up by a few (or ten notches in my opinion). Moving into Berimbau/ Attitude and Cut-Throat the set picked up. They played a great version of Ratamahatta followed impeccably by Breed Apart and Straighthate.

Max kept firing up the crowd and had them jumping, yelling and dancing to his tune. I last saw Max with the awesome supermetal group  Killer Be Killed at the last Soundwave festival in Brisbane – and there Max said “I want a huge f*cking circle pit here – right f*cking now"- and the pit filled up to the max. This time was no different. Max said “ I want the circle pit from hell” and he got 200 people in a  boiling sea of arms and legs at Eatons Hill. Only Max Cavalera can demand and get pits like this. Maximum Respect.

Ripping through Spit, Lookaway and Dusted the place was alive. Max did a solo number with some weird Brazilian tribal violin which was unexpected but brought a different flavour to the middle of the set. Ambusg, Dictatorshit and  Endangered Species soon followed - it all went too quickly – Max did a mini- Black Sabbath medley and out of nowhere the band covered Ace of Spades by Motorhead – the crowd went ballistic – no one was expecting that but it was definitely welcomed.

They finished their set with a fast version of Roots and the band were gone. Tonight answers the question as to who was the driving force behind Seputura - The Brothers Cavalera Reunited !!

Donald Gunn