Album Review: Cavalera -Schizophrenia

On June 21, 2024, Cavalera will release their re-recording of Sepultura's second studio album Schizophrenia, (originally released in 1987) via Nuclear Blast Records.

Schizophrenia marks the third re-recording Cavalera has unleashed in the past year, completing the "Third World Trilogy" following 2023's releases of Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions.

The band re-recorded the Schizophrenia at the Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, from April 15 to June 5, 2023. Arthur Rizk (TURNSTILE, GO AHEAD AND DIE, SOULFLY) handled the mixing and mastering duties.

With Max Cavalera leaving the door open for a Sepultura reunion and the current iteration of Sepultura winding things down, the stars may be aligning for some future projects and mending fences. Until then, let's dig into Schizophrenia.

The sequencing of the album does not deviate from the original release, but the band has included an "unheard song" that closes out the record, 'Nightmares of Delirium.'

Once 'From The Past Comes The Storm' kicks off, following the aptly titled 'Intro,' it is very apparent that Cavalera has an agenda—an agenda to kick our asses. I was instantly time-warped back to the 80's, where I was greeted by the smell of a musty basement and my parents yelling at me to "keep the volume down."

Max and Igor "Iggor" Cavalera lead the lineup, which is completed by bassist Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD AND DIE, HEALING MAGIC) and guitarist Travis Stone (PIG DESTROYER), who provides some face melting lead work.

The record has a familiar sounding yet new sounding tone. With a commitment to "Extreme Metal," the band managed to encapsulate the spirit of early thrash/death metal production.

The instrument balances vary from song to song, it appears from a mix standpoint that the tracks are not linear. To stick with the 80s aesthetic, I am going to assume that was a deliberate decision. I would have preferred the vocals to be less murky in the mix, but again I'm sure the choice was intentional.

My favorite tracks from Schizophrenia are 'R.I.P. (Rest in Pain),' 'Inquisition Symphony,' and 'Nightmares in Delirium.'

'R.I.P' features some glorious palm-muted galloping mid-section that bears a slight resemblance to Metallica's 'Four Horsemen' and Diamond Head's 'Am I Evil?' The ending of the song sounds almost "happy", but it concludes the track perfectly.

'Inquisition Symphony' is an instrumental song that exceeds expectations. It takes the traditional route by starting with a clean guitar that leads into some distorted juiciness. Around the 2-minute mark of the song, the 'Inquisition' begins.

Another bright spot of the track is the transition nearing the 5-minute, 30-second mark; it comes at the end of a tasty solo and just before some clean guitar work. It helps connect the two parts seamlessly. Keep your ears tuned for a satisfying bar-dive near the 6-minute, 40-second mark.

Whether 'Nightmares' was conceived during the original recording sessions or written more recently, it rounds out the album in a spectacular fashion.

While 'Nightmares' is one of the shortest cuts on the album, it does not waste a single note. There are so many tempo changes and meaty riffs jammed into its 4 minute run time that you will feel exhausted by its conclusion.

Iggor's technical execution on this track steals the show and it is a common theme repeated across the entire record. The rhythm section is so sharp and precise it is hard to find a fault.

Whether or not you support bands reinventing and re-recording their songs, the good news is that the original works are still in existence and there for you to enjoy.

Metal, in my opinion, has always been about breaking the norms and pushing boundaries for both bands and us, the audience.

With Schizophrenia, Cavalera risked a lot to resurrect a nearly 40-year old record and bring it back to the forefront.

Although I do not think the re-recording will be as revered as the original release, it does demonstrate how great the original content was and offers both new and old metal fans a chance to hear from an old friend and discover a classic record from the past.

I give "Schizophrenia" seven bar dives out of 10.

Until next time, play it loud friends!

Rating: 7/10