I’ve just had a kicking courtesy of the Cavalera brothers. Re-united for the second Cavalera Conspiracy album Blunt Force Trauma, they’ve dialed up their début Inflikted’s proto-thrash to full on 80’s brutality.

To some extent, Phil and Grant, sorry Max and Igor are onto a winner. Getting together to unleash “keeler reefs” (Brazilian for “killer riffs”, fyi) was always going to light up the metal world regardless of the result.

But that would be complacent and this is anything but. Opener “Warlord” is solid and thumps like a bastard but doesn’t really cover much new ground. But second track does. Blending thrash and death metal, “Torture”, harks back to the primal intensity of Beneath the Remains era Sepultura that set them apart. This time round though with the production values that provides a guitar tone heavier than elephant mammaries. “Lynch Mob” thrashes like a thrashy thing before breaking down nicely into a chorus of pure hardcore. Just as well as Roger Miret from Agnostic Front obliges with the call and response lyric.

Thankfully, the nods to yesteryear don’t permeate the whole album. Whiffs of experimentation come through, largely thanks to the nimble Martin Rizzo’s lead flourishes. “Killing Inside”, as romantic as it sounds has enough melody underneath Max’s bellow to be labelled catchy.

Max and Igor paid their dues in Sepultura, releasing seminal albums and the career defining Roots opus. Little brother Igor has quite rightly established himself as one of the elite drummers. Not only a technically gifted drummer but one not afraid to innovate, he appears in most metalheads top five drummers. And Max has moved on after the Sepultura split to create this “Bob Marley Of Metal” profile through Soulfly’s assimilation of world music and guest spot after guest spot from some of the leading figures in rock/metal.

If Inflikted doffed it’s cap to Discharge’s punk/metal, then Blunt Force Trauma smells like the Sepultura album we’re told isn’t going to happen any time soon. It’s invigorating stuff and if hairy men shouting at each other is your thang, get involved.

 Big G says…