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Chaos A.D.

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Untitled

Chaos A.D. is an album released in October 1993 by Sepultura through Roadrunner Records. It won silver and gold certifications throughout Europe and the USA, and was considered their first step into the metal mainstream.

Album information

Out of the boredom of playing the Arise songs for two years straight and the threat of musically stagnating, Sepultura pushed the envelope on Chaos A.D.[1] The first track, "Refuse / Resist", revealed the band's new musical direction: slower, with more emphasis on groove than speed.[2]

At the very start of the album was a recording of Zyon's (Max's first son) heartbeat, followed by some typically Brazilian drumming and a slow and heavy riff. The lyrics mention "tanks on the streets, confronting police, bleeding the plebs." The chorus ("Refuse! Resist!") was similar to a protest march slogan. The next song, "Territory", was defined by Igor's drumming. It had been composed in a small studio in Santo Andre, São Paulo, near the Kisser family house. Andreas's lyrics dealt with the conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli people, about racist dictators and the hate passed down through generations.[3]

"Slave New World" - with lyrics written by Max and Evan Seinfeld of Biohazard - had a slow intro and a gloomy atmosphere that reminded of the old Celtic Frost records. Next up, "Amen", was Max's version of the Dead Kennedys lyrics, tackled - with Jello Biafra's typical black humor and ironic undertones – the massacre of David Koresh's followers in Waco, Texas.

Massacres were, in fact, a major part of Chaos A.D.'s overall theme. Two other tracks, "Manifest" and "Kaiowas", talked about black and violent pages in Brazilian history. "Manifest" which sounded a lot like Ministry, had a radio report of the Carandiru massacre played over a heavy industrial-techno sound. And "Kaiowas" was made in honor of a Brazilian Indian tribe that had committed collective suicide in protest against the government that wanted to drive them off of the land of their ancestors.

It was an entirely acoustic track, with Andreas and Max on the guitars and Igor and Paulo on percussions. "It's like a mixture of Led Zeppelin, Sonic Youth and Olodum", said Max.[4] When they recorded "Kaiowas", the quartet never even considered playing the track live, because they thought it would be too difficult to recreate the drumming on stage. They changed their minds after seeing a video of the American band Neurosis: "We saw in that live video that the Neurosis guys put down their guitars and everybody started to play the drums on stage", Andreas remembers. "We decided to try the same thing. We rehearsed it once and it was wonderful. We haven't stopped playing the song live since."

The noise continued with "Propaganda" that had the most pessimistic lyrics ever written by Max: "Life teaches me you're always alone". "Clenched Fist" wasn't much more positive: "Pain makes me stronger / every day / the life is chaos / you gotta deal with it". In "We Who Are Not Others", Sepultura said a lot with little words: the lyrics were a repetition of a single line "We Who Are Not as Others". And "Nomad", written by Andreas, talked about people expelled from their homelands, and had a characteristically slow riff. Max described "Nomad" as Andreas' answer to Metallica's "Sad But True".

On Chaos A.D., Sepultura honored one of their biggest idols, Jello Biafra. Max had called Biafra asking him to contribute to the album with a song about the growing neo-Nazi movement. "I asked for something like 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off - Part 2'", Remembers Max, referring to the anti-nazi song "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" by the Dead Kennedys. But Biafra wasn't interested in recycling his old music and he suggested a song called "Biotech is Godzilla", that he had written during his visit to Eco '92, a world conference about ecology organized in Rio de Janeiro. "Jello spent ten minutes explaining me his crazy theories", said Max to Anamaria G. of Bizz magazine, "he said that George Bush had sent a group of scientists to Brazil to test germs and bacteria on human beings and use them as guinea pigs. The lyrics claim that biotechnology created Aids. But they don't say that technology is bad, just that it's in the wrong hands."

Rio Summit, '92
Street people kidnapped
Hid from view
"To save the earth"
Our rulers met
Some had other
Secret plans

Mutations cooked in labs
Moneymad experiments
New food + medicine?
New germs + accidents!
Like Cubatão
World's most polluted town
Air melts your face
Deformed children all around

During Chaos A.D's sessions, Sepultura recorded a number of B-sides: "The Hunt", from New Model Army, "Policia", from Titãs, "Inhuman Nature", from the American hardcore punk band Final Conflict and "Crucificados pelo Sistema", from Brazilians Ratos de Porão. Igor was a huge New Model Army fan and he convinced the other band members to include "The Hunt" on the record. Paulo Jr. joked that the money of the LP would go straight to new dentures for Justin Sullivan, the toothless singer of New Model Army.[5]

Though the band experienced success previously, Chaos A.D. was their breakthrough album.[citation needed]

According to an April 30th, 2002 Soundscan report, Chaos A.D. had sold 452,528 copies at that point.[6]

Production Values

The band considered a number of producers, including John Zorn and Al Jourgensen of Ministry. They finally settled with Andy Wallace, who had previously mixed Arise. Sepultura wanted some isolation, and for that Andy Wallace suggested Rockfield Studios, located in Wales.[7]

"Kaiowas" was recorded live among the ruins of the medieval castle of Chepstow, and the echoes of the ruin gave the track a hypnotic quality.[citation needed]

Reception

Professional reviews:

  • Entertainment Weekly (11/26/93, p.67) - "Sepultura will separate casual headbangers from rabid addicts fast....even nonmetalheads will be impressed by the variety in [Chaos A.D.]: they're not averse to slowing things down." - Rating: B+
  • Q (12/93, p.122) - 3 Stars - "[Chaos A.D.] should mark a milestone in [Sepultura's] career...they've succeeded in capturing their live aggression with a resonance and immediacy that evaded earlier efforts."
  • Melody Maker (10/23/93, p.33) - "[Chaos A.D. is a] genuine expression of outrage...Sepultura are not in the business of splatter soundtracks or documentary gore-fests--they write protest songs."
  • NME (10/23/93, p.37) - "Chaos AD may be the term for the boiling point rage against state corruption and persecution, but [Sepultura] leave the sickening negativity and chronic egoism to others."

Track listing

  1. "Refuse/Resist" – 3:20
  2. "Territory" – 4:47
  3. "Slave New World" – 2:55
  4. "Amen" – 4:27
  5. "Kaiowas" – 3:43
  6. "Propaganda" – 3:33
  7. "Biotech Is Godzilla" – 1:52
  8. "Nomad" – 4:59
  9. "We Who Are Not as Others" – 3:42
  10. "Manifest" (about the 1992 Carandiru Massacre) – 4:49
  11. "The Hunt" (Originally recorded by New Model Army) – 3:59
  12. "Clenched Fist" – 4:58
  13. "Chaos B.C." [*] - 5:12
  14. "Kaiowas" [*] - 3:47
  15. "Territory" [*] - 4:48
  16. "Amen/Inner Self" [Live][*] - 8:42

Singles

  • "Territory" was released in 1993 with "Policia" (Titãs) and "Biotech Is Godzilla".
  • "Refuse/Resist" was released in 1994 with "Crucificados Pelo Sistema" (Ratos de Porao), "Inhuman Nature" (Final Conflict), "Drug Me" (Dead Kennedys), "Dead Embryonic Cells (Live)", "Desperate Cry (Live)", "Orgasmatron (Live)" (Motörhead).
  • "Slave New World" was released in 1994 with "Crucificados Pelo Sistema" (Ratos de Porao), "Drug Me" (Dead Kennedys),"Orgasmatron (Live)" (Motörhead).

Chart Positions & Award Certifications

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1993 The Billboard 200 32[8]

Album - RIAA & IFPI music certifications.

Year Country Award Number Sold
1994 Belgium Gold 25,000 copies[9]
1994 France Silver 50,000 copies[10]
1994 Indonesia Gold 25,000 copies[11]
1994 UK Silver 60,000 copies[12]
2000 USA Gold 500,000 copies[13]
2002 UK Gold 100,000 copies[14]
Unknown Netherlands Gold 30,000 copies[15]

Credits

  • Recorded at Rockfield Studios, South Wales, UK (though the liner notes incorrectly state "South Wales, England")
  • "Kaiowas" recorded at Chepstow Castle, Wales, UK
  • Mixed at The Wool Hall Recording Studios, Bath, England

Notes

  1. ^ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 123.
  2. ^ Lemos (1993), page 43.
  3. ^ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 126.
  4. ^ Lemos (1993), page 43.
  5. ^ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 131.
  6. ^ "Metal/Hard Rock Album Sales In The US As Reported By SoundScan". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2002-04-30. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Lemos (1993), page 42.
  8. ^ "Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales". Billboard Music Charts. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 143.
  10. ^ Ibid.
  11. ^ Ibid.
  12. ^ "CERTIFIED AWARDS". THE BPI. Retrieved 2008-05-03. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "GOLD AND PLATINUM - Searchable Database". RIAA. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "CERTIFIED AWARDS". THE BPI. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "Goud/Platina Muziek". nvpi. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)

References

  • Barcinski, André & Gomes, Silvio (1999). Sepultura: Toda a História. São Paulo: Ed. 34. ISBN 85-7326156-0
  • Lemos, Anamaria (Setembro 1993). "Caos Desencanado". Bizz #98, pages 40-45.
  • Sepultura (1993). Chaos A.D. [CD]. New York, NY: Roadrunner Records.
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