Following the successful re-recordings of both Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation, Cavalera are back with another early Sepultura re-recording in the form of Schizophrenia. To be honest, while the first two worked – largely because of their relative obscurity in the overall Sepultura canon and because of the limitations of the original recordings, this effort feels rather less necessary given that the original album is perfectly listenable – marking the band’s transition from snotty upstarts to the absolute masters of the genre that they would become. While some may argue it’s an opportunity for the Cavalera brothers to reclaim their heritage, they’re already irrevocably associated with those recordings, as they are entitled to play the songs live, and this ongoing necromancy of early material is starting to feel just a little self-indulgent.
The album opens with the short, eerie Intro, which sees roars emerging from a swirl of synths, before the rapid-fire riffing of From The Past Comes The Storms. It’s frighteningly well recorded, of course, and the brothers sound like they’re having a blast trying to up the ante in terms of speed, but there’s something in the dusty, Hammer Horror-esque atmosphere of the original that this more streamlined take just can’t match. And therein lies the rub – the crystal-clear production and super-tight musicianship is… fine, but it just doesn’t have the raw desperation that runs through the original recording, and it ends up falling short as a result. The scything might of To The Wall finds Max’s voice wreathed in reverb as Igor drums up a storm (as he does throughout the album), and then we’re into the evergreen classic that is Escape To The Void. A song that even causal fans of the band are liable to know given its frequent live representation, it’s delivered here with gleaming precision and astonishing speed and, of course, it sounds pretty awesome – but it’s not the recording that dominated my youth, and it leaves me wanting to put that version on. The first half of the album wraps up with the moody instrumental Inquisition Symphony, the squelchy synth replaced with suitably cinematic howling winds, and the brothers clearly enjoyed rampaging through this one.
Opening up the second half, Screams Behind The Shadows comes storming out of the gates, that well-worn riff showing that time has done little to dilute its impact. The razor-sharp Sceptic Schizo feels like Igor’s show, as he rages around his kit, while the short mood piece that is The Abyss once again serves to highlight the better synth patches the band now have at their command. The album proper finishes with the splenetic R.I.P (Rest In Pain) and, again, for all that it’s a fine track, the spot-on recording and playing feels at odds with a youthful thrash assault that simply repeats the title as its chorus.
However, with the album almost over, there is a surprise waiting in the wings. The bonus track this time around is Nightmare In Delerium, and this is probably the most exciting track for fans to wrap their ears around. A brutal outpouring, it has all the technical skill deployed elsewhere on this re-recording, but it has the excitement of the unfamiliar, making it a worthy addition to the set. With Max putting in a ferocious performance behind the mic, it is easily the highlight of this re-recorded album, making you wish that the band would focus on the unexpected in the future.
Can an album be too well recorded? In the case of Schizophrenia this seems to be exactly the problem. The original, while lacking the sonic punch of modern metal, has a magical atmosphere that is all its own. Where the re-recordings of both Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation helped to scrape away the layers of a truly atrocious recording, becoming near-essential companion pieces in the process, Schizophrenia feels somewhat soulless in contrast. While there will surely be those who enjoy hearing this updated take (and it’s by no means bad), I’d far rather the band had taken Obituary’s approach, re-recording early albums live to celebrate their anniversary, rather than opting for a full studio run through. As it is, for all the skill deployed in the recording, Schizophrenia is a nice tribute that simply made me want to listen to the original. 6/10
