SEPULTURA, the well known Brazilian Groove/ThrashMmetal act, have released their new record ''Machine Messiah'' early January (the 13'th, to be more precise) via Nuclear Blast Records, and I must say this has to be one of the best albums the band has released in a while! I'm not going to brag about the constant fan base bull crap about which vocalist is better and who fits the sound better. Years have passed since then, and fans that say the new vocalist isn't capable of fitting the sound are horribly wrong. ''New'', right? It's been 19 years since the vocalist, Derrick Green, joined the band. How can he not fit the sound? ''Machine Messiah'' is the perfect example of phenomenal vocal abilities and a 100% of teamwork. To those who say the band should get back to their roots, the only thing they don't realize is that it's been almost two decades, and the band has a new ''root sound'' to get back at, they have created something new since Max Cavalera has left, something amazing. Maybe the first albums in the beginning of the second millennium weren't that good, but that happens when you recruit a new guy, it takes a while to realize your musical surroundings. Now that this album was released, I must say, no one could fit better this band's sound, even the current front man of SOULFLY. SEPULTURA is back! They are fucking back, however, they haven't anywhere, if you were loyal to them.

''Phantom Self'' proves exactly that, being the third track on the album, it's a wicked one. The riffs are more energetic than ever, the blast-beats are incredible, the vocals are sick and completely on point, everything's so groovy mixed with the overall thrash atmosphere of slow and speeding up riffs. ''The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart'' was an okay record, I liked some songs, but it's not even near to the current record. I am almost blown away by the energy I am experiencing on the songs from this album. The lyrics are incredible, the vocals keep amazing me, the overall instrumentation is just too sick. This five-minute song even contains some weird elements of native music, as far as I have realized, and I'm really liking what I'm hearing. I think the reason why this album is sounding so good, is the fact that the classic bass and guitar riffs by Paulo Jr. & Andreas Kisser got mixed with the wicked, modern, but still old school sounding brutal vocals by Derrick, and also the phenomenal and wicked-fast drumming of Eloy Casagrande! ''I Am The Enemy'' is like twice as more energetic than the previously mentioned song, although it's a bit shorter, it's still an amazing one, and it completely deserved to get a lyric video. For the lazier ones, give this track a spin, and you'll realize that the band is completely on point, and the current sound they are creating, is the one that's going to be remembered for a long time ago, the ''classic'' sound is now! This is the current SEPULTURA, and I can assure you, you shouldn't ask for more. They are at the highest point in their career yet, and if the follow up to ''Machine Messiah'' is going to sound even a bit like the album, it absolutely needs to be on both my digital and physical digital collection shelves! Congratulations on this album, guys! Long time fan-seriously blown away!