Bestial Devastation
Encyclopedia
Bestial Devastation is an EP by Brazil
ian heavy metal
band Sepultura
, released in 1985 through Cogumelo Records
. It is their first official release, and originally appeared alongside Overdose's Século XX as a split album
. Later on, it became the bonus tracks of Morbid Visions
s CD version.
The vocals on the introductory track "The Curse" were performed by a friend of the band; according to Igor Cavalera
:
The band apparently fought with the producer during the recording. In an interview, Igor Cavalera said, "(H)e wanted to clean everything up in the mix and we finally had to play him some records by Venom
to show him that bands sounded this way."
. None of the band members knew how to write or speak the language, so they asked their friend Lino to translate their lyrics. Examples of Lino's crude translation skills can be seen in one of the verses of "Antichrist":
, which took place in Rio de Janeiro
on January 1985. This music festival's line-up included Whitesnake
, AC/DC
, Iron Maiden
, Queen
, Ozzy Osbourne
and the Scorpions
, and was responsible for Brazil
's hard rock
/ heavy metal
boom.
The EP was later reissued by Roadrunner Records
on one CD with Morbid Visions
in 1997. The reissue included a demo version of the song "Necromancer" that was the first studio recording of the band, and a live version of "Antichrist" from the Chaos A.D. tour, re-written as "Anticop".
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
, released in 1985 through Cogumelo Records
Cogumelo Records
Cogumelo Records is a Brazilian record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands.Cogumelo Records first began as a record store in Belo Horizonte in 1980 and in 1985 became a record label...
. It is their first official release, and originally appeared alongside Overdose's Século XX as a split album
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
. Later on, it became the bonus tracks of Morbid Visions
Morbid Visions
Morbid Visions is the debut album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1986 through Cogumelo Records.While later albums have a more political edge, Morbid Visions is notable for "Satanic" themes...
s CD version.
Production values
Because of Sepultura's collective lack of money, most of the instruments used on Bestial Devastation were borrowed from friends and acquaintances.The vocals on the introductory track "The Curse" were performed by a friend of the band; according to Igor Cavalera
Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...
:
The band apparently fought with the producer during the recording. In an interview, Igor Cavalera said, "(H)e wanted to clean everything up in the mix and we finally had to play him some records by Venom
Venom (band)
Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
to show him that bands sounded this way."
Overview
Months prior to recording what would eventually become the Bestial Devastation EP, the band decided to switch their lyrics from Portuguese to EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. None of the band members knew how to write or speak the language, so they asked their friend Lino to translate their lyrics. Examples of Lino's crude translation skills can be seen in one of the verses of "Antichrist":
Reception
Bestial Devastation was released in December 1985, alongside Overdose's Século XX EP. Over the next few months it sold 8,000 copies. Sepultura's surprising success was partly atributted to the first Rock in RioRock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
, which took place in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
on January 1985. This music festival's line-up included Whitesnake
Whitesnake
Whitesnake are an English rock band, founded in 1978 by David Coverdale after his departure from his previous band, Deep Purple. The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple, but by the mid 1980s they had moved to a more commercial hard rock style...
, AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
and the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, and was responsible for Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
/ heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
boom.
The EP was later reissued by Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
on one CD with Morbid Visions
Morbid Visions
Morbid Visions is the debut album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1986 through Cogumelo Records.While later albums have a more political edge, Morbid Visions is notable for "Satanic" themes...
in 1997. The reissue included a demo version of the song "Necromancer" that was the first studio recording of the band, and a live version of "Antichrist" from the Chaos A.D. tour, re-written as "Anticop".
Track listing
Credits
- Max "Possessed" CavaleraMax CavaleraMassimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the heavy metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Jairo "Tormentor" GuedzJairo GuedzJairo Guedes was the lead guitar player of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura prior to Andreas Kisser. His recorded output with the band includes the Bestial Devastation EP and their first full-length, Morbid Visions...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Paulo "Destructor" JrPaulo Jr.Paulo Jr. is the bassist and the only remaining original member of the Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Life and work:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Igor "Skullcrusher" CavaleraIgor CavaleraIgor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Recorded and mixed in two days on 8 tracks in August 1985 at J. G. EstudioJ. G. EstudioJ.G. Estudio is a music studio in Belo Horizonte where many 1980s Brazilian thrash metal and hardcore albums were recorded, produced and mixed.Some albums that were recorded, produced and mixed there include:* Acid Storm, Why?...Dirty War...
s, Belo HorizonteBelo HorizonteBelo Horizonte is the capital of and largest city in the state of Minas Gerais, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the country...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Produced by SepulturaSepulturaSepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
- Back cover photo by Vânia Cavalera
- Remastered for the Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
release by Michael Sarsfield at Frankford/Wayne, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA