10/06/2022
Cavalera
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

On a cool Thursday evening in Milwaukee, Wi The Rave parking lot was littered with people waiting in lines decked out in patch-laden vests and black clothing. That crisp air never mattered to those partying in the lot. The line stretched down the and into the parking stalls. Once the doors opened the line filed through the historic Rave doors and into the basement room. The room is large and at one time was a bowling alley. The floors are hardwood and run the entire length of the room. On both sides of the room are bars that are always packed full of patrons. This night was no different. At the merch table, the line was long but it moved quickly. The variety of tour-specific items and shirts was plentiful. The room filled up quickly and the bodies were packed in tightly. Various Soulfly and Sepultura shirts were being worn. The fandom showed up in droves.

On stage and a huge banner was draped across the length of the back of the stage. In orange type, it simply spelled out Cavalera. The brothers Igor and Max Cavalera, the namesake and masterminds behind the early years of Sepultura have no issues letting you know they are the talent. In the realm of the metal universe, everyone knows but loved the Cavalera signage everywhere. The brothers took the Cavalera road show out across the country to celebrate two albums they created together while in Sepultura. The albums “Arise” and “Beneath The Remains” were to be performed in full. This creative force delivered a performance for the ages. Partnered with their 2 touring companions Mike Leon on bass and Daniel Gonzalez on lead guitar they pulverized the anxious crowd. With Igor’s massive drum kit set up in front of the backdrop, you could barely see him over the top of the chrome framing holding his kit in position. When you did get a glimpse of him he often unleashed snarls and views of his clamped teeth. He moved with efficiency and power. The snare snaps resonated through the celebrated music venue while the rapid firing of his bass drum pounded away and shook the floor. From the start, his play motivated the mosh pit’s rowdiness.

With bodies flying around the room, Max was up on the center-stage mic stand projecting out the lyrics to the classic songs they wrote back in the late 80s and early ’90s. His voice was pristine and full. He screamed so loud it often projected well past the front of the stage on its own. Obviously, he had a ton of pent-up energy to let loose on the evening. He looked like the Max of years past. His fingers were ripping through guitar riffs and forcing the audience to respect the greatness they were witnessing. The smiles and grins while head banging and foot stomping was noticeable from the get-go. He moved freely around the entirety of the stage and often commented and thanked the whipped-up crowd for being there. In reality, though they should’ve thanked them. This was peak Sepultura and it was undeniable.

Spending an evening watching two of the classic Sepultura albums being performed by the original writers almost 30 years later is a priceless experience. The brothers Cavalera struck a chord with those who came to celebrate. The mood was rather joyous on the way out. The comments from patrons were completely positive and expressed how great it was to see these albums being performed. Whether the Cavalera brothers make future runs performing other albums or not this moment in time will be forever cherished. If you were not there then you missed out on an epic experience.

Setlist:
1. Beneath The Remains
2. Inner Self
3. Stronger Than Hate
4. Mass Hypnosis
5. Sarcastic Existence
6. Slaves of Pain
7. Lobotomy
8. Primitive Future
9. Arise
10. Dead Embryonic Cells
11. Desperate Cry
12. Murder
13. Altered State (with War Pigs and Territory mixed in)
14. Infected Voice
15. Orgasmatron (Motorhead cover)
16. Troops of Doom (Raining Blood intro)
17. Intro
18. Beneath The Remains/Arise