10/01/2023
Cavalera
Turner Hall Ballroom
Milwaukee, WI

The evening was warm and bright—a beautiful moment to take in during the transition from Fall to Winter in Southern Wisconsin. The National Historic Landmark Turner Hall Ballroom is in Milwaukee’s downtown area. Across the street is Pfizer Arena and the Bucks district. The street behind the venue is the heart of the city’s history, Old World Street. The location is perfectly accessible to all. Upon approach, there is no line of fans outside. The doors open two hours early and lead up a flight of wooden stairs into a specious and entirely hardwood tavern room.  Patrons wait until the regular doors open here. Drinks and edibles are available. Once ready to check into the show you hop up one of two split stairs and halfway up these stairs are several historic pieces built into the walls explaining the building’s vibrant past. At the top of the stairs, there is a small coat check on the left, and on the right a place to pick up tickets and get the set times. Walking through the massive double doors, the room opens up. On the left runs the small bar and stairs to the balcony on the side of the room. Along the back wall, the touring package ran an immaculately diverse setup with many items exclusive to them and the tour. In front of them stood a small front of house with ropes of white lights going to the top of the main stage across the room. The stage was wide, deep, and unbelievably high. There was no security rail upfront. This was a good old-fashioned metal show. A thrash free for all. The stage stood about six feet above the floor which was perfect for anyone standing around the room.

The stage ran the full length of the performance area. Both of the microphone stands stood on the front edge and had elaborate masks attached to the front of them. Two TV screens stood on top of the guitar cabs on each end. They both displayed Cavalera while flames engulfed it. In the middle of the stage, stood Igor Cavalera’s drum kit. The kit was not on a riser. Next to it stood an anti-fascist flag that is with them every single performance. The band’s setlist for the evening was very simple, perform their freshly re-recorded Sepultura masterpieces Bestial Devastations EP and Morbid Visions LP. The band itself was primed and ready to perform. Simply walking onto the stage the crowd erupted. Igor moved and set up quickly behind his kit. His brother Max stepped out front and checked his microphone and then engaged with the faithful fanbase that had been waiting to thrash to the classic Sepultura albums. It is no secret that Max and Igor were the creative forces of the early success and genre-driving albums by Sepultura. Their fame alone pushes a devoted fan base to show up to the Cavalera performances continually. Milwaukee proved that on the 2022s Beneath The Remains/Arise tour where they performed both of those albums in its entirety. Unlike the last tour, this was set up to be an old-school thrash metal concert. No Security and no care in the World. The mythical songwriting king looked happier than he ever had. He moved his fingers across the fretboard and laid down the rhythms that made him who he was. Max Cavalera was a man-possessed. The in-between banter was kept to a minimum through the first album run. During that album play, he often walked around the stage and engaged every single corner and pocket that opened his access to the crowd. Often heading back to his brother Igor Cavalera’s drum kit and sharing glances and egging each other on. Pushing each other’s internal fire. 

Max Cavalera in all of his glory smiled over the throng of people pushing their way around the front of the stage. The rest of the band Igor Amadeus Cavalera on bass and Travis Stone of Pig Destroyer fame on lead guitar were moving across the stage engaging with the fans over and over. Igor blasted his powerful backing vocals over through the microphone. So strong he didn’t need a microphone at times. Often he leaned over the stage and slapped the hand of the waving crowd. Their faces lit up with excitement. Travis Stone flung his body around the left side of the stage. While stomping around his head banged along with every down stroke. A huge puff of hair flung around and an occasional yell blasted from his mouth. His fingers moved feverishly across the frets. The energy exuded blasted from the stage. The sizable crowd felt this and reciprocated every ounce of energy back. 

The floor moved as one. Circle pits filled the room and spun feverishly. Stage divers ran and flipped into waiting hands. Max Cavalera commanded it to grow larger and larger within every moment he could spare. This was a flashback to their Sepultura days. The fire from the performance resonated. The evening was filled with classic songs known and loved by the metal community. The engagement by the band and their adoring fans heightened the emotional connection that was made. The homage to their youth was a relation we all took to heart. Everything about their performance was incredible. The vibes rang positively all evening. The worst part about the entire experience was leaving. Cavalera Conspiracy is never to be missed. The opportunity to witness such greatness on stage is always a memory one should sign up for. 

Setlist:
1. Bestial Devastation
2. Antichrist
3. Necromancer
4. Warriors of Death
5. Sexta Feira 13
6. Morbid Visions
7. Mayhem
8. War
9. Crucifixion
10. Show Me The Wrath
11. Funeral Rites
12. Empire of The Damned
13. Inquisition Symphony
14. Escape To The Void
15. Refuse/Resist/Territory/Slave New World
16. Troops of Doom/Morbid Visions