A-Lex [PA] (CD - 2009)

Eleven studio albums into a landmark heavy metal career, Brazil's trailblazing Sepultura have not dialed back their intensity in any discernable fashion. A-LEX is reportedly a concept album based on Anthony Burgess's cult novel, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, but knowledge of the source material isn't necessary to bang one's head to this beast of an album. Singer Derrick Green may not have erased anyone's memory of founding member Max Cavalera, but his rugged roar suits the fury of the music perfectly. Past flirtations with Brazilian indigenous music and industrial are largely absent from Sepultura's arsenal at this point, with the focus instead on the jugular-tearing thrash of songs like "Moloko Mesto" and "Forceful Behavior." Few bands in metal can establish as formidable a groove as Sepultura, and the dark, down-tuned tunnels dug out by "The Experiment" and "What I Do!" are perfect examples of their craft. minimize