Live Review: Sepultura w/Jesus Piece, Obituary and Jinjer at Hammersmith Apollo!

It’s a Tuesday afternoon and we’re heading to Hammersmith Apollo for the London date of the “Celebrating Life Through Death” European Farewell tour that doubles as the 40th Anniversary of Sepultura. The Brazilian Thrash Gods have been a force of nature that have been around longer than some of their fans have been alive, so it feels strange to think that once this tour is done, the show will be over. The metaphorical fat lady may not have sung however as in recent interviews the Andreas Kisser has spoken of attempting a show in Sao Paulo with the Cavalera brothers as the final piece of the puzzle. That’s been spoken about for decades but stranger things have happened. Pantera are touring.

Last time we had the pleasure of witnessing Metallic Hardcore crew Jesus Piece [8/10] in London it was when they opened a matinee show for Terror at Camden Underworld. A lot has changed since then, signing to Century Media and dropping their long awaited, highly anticipated sophomore album to name but two. To see them opening for a band as big as Sepultura at a venue as big as the Hammersmith Apollo feels like a a huge step up but one thoroughly deserved after all the time they spend playing Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. They win over the three quarter full venue within a couple of songs, their pulverising rhythm section and muscular riffs as cut throat as anyone out there. Breakdowns smash against each other and sparks fly with each rimshot from drummer Luis Aponte but as you might expect they don’t have a massive amount of time to impress us. “Tunnel Vision“, “Neuroprison” and “Fear Of Failure” are all shoehorned in to their nonstop ferocity with the old guitar turned sniper rifle routine adding to their tornado.

What we didn’t notice during the first set is just how much gear is on the stage, something which becomes apparent as Obituary [8/10] appear. Bathed in haunting green light, the Florida Death Metal masters bring the riffs fit for worship, extended instrumental passages, flesh ripping solos and of course those trademark spitting, snarling vocals from John Tardy. A career spanning set that runs from “Redneck Stomp” through “Turned Inside Out” to “Slowly We Rot” pauses only for “Dying Of Everything” and leaves us wondering what might have been. Could Sepultura have got away with a three band package to give these dudes a longer set? Given their filthy career of festering we’re left hungry for more of what they have to offer.

The last time we saw Ukraine’s finest export Jinjer [9/10] was at a sold out headlining show at Camden Underworld on the “King Of Everything” tour and just like that night, tonight they blow our tiny minds once more. Eloy Casagrande aside, is there a more impressive drummer than Vladislav Ulasevich in the current scene? Why is his setup so low down compared with everyone else’s? The bass from Eugene Abdukhanov is mesmerising, so much more than a simply providing a rumbling background noise in their sound. An amazingly talented quartet, their DJent fuelled Death Metal grooves, Progressive musings and sheer inventiveness have taken them into the stratosphere. What’s more impressive, Tatiana Shmayluk’s incredible clean vocal range or her savage harsh uncleans? They are equal and opposite, each one a force of nature to be reckoned with. Someone in the crowd describes her as having a demon within and it’s so true.  Unlike the other bands tonight who go straight for the jugular, Jinjer play with textures and paint the white to grey, attacking in waves. That being said, it feels they have chosen a heavier set given the company that they’re keeping on this run which might be why “Pisces” is strangely absent. Instead we get treated to an opening drop kick in “Sit Stay Roll Over” before “Teacher, Teacher!” and “Perennial” in a set that showcases their talents in a more condensed form. The biggest surprise is that the four piece close the set with the recent single “Rogue” from next year’s new album and it goes down like a bottle of rum in the hands of a pirate.

It feels surreal to be saying goodbye to the almighty Sepultura [10/10] at this 40th Anniversary show but all good things must come to an end. The absence of Eloy Casagrande with his departure to Slipknot before this run is a real shame but when it comes to joining a bigger band you only get one shot so we can’t blame him. What we can say is that in Greyson Nekrutman from New York City as a replacement for this run they have an animal of a percussionist. The crowd get warmed up vocally as the PA spits out “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath to which everyone sings a long. Unlike Trivium, the band don’t come out and finish that one, instead we get “Polícia” by Titas before Sepultura come out all guns blazing. Literally. “Refuse/Resist“, “Territory” and “Slave New World” are the first three cuts out of the gate, the sold old capacity crowd bouncing, crowd surfing and joining circle pits instantly. Behind the band, the banner drops to reveal a big screen to add to an extra visual experience, “Means to an End” from their most recent burnt offering “Quadra” going down a storm. “Guardians Of The Earth” is a powerful moment, given the current state of the World, it’s meaning deeper now than at the time of writing. A scorching rendition of “Choke” is a mid set masterclass before “Escape to the Void” takes us back to 1987 in style. After a rousing rendition of “Dead Embryonic Cells” suddenly it dawn’s on you just how many songs are going to be absent without leave. No time for a “Convicted In Life“, “Beneath The Remains” or “Mind War“. Instead the quartet deliver a shortened “Orgasmatron” in tribute to Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead before swinging back around to crushing skulls with “Troops Of Doom“, “Inner Self” and “Arise“. Can you guess what the encore is? Tonight is an utter triumph, a show that reminds you just how important Sepultura have been, how good they are and how much they’re going to be missed.