Say what you want about the drama and lineup changes they’ve endured, but musically, Sepultura have thrived for 40 years now. From their pioneering 80s and 90s work through to some fiercely underrated latter-day output, there’s no question they’ve earned a glorious retirement. And tonight, selling out London’s prestigious Hammersmith Apollo for their last-ever UK show, the pan-American bruisers are getting just that.
A stacked bill has been amassed to see Sepultura out in style, but whoever decided to put JESUS PIECE on at the absurdly early hour of 5:45 needs locking up. Most people haven’t even left work by the time the hardcore firebrands leave the stage, which, for one of their genre’s most exciting bands, is a criminal slight.
The venue is fuller by the time OBITUARY arrive, and the death metal legends put on a brilliantly gruesome show. Their USP, as ever, is John Tardy’s vocals, which still sound as deranged today as they did 30-odd years ago. As they close with a brutal Slowly We Rot, the adulation they receive is deafening.