Bestial Devastation

Bestial Devastation
EP by Sepultura
Released December 1, 1985
Recorded August 1985 at J.G. Estudios, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Genre Black metal, Death metal
Length 15:37
Label Cogumelo, Roadrunner
Producer Sepultura
Sepultura chronology

Bestial Devastation
(1985)		 Morbid Visions
(1986)

Bestial Devastation is an EP by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1985 through Cogumelo Records. It is their first official release, and originally appeared alongside Overdose's Século XX as a split album. Later on, it became the bonus tracks of Morbid Visions's CD version.

Production values

Because of Sepultura's collective lack of money, most of the instruments used on Bestial Devastation were borrowed from friends and acquaintances.[1]

The vocals on the introductory track "The Curse" were performed by a friend of the band; according to Igor Cavalera:

“ One thing I remember is that we had one of our friends come and do the voice for the intro ('The Curse') because he would do that voice without effects --he was kind of burping in a way. It was funny, so we had him come down and do it in the studio. I don't even remember his name![2] ”

The band apparently fought with the producer during the recording. In an interview, Igor Cavalera said, "(H)e wanted to clean everything up in the mix and we finally had to play him some records by Venom to show him that bands sounded this way."[3]

Overview

Months prior to recording what would eventually become the Bestial Devastation EP, the band decided to switch their lyrics from Portuguese to English. None of the band members knew how to write or speak the language, so they asked their friend Lino to translate their lyrics. Examples of Lino's crude translation skills can be seen in one of the verses of "Antichrist":

“ Churches will be destroyed
Crosses will be broken
He's laughing in blasphemy
Like a domination of death.[4]		 ”

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [5]

Bestial Devastation was released in December 1985, alongside Overdose's Século XX EP.[6] Over the next few months it sold 8,000 copies.[7] Sepultura's surprising success was partly attributed to the first Rock in Rio, which took place in Rio de Janeiro on January 1985. This music festival's line-up included Whitesnake, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Queen, Ozzy Osbourne and the Scorpions, and was responsible for Brazil's hard rock / heavy metal boom.[8]

The EP was later reissued by Roadrunner Records on one CD with Morbid Visions in 1997. The reissue included a demo version of the song "Necromancer" that was the first studio recording of the band, and a live version of "Antichrist" from the Chaos A.D. tour, re-written as "Anticop".

Track listing

Bestial Devastation

All songs written and composed by Max "Possessed", Jairo "Tormentor", and Paulo "Destructor" except where noted. 

No. TitleLyricsMusic Length
1. "The Curse"     0:39
2. "Bestial Devastation"     3:08
3. "Antichrist"  Wagner "Antichrist"Max "Possessed" 3:47
4. "Necromancer"     3:53
5. "Warriors of Death"     4:10
Total length:
 15:37
Século XX

All songs written and composed by Overdose except where noted. 

No. Title Length
1. "Anjos do Apocalipse"   10:02
2. "Filhos do Mundo"   6:04
3. "Século XX"   5:03
Total length:
 21:09

Credits

Notes

  1. ↑ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 31.
  2. ↑ Sepultura, Morbid Visions / Bestial Devastation reissue liner notes (1997).
  3. ↑ As above.
  4. ↑ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 29 & 30.
  5. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation - Sepultura". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 May 2005.
  6. ↑ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 32.
  7. ↑ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 34.
  8. ↑ Barcinski & Gomes (1999), page 25.

References