Wikipedia

Quadra (album)

Quadra is the fifteenth studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on February 7, 2020.[1][2] It is a concept album based on numerology, the number four and its significance as depicted on Quadrivium. The band went to Sweden to work with producer Jens Bogren for the recording of Quadra.

Quadra
The obverse side of an ancient-looking tarnished silverish coin featuring a side-view portrait of the head and neck a skeleton looking to the right and wearing a laurel wreath. The visual portion of the skull's neurocranium features a simple map of the Western hemisphere. The emblem of the coin, which wraps most of the way around the coin, has, in order, four stars, SEPULTURA, QUADRA, and then four more stars. A hole appears between SEPULTURA and QUADRA. Below the portrait is the year 2020. The coin appears against a rough dark gray sooty-looking background.
Studio album by
Sepultura
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2020
RecordedAugust–October 2019
StudioFascination Street Studios, Örebro, Sweden
Genre
Length51:14
Label
ProducerJens Bogren
Sepultura chronology
Machine Messiah
(2017) 		Quadra
(2020) 		Sepulquarta
(2021)
Singles from Quadra
  1. "Isolation"
    Released: November 8, 2019
  2. "Last Time"
    Released: December 20, 2019
  3. "Means to an End"
    Released: February 7, 2020

The album is the band's most successful record since 1998's Against, charting in 17 countries and entering the top 20 in seven countries (eight, considering the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart). It is also their most successful album in Germany and Switzerland to date, exceeding the chart positions of Roots (1996), with positions number five and number 13, respectively.

With Sepultura set to embark on a farewell tour in 2024–2025, and deciding against recording another album, Quadra will likely be the band's final studio album.[3] This is also the band's final studio album with drummer Eloy Casagrande before his departure from the band in 2024.

Concept

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Guitarist Andreas Kisser explained that the concept of the album is based on Quadrivium, which are the four subjects, or arts (namely arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy), taught after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning four ways. The concept was discussed with the well known music photographer Marcos Hermes who was responsible for the picture of the album cover.

Based on this, the band divided the 12-track album into four sections of three songs each. The first being thrash metal songs, based on the classic Sepultura sound. The second section is inspired by the groove-percussion oriented sound the band explored in Roots. The third part has more progressive songs inspired by the track "Iceberg Dances" from Machine Messiah, but is not all instrumental tracks. Side four features slow-paced and melodic tracks, similar to the song "Machine Messiah".[4]

Quadra is also the Portuguese term for sports court. Kisser stated that "everyone grows up in a different Quadra, shaped by rules and definitions. We are all determined by these concepts, our relationships, our careers. Our whole lives."[1]

When Derrick Green was asked during an interview with BraveWords, "Which Sepultura album are you most proud of?", he replied, "Definitely Quadra. It's the latest album, and we really worked so hard on it. We have so many different elements from the past that have helped us get to here – where we are at right now. So, without a doubt in my mind, this is the strongest album that we've done together. And I'm extremely proud of it."[5]

Reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [7]
The Arts Desk     [8]
Blabbermouth.net9/10[9]
Clash7/10[10]
Consequence of SoundB[11]
Exclaim!8/10[12]
Kerrang!3/5[13]
Metal Storm8.0/10[14]
Ultimate Guitar8.7/10[15]

Quadra received positive reviews. Thom Jurek of AllMusic wrote in a review: "Quadra is Sepultura's first album to actually stand on equal qualitative footing with their classic trilogy. It offers a series of tough, meaty, adventurous songs, that abundantly indulge raw power and emotion. Bogren's production and Sepultura's execution are in perfect balance. Further, Green delivers a career-defining performance here. It is the first Sepultura album in decades to measure favorably alongside the band's classic output".[7] Blabbermouth's Dom Lawson wrote that Quadra "plainly and loudly showcases the sound of a band at the height of their powers, both in terms of creativity and musicianship" and calls the album "one of their finest records yet".[9]

Metalriot.com chose Quadra as their number one album of 2020. Morgan Y. Evans wrote that the album ,"...is nothing short of a monument to a lifetime in metal, the determined triumph of a legacy name never saying die and following their trusted vision over popular opinion. Quadra works on every level. In a year filled with so much death even the band's name vibrates on some heavy karmic level, but "Isolation" especially resonates deeply in a time of so much social upheaval for justice reform."[16]

The website Collector's Room included Quadra on the top 50 Brazilian metal albums of all time.[17] Metal Hammer named it as the 30th best metal album of 2020.[18]

At the 2020 Metal Storm Awards, the album won a Metal Storm Award for Best Thrash Metal Album.[19]

Track listing

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All lyrics are written by Derrick Green

Quadra track listing
No.TitleMusicLength
1."Isolation"
4:56
2."Means to an End"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:39
3."Last Time"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:27
4."Capital Enslavement"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
3:40
5."Ali"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:12
6."Raging Void"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
3:57
7."Guardians of Earth"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
5:11
8."The Pentagram" (instrumental)
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
5:20
9."Autem"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:06
10."Quadra" (instrumental)Kisser0:46
11."Agony of Defeat"
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
5:51
12."Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering" (featuring Emmily Barreto)
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:09
Total length:51:14
Alive in Brazil (digipak and earbook bonus disc)
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Choke" (from Against, 1998)Kisser
3:46
2."Convicted in Life" (from Dante XXI, 2006)
  • Kisser
  • Green
  • Kisser
  • Green
  • Cavalera
3:31
3."Sepulnation" (from Nation, 2001)
  • Green
  • Cavalera
  • Kisser
  • Cavalera
4:41
4."Apes of God" (from Roorback, 2003)
  • Kisser
  • Green
  • Kisser
  • Cavalera
  • Green
3:22
5."Sepultura Under My Skin" (from Sepultura Under My Skin, 2015)
  • Kisser
  • Green
Kisser3:45
6."Manipulation of Tragedy" (from The Mediator..., 2013)
  • Green
  • Kisser
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
4:19
7."The Vatican" (from The Mediator..., 2013)
  • Green
  • Kisser
  • Kisser
  • Casagrande
6:34
8."Cut-Throat" (from Roots, 1996)Max CavaleraSepultura2:55
Total length:32:28
  • Recorded live at the Audio Club in São Paulo, Brazil on June 20, 2015

Personnel

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Sepultura

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Guests

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  • Emmily Barreto − guest vocals on track 12
  • Paulo Cyrino − heavy dubstep elements on track 5
  • Kadu Fernandes − percussion on track 4
  • Francesco Ferrini − orchestral and key arrangements on tracks 3 and 12
  • Ingrid Misgeld − conductor of the Chorus Mysticus choir
  • Gunnar Misgeld − choir arrangements on track 1, 3, 7 and 11
  • Robertinho Rodrigues − acoustic bass
  • Renato Zanuto − keyboards, choir arrangements, orchestral and string arrangements on tracks 1, 4, 7 and 11
  • Bruna Zneti − violins

Charts

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Sales chart performance for Quadra
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australian Digital Albums (ARIA)[20] 19
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21] 17
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] 59
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] 54
French Albums (SNEP)[24] 63
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] 5
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[26] 12
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[27] 225
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[28] 23
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[29] 11
Scottish Albums (OCC)[30] 31
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[31] 40
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[32] 13
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[33] 11
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[34] 5

References

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  1. ^ a b "SEPULTURA- start pre-order for "Quadra"!". Nuclearblast.de. November 21, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  2. ^ DiVita, Joe (December 8, 2023). "Sepultura Announce First Dates of Farewell Tour, Release Statement". Loudwire. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Sepultura Announces 'Farewell Tour' To Mark Band's 40th Anniversary". Blabbermouth.net. December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  4. ^ "SEPULTURA - Derrick & Andreas on division of album working with Jens Bogren (OFFICIAL TRAILER)". YouTube.com. January 9, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  5. ^ Prato, Greg. "Sepultura's Derrick Green on Quadra – "Without a Doubt in My Mind, This Is the Strongest Album That We've Done Together"". BraveWords. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  6. ^ "Reviews for Quadra by Sepultura". Metacritic. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Quadra - Sepultura". AllMusic. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  8. ^ Draganova, Asya. "Album: Sepultura - Quadra". The Arts Desk. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  9. ^ a b Lawson, Dom (February 7, 2020). "CD Reviews - Quadra Sepultura". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  10. ^ Holi, Eero (February 10, 2020). "Sepultura - Quadra". Clash. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  11. ^ Pementel, Michael (February 6, 2020). "Album Review: Sepultura - Quadra". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  12. ^ Morin, Max. "Sepultura Quadra". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Ruskell, Nick (February 6, 2020). "Album Review: Sepultura – Quadra". Kerrang!. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "Sepultura - Quadra review". Metal Storm. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Lausch, Travis. "Quadra Review". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "METAL RIOT'S TOP 12 ALBUMS OF 2020 'BEST OF' LIST – Metal Riot". Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  17. ^ "Top Collectors Room: os 50 melhores discos do metal brasileiro". February 18, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  18. ^ "The 50 best metal albums of 2020". Metal Hammer. Future plc. January 8, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  19. ^ "Metal Storm Awards 2020".
  20. ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Digital Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. February 17, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  21. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Sepultura – Quadra" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  22. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sepultura – Quadra" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  23. ^ "Ultratop.be – Sepultura – Quadra" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  24. ^ "Lescharts.com – Sepultura – Quadra". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  25. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sepultura – Quadra" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  26. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2020. 7. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  27. ^ "セパルトゥラのアルバム売上ランキング". Oricon. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  28. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  29. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Sepultura – Quadra". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  30. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  31. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Sepultura – Quadra". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Sepultura – Quadra". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  33. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  34. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
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