SEPULTURA To Release 'Machine Messiah' Album In January

Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA will release their new studio album, "Machine Messiah", on January 13 via Nuclear Blast. Inspired by the robotization of our society, the disc was produced by the band and Jens Bogren (SOILWORK, OPETH, KATATONIA, AMON AMARTH) of Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. The CD's stunning cover artwork was created by Filipino artist Camille Della Rosa.

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser states: "I found the work of Camille Della Rosa during some research I was doing to look for alternative artists to work on the cover of our new album. I had the concept in my mind and the name of the album, 'Machine Messiah', but that didn't matter much since I was looking for different styles and ideas, different artists. When I saw her paintings, I was really impressed by her style, full of colours and meaning, very unique and alive! She comes from the Philippines, a place where we performed some years ago and we could feel the intensity of their culture, very powerful! She has that power in her paintings and drawings!"

He continues: "The main inspiration around 'Machine Messiah' is the robotisation of our society nowadays. The concept of a God Machine who created humanity and now it seems that this cycle is closing itself, returning to the starting point. We came from machines and we are going back to where we came from. The messiah, when he returns, will be a robot, or an humanoid, our bio-mechanical savior.

"The painting 'Deus Ex-Machina' is a masterpiece! I was really shocked to see how her concept of the painting was a perfect fit to our concept! The cover was done six years ago for our new album and she didn't know it! Neither did I, but I'm glad we crossed each others paths.

"Camille's work is intense and in your face. We are lucky to have such a great artist working with us; she's kind and very talented. She brings something new and exciting to a career of 32 years during which amazing artists have created memorable and iconic album covers."

Kisser adds: ""I'm very happy with everything about 'Machine Messiah'. It is a SEPULTURA album but with a new direction and intensity, a new musical challenge, a step forward! Can't wait to show the world our music for the new Messiah coming."

"Machine Messiah" track listing:

01. Machine Messiah
02. I Am The Enemy
03. Phantom Self
04. Alethea
05. Iceberg Dances
06. Sworn Oath
07. Resistant Parasites
08. Silent Violence
09. Vandals Nest
10. Cyber God

SEPULTURA played the song "I Am The Enemy" during their July 2 appearance at the Rock Al Parque festival at Parque Simón Bolívar in Bogota, Colombia. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Regarding how SEPULTURA ended up working with Jens Bogren on the new CD, Kisser told SVT.se: "We did like a small research on different producers that we didn't work [with] before; we wanted to work with somebody new. And the Swedish music and scene and the bands like MESHUGGAH, OPETH and many others inspired us to come here and to work with him. He also worked with KREATOR, a band from Germany, and ANGRA, another band from Brazil, friends of ours, and I was really impressed with the way he worked [with] both bands."

According to SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green, the band's next record will see him and his bandmates continuing to take their sound in new, previously unexplored directions, something that has become somewhat of a SEPULTURA trademark.

"This album, it's exciting, because I think a lot of fans don't have any idea what to expect, but they know that a SEPULTURA album is always different from the last," Derrick said. "I think that makes us better musicians, and I think that's what our fans expect."