Live Review: Max & Iggor Cavalera, Skindred

Led by vocalist Benji Webbe's one-of-a-kind presence, Skindred enjoy an enviable reputation as genuine party-starters capable of coaxing any gathering into getting involved.

Therefore, it wasn't surprising that for a healthy chunk of attendees the Welsh mob's reggae-infused nu-metal proved as infectious as those strains of flu that knocked plenty of folks about lately. The reaction likely wasn't as instantaneous as it would've been in markets where they're more established - some onlookers were clearly puzzled by such genre-bending - but Rat Race and Kill The Power had punters jumping both on the floor and in the bar area. Their request that punters do the "Newport Helicopter" was a tad cringe-inducing, but there was plenty to like about their 50 minutes on-stage.

It could be argued we've reached saturation point with records being performed in their entirety live. However, as main-man Max Cavalera indicated to this scribe, nostalgia in heavy metal is perhaps more prevalent than ever, and "some good records are worth it to play". Judging by the swelled crowd and rabid reaction, Sepultura's 1996 Brazilian tribal-metal landmark Roots is one of them, and this tour was dubbed Return To Roots.

Former Sepultura personnel, charismatic vocalist/guitarist Max (playing and singing better than on recent visits to these parts) and drummer/sibling Iggor Cavalera were flanked by two fireballs of energy as a supporting cast, axeman Marc Rizzo and bassist Tony Campos. Roots start to finish reinforced that while the album's obvious favourites like opener Roots Bloody Roots and Attitude (complete with Max's berimbau intro) can rile up any pit, less heralded cuts ala Breed Apart and Straighthate pack a sonic gut-punch, too. The brothers visibly revelled in the encore's sheer joy; a medley of early Sepultura fare, alongside Motorhead and Venom covers and a sped-up version of Roots Bloody Roots. Machine Head's Dave McClain even dropped by to provide guest percussion.

A bitter dispute split the Sepultura camp before the original Roots touring cycle could arrive in Australia; Return To Roots went a long way towards readdressing the balance.