Schizophrenia is the second studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on October 30, 1987 by Cogumelo Records. It is the first album for the band with Andreas Kisser. All songs were recorded during August 1987. The reissue of 1990 has a bonus track, "Troops of Doom", which was recorded during August 26–27, 1990.

In America the band sent radio playlists at the time when they were struggling to book gigs because club owners were afraid to book them due to their style. Roadrunner Records signed them and released Schizophrenia internationally before seeing the band perform in person.

The album was re-recorded by Cavalera Conspiracy, featuring original Sepultura members Max and Igor Cavalera, and released on 21 June 2024. This re-recording received a perfect score from Jeff Podoshen of Metal Injection.Jeff Podoshen of Metal Injection said: "Sepultura injected a unique flavor and some added melody into thrash metal, setting them apart from their American and European counterparts, many of whom were just emphasizing speed and aggression over anything else at the time."

Reception and legacy

Eduardio Rivadavia of AllMusic gave Schizophrenia four stars out of five in a retrospective review. He said it was "the first Sepultura release to make serious waves with international critics and fans, while setting the stage for the group's imminent breakthrough release, Beneath the Remains."

In 2024, Jeff Podoshen of Metal Injection stated his belief that the band's songs were more innovative and memorable than their genre contemporaries. He said the album "stands as a pivotal moment in the evolution and history of thrash. [...] What Sepultura brought us were just some incredibly original rhythms and groove that made for a much more novel listening experience back in the day."

Charts

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References

Further reading

  • Shapiro, Marc (1993). Andreas Kisser Plays it Weird. Guitar presents Speed Demons of Metal, 12–14, 27.