Sepultura "Against"

Against is the seventh studio album by the Brazilian metal band Sepultura, released in 1998 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's first release with new frontman Derrick Green, who replaced group founder Max Cavalera in 1997.

Like Roots that preceded it, the album has a variety of guest musicians and incorporates tribal influences – Japanese percussion elements are added with the assistance of Japanese taiko group Kodo.

The songs "Against", "Choke" and "Tribus" were released as singles, with a music video accompanying "Choke". The video featured footage from the Barulho Contra Fome (Noise Against Hunger) concert that was the first gig of the Against tour. This performance included guest appearances from the Xavantes tribe, who had featured on Roots (as documented in the "Choke" video) as well as Mike Patton, Jason Newsted, Carlinhos Brown, original Sepultura guitarist Jairo Guedz and Coffin Joe (whose "blessing" of the band performed during this concert turned up as a B-side entitled "Prenúncio" on the Tribus EP).

The flute section of "Kamaitachi" performed by Kodo is heavily based on that in "The Hunted" which appeared on Kodo's Ibuki album and was originally composed for the soundtrack of the movie of the same name. The song "The Waste" (a vocal version of "Kamaitachi" featuring Mike Patton on vocals which appeared on the single B-sides) is featured in the movie Freddy vs. Jason and its soundtrack.


The band supported Metallica in the latter's May 1999 tour in Brazil.

Songs like 'Choke', 'Boycott' and the title track are still being played live during Machine Messiah era (2017/2018).


In 2019, many years after the album release, singer Derrick Green stated "I feel so proud and happy about it, because it has affected so many people that I didn't realise (back then). At the time when we were playing the shows, people had just gotten into the changes of the band, but so many people have great stories from their first time hearing this album. So I really feel it now when we play these songs, how excited people get, you know? It's great to see that the evolution of people having time to 'ingest' all the changes and everything. It's such an important album for keeping the band together.

First of Sepultura's more hardcore influenced albums.
First album without founding member and vocalist/guitar player Max Cavalera.

"F.O.E." stands for Freedom of Expression; a song originally released on the 1971 «Vanishing Point» movie soundtrack and later used as the opening theme for a Brazilian TV show «Globo Repórter».

"Choke (Rough Mix)" was released only on "Radio Kerrang! – Volume 7 The Devil's Jukebox Compilation" (1998).

"Floaters in Mud (Acoustic)" is available only on "Lançamento Nosso de Cada Dia Brazilian Compilation" (1999).

Two early demo versions of "Choke" were recorded before Derrick Green joined the band - one with Chuck Billy (Testament) and the other with Andreas Kisser on vocals. They were published on the Internet. Other demo versions exist, with Marc Grewe (Morgoth), Phil Demmel (Machine Head), Jorge Rosado (Merauder) and Jason "Gong" Jones (Drowning Pool), but they were not released.

First pressing edition was released as a CD in a jewel case housed in a cardcase cover.

A very limited edition contains a CD in a cardsleeve housed in a black cardboard envelope with a red pop up Sepultura tribal S inside + card with release information.


Re-released remastered on Feb-12-2008, together with Nation as Against + Nation 2 CD set.