Conceptually A-Lex is divided into three sections. The first three parts follow the storyline of the movie, and the last is taken from the book. It's another ambitious undertaking for Sepultura.
Musically A-Lex is Sepultura's trademark intense thrash metal, tempered by instrumental interludes. They've skillfully integrated tribal percussion into their sound over the years, and that continues here on tracks such as "Filthy Rot." They show a lot of versatility on "Sadistic Value," which starts slowly with Derrick Green singing melodically. His vocals quickly get harsher as the music builds in intensity, eventually speeding up into balls out thrash.
The band's experimental side is on display with "Ludwig Van," turning Beethoven's 9th symphony metal. It fits in conceptually with the album's storyline, but falls flat musically. It's cheesy, overblown and completely unnecessary.
Sepultura may have been better served giving its fans a "regular" CD instead of another concept album. Still, there's a lot to like about A-Lex. The band's core sound is intact, and Derrick Green's vocals are strong. The songwriting isn't as accomplished on this one as Dante XXI, and there's a lot more filler here.
(released January 27, 2009 on SPV Records)
