Brazilian metal heavyweights Sepultura are set to drop Machine Messiah early next year. With the pummeling "I Am the Enemy" giving fans the first indication of what's to come on their 14th studio album, they've served up a bit of a new sound on "Phantom Self," complete with a cybernetic music video as seen above.

The track opens up with familiar tribal percussion, but things take a different turn as classical instrumentation gradually works its way into "Phantom Self" amidst a catchy guitar lead. It's back to classic Sepultura when the down-tuned rhythms punch through the song with a start-and-stop pull as the classical moments weave in and out. On the whole, it's a bold new step for the Brazilians who have a clear lyrical focus on this song.

"The lyrical idea came from an article that Andreas sent me," singer Derrick Green said. "It was about a young man who had everything going for him and unfortunately was in a horrific car accident in the '70s. After the accident, he lost his entire idea of who he was. No one could figure out what was going on inside his mind. He would have glimpses of his former self but doctors realized that chemical elements of his mind had shifted. He had become an entirely different person within himself."

Continuing, Green acknowledged, "There is this element of change that exists within all of us. This ability is important for our evolution as human beings to move forward even after traumatic events."

"'Phantom Self' starts with a short intro based on the Brazilian rhythm 'Maracatú', originally from the Northeast region of Brazil," began guitarist Andreas Kisser when describing the musical portion of "Phantom Self." "We mixed this very Brazilian sound with violins performed by a Tunisian violin ensemble, the Myriad Orchestra," the axeman stated, adding that producer Jens Bogren had suggested the orchestra as he had previously worked with the outfit on other projects.

"We used the violins on different parts of the song and that opened a lot of new possibilities, specially for my guitar parts," Kisser continued. "It was great to have that conversation between guitar and violins making the part even more special. It’s a very heavy song, with a lot of groove, one of the most complete songs we ever worked with and it’s taking Sepultura to a new level!"

Machine Messiah will be released on Jan. 13 through Nuclear Blast. Pre-orders for physical copies of the album (CD, vinyl) can be placed here while digital pre-orders can be placed separately here. Catch the band on tour providing direct support for Testament starting April 6. For a full list of dates, head to our Guide to Rock + Metal Tours.

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