EP Review: Sepultura – The Cloud of Unknowing (Nuclear Blast)

As the curtain falls on an extraordinary career spanning more than four decades, Sepultura will release their final studio effort, a four track EP called ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ on April 24th, 2026, via Nuclear Blast.

This isn’t a release I think anyone really needed, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a release worth having. Sepultura’s legacy is in place, and the impact of the band will be felt for aeons to come. Personally, I’ve not always enjoyed the Sepultura that would come post Max Cavalera, but over the years, I grew to respect what came after and even found myself enjoying a lot of their modern output. Machine Messiah is a bit of a banger record.

Will I miss them when they’re gone? Probably not, but I’m going to enjoy them while they’re here none the less.

At this point in time, Sepultura can do whatever they want and that is what this EP encapsulates. Kicking off with a furious blast of heaviness, All Souls Rising seems fairly standard stuff, until a baffling explosion of orchestral melody arrives. It’s downright jarring, but very memorable, and that’s just the start of things.

Then there is Beyond the Dream, which just so happens to be a ballad. I know, right? Sepultura doing a full-on ballad is very cool. Alas, while it is sweet and it’s nice to hear Derek sing like this, I find it to be a nothing track with bland guitar solos that leaves very little impression at all.

What that track lacks in creativity, Sacred Books makes up for with another clever twist on the heavy formula. First, attacking the senses with a barrage of vitriolic heaviness, then flipping things around courtesy of some cool guitar soloing that evolves into a twinkly piano solo. I quite like this one, but I also quite like The Place, which is a more elaborate journey. One that has style as the tempo shimmers and shifts with Sepultura injecting heavy and melody laced personality throughout. It’s probably the EPs best track because of the flow, capping off an interesting experience overall.

I don’t love this release, and I don’t think it’s that good overall, but I don’t think it really matters. Sepultura are icons and the wealth of music the band has provided over the decades is more than enough to guarantee that their name will forever be held in high regard.

Sepultura – The Cloud of Unknowing Track Listing:

1. All Souls Rising
2. Beyond the Dream
3. Sacred Books
4. The Place

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