Sepultura’s farewell tour stop at Chicago’s Ramova Theatre on May 15, 2026, was a celebration of heavy music history, bringing together three legendary bands that delivered from the first note to the last. Opening with Tribal Gaze, then Biohazard, Exodus, and Sepultura closing the night, fans were treated to nearly four decades of hardcore, thrash, and metal excellence.
Tribal Gaze is a death metal band out of Longview, TX. I had never seen this band live, but had listened to their two albums; The Nine Choirs and Inveighing Brilliance. I love those albums, so I was excited to see them live. As the 1st of 4 bands to kickoff the night, they did everything they could to show their metal chops. I thought the early crowd was really into them and they did what they could with the limited stage area. Looking forward to future shows.
Biohazard was next with their trademark blend of hardcore aggression and groove-laden metal, instantly energizing the filled in crowd. Their chemistry was still undeniable, and the nine songs they could fit in from across their catalog reminded everyone why they remain one of the most influential crossover bands in heavy music. Still got it.
Exodus followed with a relentless thrash assault. Classics such as “Bonded by Blood,” “A Lesson in Violence,” “Blacklist,” and “The Toxic Waltz” turned the floor into a sea of headbanging and circle pits. The band sounded as fierce as ever, proving that their reputation as one of thrash metal’s greatest live acts is well deserved. The played a couple songs off their new album, Goliath. With Rob Dukes back in the band, there was a feeling of renewed excitement. Gary F’n Holt is a legend. Go see them when you can.
By the time Sepultura took the stage, the atmosphere inside the Ramova Theatre had reached a fever pitch. As part of their “Celebrating Life Through Death” farewell tour, the band delivered a career-spanning set packed with fan favorites including “Beneath the Remains,” “Inner Self,” “Territory,” “Refuse/Resist,” “Arise,” and the inevitable show-closing anthem “Roots Bloody Roots.” The performance was powerful, emotional, and a fitting reminder of Sepultura’s enormous impact on metal. It’s never going to be the same Sepultura without Max and Igor, but Derrick Green has been awesome through the many years he picked up the mic. Maybe the band will do something similar to Slayer and play limited shows here and there.
All bands were awesome, making this one of the best metal shows Chicago has seen in 2026.
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