Sepultura (, "grave")
[Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17.] is a Brazilian
heavy metal band formed in
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
in 1984 by brothers
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
and
Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera (born 4 September 1970) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer for the heavy metal band Sepultura, which he co-founded with his brother Max in 1984. Max left the band in 1997, and Igor himself would ...
.
[Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16.] They were a major force in the
groove metal
Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...
,
thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
, and
death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s,
with their later experiments drawing influences from
alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
,
world music
"World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
,
nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
,
[ Dimery 2006 pg 782, "''Drawing on Brazilian Latin and tribal music, nu-metal, and Sepultura's own thrash/death style, the results were unique,''"] progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
,
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
, and
industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
.
[ Archived a]
Sepultura.be
Sepultura is also considered part of the second wave of thrash metal acts from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.
Sepultura has released fifteen studio albums to date. The band released its debut album ''
Morbid Visions'' in 1986, followed a year later by their second album ''
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
''; the latter caught the attention of several record labels, including
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...
, with whom Sepultura signed in 1988.
Their third album, and Roadrunner debut, ''
Beneath the Remains
''Beneath the Remains'' is the third studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on April 7, 1989. It was their first release by Roadrunner Records. Continuing in the death/thrash metal vein of its predecessor ''Schizophrenia' ...
'' (1989) garnered the band its first breakthrough outside of Brazil.
The next three albums—''
Arise'' (1991), ''
Chaos A.D.'' (1993) and ''
Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
'' (1996)—cemented Sepultura's reputation as one of the most successful heavy metal bands of the 1990s.
The band has sold over three million units in the United States and almost 20 million worldwide, gaining multiple
gold and platinum records around the globe, including in countries as diverse as France, Australia, Indonesia, the United States, Cyprus, and their native Brazil.
[Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 143.]
Sepultura has undergone several membership changes throughout its -year career, with Max and Igor Cavalera departing in 1997 and 2006, respectively. Their "classic" lineup, which lasted for nearly a decade, consisted of Max, Igor, bassist
Paulo Jr.
Paulo Xisto Pinto Júnior is a Brazilian musician best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined Sepultura after Roberto Raffan left the band in 1984, becoming Sepultura's second bassist. Although no original members are ...
and guitarist
Andreas Kisser
Andreas Rudolf Kisser (; born 24 August 1968) is a Brazilian musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for the metal band Sepultura. He has been featured on every Sepultura release since their second album, ''Schizophrenia''. Additionally, ...
.
Since Igor's departure in 2006, there have been no original members left in the band. Although Paulo Jr. joined Sepultura shortly after its formation in late 1984 and is the longest serving member of the band, he did not perform on any of their studio albums until ''Chaos A.D.'' Kisser, who replaced onetime guitarist
Jairo Guedz
Jairo Guedes Braga (born 25 November 1968), known professionally as Jairo Guedz, is a Brazilian guitarist and bassist, currently playing guitar for The Troops of Doom and The Southern Blacklist, and bass in a Metallica tribute band called Metall ...
, has appeared on every Sepultura album since ''Schizophrenia''; he also recorded bass guitar until ''Chaos A.D.'' Their current lineup consists of Paulo Jr., Kisser, frontman
Derrick Green
Derrick Leon Green (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician best known as the vocalist of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined the band in 1997 after the departure of band founder Max Cavalera.
Early life
Born in Cleveland, ...
(who replaced Max in 1997), and drummer
Greyson Nekrutman
Greyson Nekrutman (born June 13, 2002) is an American musician, who is the current drummer of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura and former drummer of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies.
Biography
Nekrutman started playing drums at ...
. In March 2024, after four decades together, the band began what has been announced as a year-and-a-half-long farewell tour, after which they will disband.
History
Formation, ''Bestial Devastation'' and ''Morbid Visions'' (1984–1986)
Sepultura was formed in 1984 in
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
, the capital city of
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil, being the fourth largest state by area and the second largest in number of inhabitants with a population of 20,539,989 according to the 2022 Brazilian census, 2022 census. Located in ...
.
The band was founded by brothers
Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
and
Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera (born 4 September 1970) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer for the heavy metal band Sepultura, which he co-founded with his brother Max in 1984. Max left the band in 1997, and Igor himself would ...
, the impoverished sons of Vânia, a model, and Graciliano, a well-to-do Italian
diplomat
A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
whose fatal heart attack left his family in financial ruin. Graciliano's death deeply affected his sons, inspiring them to form a band after Max heard
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
's 1972 album ''
Vol. 4'' the very same day. They chose the band name Sepultura, the Portuguese word for "grave", when Max translated the lyrics of the
Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
song "Dancing on Your Grave".
The brothers were previously in a covers band.
The brothers' early influences included
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, Black Sabbath, and
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
, and heavy metal and hard rock artists of the late 1970s/early 1980s, such as
Van Halen
Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...
,
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
, Motörhead,
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
,
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
, and
V8, as well as hardcore punk bands
Terveet Kädet
Terveet Kädet are a Finnish hardcore punk band. The group was founded in Tornio in January 1980. They have had a major influence on bands from all over the world, especially in Brazil (which some have claimed was because of a member from the le ...
,
Rattus
''Rattus'' is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus.
Species and description
The best-known ''Rattus'' species are the black rat (''R. rattus'') ...
, and
Discharge.
They would travel to a record shop in
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
that mixed tapes of then-latest records by American bands.
Their listening habits changed dramatically after being introduced to
Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
. As Igor Cavalera put it:
The Cavalera brothers started listening to more extreme metal bands at the time such as
Hellhammer
Hellhammer was a Swiss extreme metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are ...
,
Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
,
Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...
,
Sodom,
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
,
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
,
Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
, and
Exciter. They also had influences on Brazilian metal from bands like
Stress,
Sagrado Inferno, and
Dorsal Atlântica
Dorsal Atlântica is a Brazilian thrash metal band founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1981. They were pioneers of the Brazilian thrash metal scene, being acknowledged as an influence to many other bands including Sepultura and Korzus.
The band's fi ...
. By 1984, they had dropped out of school.
After several early membership changes, Sepultura established a stable lineup of Max on guitar, Igor on drums, lead vocalist
Wagner Lamounier
Wagner Moura Lamounier (born 30 April 1969) is a Brazilian musician who achieved fame for having been the original vocalist of Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura, and for having created and led the first-wave black/thrash metal band Sarcófa ...
, and bassist
Paulo Jr.
Paulo Xisto Pinto Júnior is a Brazilian musician best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined Sepultura after Roberto Raffan left the band in 1984, becoming Sepultura's second bassist. Although no original members are ...
Lamounier departed in March 1985 after disagreements with the band and went on to become the leader of the pioneering Brazilian
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
band
Sarcófago
Sarcófago was a Brazilian extreme metal band formed in 1985. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli.
The front cover of the band's debut album, '' I.N.R.I.'', is regarded as a great influence ...
. After his departure, Max took over the vocal duties and
Jairo Guedz
Jairo Guedes Braga (born 25 November 1968), known professionally as Jairo Guedz, is a Brazilian guitarist and bassist, currently playing guitar for The Troops of Doom and The Southern Blacklist, and bass in a Metallica tribute band called Metall ...
was invited to join the band as lead guitarist.
After a year of performing, Sepultura was signed to
Cogumelo Records
Cogumelo Records is a Brazilian independent record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands.
Cogumelo Records first began as a record store in Belo Horizonte in 1980 and in 1985 became a record label. The same year the label would release a ...
in 1985. Later that year, they released ''
Bestial Devastation
''Bestial Devastation'' is an EP by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1985 through Cogumelo Records. It is their first official release, and originally appeared alongside Overdose's Século XX as a split album. The EP's songs were ...
'', a split EP with fellow Brazilian band Overdose. It was recorded and self-produced in just two days. The band recorded their first full-length album, ''
Morbid Visions'', in August 1986. It contained their first hit, "Troops of Doom", which gained some media attention. The band then decided to relocate to the larger city of São Paulo.
''Schizophrenia'', ''Beneath the Remains'' and ''Arise'' (1987–1992)
In early 1987, Guedz quit the band and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist
Andreas Kisser
Andreas Rudolf Kisser (; born 24 August 1968) is a Brazilian musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for the metal band Sepultura. He has been featured on every Sepultura release since their second album, ''Schizophrenia''. Additionally, ...
. They released their second studio album, and debut with Kisser, ''
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
'', in October of that year. The album reflected a stylistic change towards a more thrash metal-oriented sound while retaining the death metal elements of ''Morbid Visions''. ''Schizophrenia'' displayed improved production and performance, and became a minor critical sensation across Europe and America as a much sought-after import. The band sent tapes to the United States that made radio playlists during a time when they were struggling to book gigs as club owners were afraid to book them because of their style.
Sepultura gained attention from
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is a Dutch–American record label focused on Heavy metal music, heavy metal and hard rock music. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City. Formerly seen as ...
, who signed them in the spring of 1988 and released ''Schizophrenia'' internationally before seeing the band perform in person.
About the deal with Roadrunner, Max Cavalera recalled to ''
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
'' magazine, "We were finally going to get a real label, real producer, real studio. Things were happening...and it was up to us to write the best material possible. And I think that charged everybody up and we went into the jam room with an attitude of let's not fuck around. This is our shot. You only get so many shots in this life, and you gotta make it count."
During a May 2018 interview with teenyrockers.com, Kisser noted that Sepultura would not have been possible without family support, not only from his own family, but also from the families of Max and Igor, and Paulo Jr.
The band's third studio album, ''
Beneath the Remains
''Beneath the Remains'' is the third studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on April 7, 1989. It was their first release by Roadrunner Records. Continuing in the death/thrash metal vein of its predecessor ''Schizophrenia' ...
'', was released in April 1989. The album was recorded towards the end of 1988 in a rustic studio in Rio de Janeiro while the band communicated through translators with American producer
Scott Burns.
It was an immediate success and became known in thrash metal circles as a classic on the order of Slayer's ''
Reign in Blood''.
It was hailed by ''
Terrorizer
Terrorizer is an American grindcore band from Los Angeles, California. It was originally formed in 1985 as Unknown Death by vocalist Oscar Garcia and guitarist Jesse Pintado. They would rename themselves Terrorizer after recruiting drummer Pete ...
'' magazine as one of the all-time top 20 thrash metal albums, as well as gaining a place in their all-time top 40 death metal records.
[Hinchliffe 2006, page 54] AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "The complete absence of filler here makes this one of the most essential death/thrash metal albums of all time." A long European and American tour furthered the band's reputation, despite the fact that they were still very limited English speakers. Sepultura's first live dates outside of Brazil included opening for
Sodom on their ''
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the tactical uses of Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1971. T ...
'' tour in Europe; following this was Sepultura's first U.S. show, which was held on October 31, 1989 at
the Ritz in New York City, opening for
King Diamond
Kim Bendix Petersen (born 14 June 1956), better known by his stage name King Diamond, is a Danish rock musician. As a vocalist, he is known for his powerful and wide-ranging countertenor singing voice, in particular his far-reaching falsetto s ...
.
The band filmed its first video for the song "Inner Self", which received considerable airplay on
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
's ''
Headbangers Ball
''Headbangers Ball'' is a music television program that consists of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV and its global affiliates. The show began on MTV on April 18, 1987, playing heavy metal music videos from both well-known and more obsc ...
'', giving Sepultura their first exposure in North America.
Touring in support of ''Beneath the Remains'' continued throughout most of 1990, including three shows in Brazil with
Napalm Death
Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in Meriden, West Midlands, in 1981. None of the band's original members have been in the group since 1986, but since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mi ...
, European dates with
Mordred
Mordred or Modred ( or ; Welsh: ''Medraut'' or ''Medrawt'') is a major figure in the legend of King Arthur. The earliest known mention of a possibly historical Medraut is in the Welsh chronicle ''Annales Cambriae'', wherein he and Arthur are a ...
, and a North American tour with
Obituary
An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...
and
Sadus
Sadus is an American thrash metal band from Antioch, California, active from 1985 to 2015, and reunited in 2017. Originally a quartet, the band's sound fuses thrash metal with death metal, featuring highly technical musicianship. They are know ...
.
[
In January 1991, Sepultura played for more than 100,000 people at the ]Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a biennial Brazilian multi-day music festival held at City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Ten incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeir ...
II festival. The band relocated from their native Brazil to Phoenix, Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
in 1990, obtained new management, and recorded their fourth studio album '' Arise'' at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida. By the time the album was released in March 1991, the band had become one of the most critically praised thrash/death metal bands of the time. The first single "Dead Embryonic Cells
"Dead Embryonic Cells" is Sepultura's second single, as well as the second of three to be released from the album '' Arise''. A music video for the song was produced and can be found on the VHS release ''Third World Chaos'', which itself was relea ...
" was a success, and the title track
A title track is a song that has the same name as the album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
gained additional attention when its video was banned in America by MTV due to its apocalyptic religious imagery; it did, however, get some airplay on ''Headbangers Ball'' as did the music videos for "Dead Embryonic Cells" and "Desperate Cry". ''Arise'' was critically acclaimed and their first to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching No. 119.
Sepultura toured relentlessly throughout 1991 and 1992 in support of ''Arise''; its touring cycle began in May 1991 with a European trek with Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 1985. Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted of vocalist-bassist Phil Rind, lead guitarist Wiley Arnett, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, and drummer Dave McClai ...
and Heathen, followed by the New Titans on the Bloc tour in North America that included support from Sacred Reich, Napalm Death and Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sic ...
. They also played with several other bands, including Slayer, Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
, Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
, Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...
, White Zombie, Type O Negative
Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums ...
and Fudge Tunnel
Fudge Tunnel were an English band formed in Nottingham by Alex Newport, David Ryley and Adrian Parkin. They were known for straddling noise rock and sludge metal, with their sound being compared to bands such as Melvins and Nirvana.
History
F ...
, and alongside Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AiC) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Voca ...
, Sepultura supported Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
on the latter's tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
for ''No More Tears
''No More Tears'' is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne. Released on 17 September 1991, the album charted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. ''No More ...
''.[ Max Cavalera married the band's manager Gloria Bujnowski during this period.] The ''Arise'' tour concluded in December 1992 with a North American tour, where the band (along with Helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protecti ...
) supported Ministry on their ''Psalm 69
Psalm 69 is the 69th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul". It is subtitled: "To the chief musician, upon Shoshannim, a Psalm of David". The Boo ...
'' tour.[
]
''Chaos A.D.'', Nailbomb and ''Roots'' (1993–1996)
Sepultura's fifth album, '' Chaos A.D.'', was released in September 1993. Supported by the singles "Refuse/Resist
''Refuse/Resist'' is Sepultura's fourth single, released in 1993. The title song, also included as a single off the album '' Chaos A.D.'', is one of the band's best-known songs and remains a concert staple to this day. A music video was filmed for ...
", "Territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
" and "Slave New World
"Slave New World" is Sepultura's sixth official single, and the final of three to be taken from the album '' Chaos A.D.'', released in 1994. The lyrics were co-written by Evan Seinfeld from Sepultura's Roadrunner label-mates Biohazard. Like mo ...
", this was their only album to be released in North America by Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony
is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
, and the first of two albums by Sepultura to be certified gold
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
by the RIAA
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. It saw a departure from their death metal style, adding influences of groove metal
Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...
, industrial and hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
.[ While ''Chaos A.D.'' is not a death metal album, it does include elements of thrash metal music. ]AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 4.5 stars out of 5 and wrote that, "''Chaos A.D.'' ranks as one of the greatest heavy metal albums of all time." The band supported the album by embarking on a year-long tour, starting with a headlining European run with Paradise Lost
''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...
, followed by a North American tour with Fudge Tunnel
Fudge Tunnel were an English band formed in Nottingham by Alex Newport, David Ryley and Adrian Parkin. They were known for straddling noise rock and sludge metal, with their sound being compared to bands such as Melvins and Nirvana.
History
F ...
, Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
and Clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...
.[ They were also one of the supporting acts (along with ]Biohazard
A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat (or is a hazard) to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect huma ...
and Prong
Prong or Prongs may refer to:
* Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects
* Prong (band), an American metal band
* Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City
* Prongs, British ...
) for Pantera
Pantera () is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Arlington, Texas in 1981 by the Abbott brothers (guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul), and currently composed of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, an ...
's ''Far Beyond Driven
''Far Beyond Driven'' is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Pantera, released on March 21, 1994 in the UK and March 22 internationally by Elektra Records and East West Records. Pantera's fastest-selling album, it peaked at n ...
'' tour in North America, and then opened for the Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
in South America and toured Australia and New Zealand with Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 1985. Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted of vocalist-bassist Phil Rind, lead guitarist Wiley Arnett, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, and drummer Dave McClai ...
. By the time the ''Chaos A.D.'' tour ended in November 1994,[ Sepultura was one of the most successful heavy metal bands of the day.]
Also in 1994, Max and Igor collaborated with Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel to form Nailbomb
Nailbomb is a heavy metal band formed in 1993 as a side project by Brazilian musician Max Cavalera (then the frontman of Sepultura) and British musician Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. They played a combination of primarily industrial metal and ...
. They released an even more industrial-oriented album, ''Point Blank
Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm or gun can hit a target without the need to elevate the barrel to compensate for bullet drop, i.e. the gun can be pointed horizontally at the target. For targets beyond-blank range ...
'', the same year. The group performed its only proper gig for nearly two decades at Dynamo Open Air
Dynamo Open Air is a festival in the Netherlands that was held (almost) every year between 1986 and 2005. It was reborn in 2008 as Dynamo Outdoor and in 2015 as Dynamo Metal Fest.
History
Originally held to celebrate the fifth anniversary of th ...
in 1995, and the performance was released as a live album, ''Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide
''Proud To Commit Commercial Suicide'' is a live album by industrial metal band Nailbomb and captures the band's only live appearance at the 1995 Dynamo Open Air Festival. The album cover is a picture of the aftermath of the infamous Jonestown ...
''. Nailbomb disbanded shortly afterward.
Sepultura's sound change continued with their sixth album, ''Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
'', which was released in February 1996. On this album, the band experimented with elements of the music of Brazil's indigenous peoples, and adopted a slower, down-tuned sound. The album was hailed as a modern-day heavy metal classic and a major influence on the then-nascent nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
scene. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave it a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "''Roots'' consolidates Sepultura's position as perhaps the most distinctive, original heavy metal band of the 1990s." Also in 1996, Sepultura performed "War (Guerra)" for the AIDS benefit album '' Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin'', produced by the Red Hot Organization
''Red Hot Organization'' (RHO) is a non-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization with goals to promote diversity through equal access to healthcare through pop culture.
Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors ...
.
Departure of Max Cavalera, Derrick Green joins and ''Against'' (1996–2000)
In August 1996, Sepultura played on the Castle Donington Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock was a hard rock and heavy metal music festival. It was originally held annually in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as th ...
main stage alongside Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
, Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
, Paradise Lost
''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...
, Type O Negative
Type O Negative was an American gothic/doom metal band formed in Brooklyn, New York City in 1989 by Peter Steele (bass, lead vocals), Kenny Hickey (guitar, co-lead vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums ...
, Biohazard
A biological hazard, or biohazard, is a biological substance that poses a threat (or is a hazard) to the health of living organisms, primarily humans. This could include a sample of a microorganism, virus or toxin that can adversely affect huma ...
, and Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
. The band was suddenly a three-piece with Andreas Kisser taking over on lead vocals after Max Cavalera left the concert site earlier in the day upon learning of the death of his stepson Dana Wells in a car accident. After Wells' funeral was finished, Max returned and continued to tour with Sepultura. A few months after Wells' death, the band had a meeting with Max and said that they wanted to fire their manager Gloria Bujnowski, who was Max's wife and Dana's mother, and find new management. Their reasoning was that Bujnowski was giving preferential treatment to Max while neglecting the rest of the band. Max, who was still coming to terms with the death of Wells, felt betrayed by his bandmates for wanting to get rid of Bujnowski and abruptly quit the band. Max Cavalera's final performance with Sepultura took place at the Brixton Academy
Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...
in England on December 16, 1996. He officially left the band in January 1997 as the band opted not to renew a management contract with Bujnowski.
Following Max Cavalera's departure, the remaining members of Sepultura remained a three-piece for eight months and worked on new material, with Kisser handling vocals. In November 1997, the band announced that they were actively searching for a new vocalist. Among those who auditioned were Chuck Billy
Charles Billy (born June 23, 1962) is an American singer who is best known as the lead vocalist for thrash metal band Testament.
Career
Testament
Billy joined Legacy in 1986, replacing vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza who would later join Exodu ...
of Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
, Phil Demmel
Phil Demmel (born April 2, 1967) is an American musician who played lead guitar in the Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Machine Head (band), Machine Head between 2002 and 2018, making him their longest running member in that position. He has a ...
of Machine Head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses, and others, and ...
and Vio-lence
Vio-lence is an American thrash metal band formed in 1985 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout its career, they have released demo tapes, three EPs and three studio albums. Vio-lence is best-known for their association with the 1980s Bay ...
, Marc Grewe of Morgoth
Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Vala (Middle-earth), Valar and the primary antagonist of Tolkien's legendarium, the mythic epic published in parts as ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Children of Húrin'', ...
, Jorge Rosado of Merauder
Merauder is an American metalcore band from New York City, formed in 1990.
History
The group formed in 1990, establishing itself on the New York hardcore and metal scene through frequent touring and a few demo releases. In 1995, the band r ...
, and a then-unknown Jason "Gong" Jones. American musician Derrick Green
Derrick Leon Green (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician best known as the vocalist of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined the band in 1997 after the departure of band founder Max Cavalera.
Early life
Born in Cleveland, ...
(from Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
, Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
) was selected as the band's new frontman. Sepultura played their first show with Green to a handful of their fan club members at their rehearsal space in Brazil in February 1998. The band played their first public show under the pseudonym "Troops of Doom" on July 8, 1998, at the House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film ''The Blues Brothers (film), The Blues Brothers''. The ...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, where they were supported by Human Waste Project
Human Waste Project was an American alternative metal band from Huntington Beach, California. It was formed in December 1993 by bassist Jeff Schartoff and guitarist Roman Marisak, and after going through several shifts in personnel, the band's ...
(the band's last show at the time), Tura Satana
Tura Satana (July 10, 1938Some sources give her birth year as 1935, i.e. Dave Itzkoff"Tura Satana, Cult Actress, Is Dead" ''New York Times'', February 5, 2011; accessed January 8, 2014. – February 4, 2011) was a Japanese American actress, sh ...
and Spineshank
Spineshank is an American nu metal / industrial metal band from Los Angeles. The band released four studio albums: '' Strictly Diesel'' (1998), ''The Height of Callousness'' (2000), '' Self-Destructive Pattern'' (2003), and ''Anger Denial Accept ...
. The first album with the new lineup was '' Against'', which was released in October 1998. The album was critically and commercially less successful than previous albums and sold considerably fewer copies than the self-titled debut album by Max Cavalera's then-new band Soulfly
Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...
. In a retrospective review AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 3 stars out of 5, stating that "there are enough flashes of the old Sepultura brilliance to suggest that great things are still to come."
''Nation'' and ''Roorback'' (2001–2005)
Sepultura's eighth album, ''Nation
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...
'' (2001), sold poorly. It would be their last studio album with Roadrunner Records. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and said, "As Green scrapes the lining of his vocal chords through the brash, impassioned tracks, he's singing about more than just 'one nation, Sepulnation'; he's suggesting something bigger, something worth shouting about and fighting for." In an interview, Derrick Green said that, "Every song will be related to the idea of building this nation. We will have our own flags, our own anthem." A recording of Max Cavalera's last live show with Sepultura, titled ''Under a Pale Grey Sky
''Under a Pale Grey Sky'' is a live album by Sepultura, released on September 24, 2002, through Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded in the Brixton Academy, London on December 16, 1996. Max Cavalera left Sepultura shortly after the concer ...
'', was released in 2002 by Roadrunner Records.
After recording an EP of covers, ''Revolusongs
''Revolusongs'' is an EP of cover songs released by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura exclusively in Brazil and Japan in 2002. It was released in 2003 through SPV Records as a bonus disc for their '' Roorback'' album.
The EP contains seven ...
'' (2002), the band released their ninth studio album, ''Roorback
''Roorback'' is the ninth studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 2003, through SPV Records.
Album information
The songs "Mind War" and " Bullet the Blue Sky" were released as singles and music videos. The digipak vers ...
'', in 2003. Despite receiving greater critical acclaim than its predecessors, sales remained low. It was their first album with SPV Records
SPV GmbH (short for ''Schallplatten Produktion und Vertrieb GmbH'', "Vinyl Production and Distribution Company") is a German independent record label. Founded on 1 January 1984, it has slowly grown to be one of the largest independent distributors ...
. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said, "if there are still any lingering doubts about the Green/Sepultura match, 2003's excellent ''Roorback'' should put them to rest for good. Green is passionate and focused throughout the album — he has no problem going that extra mile — and the writing is consistently strong." In 2005, the band played in Dubai
Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
for the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival
The Dubai Desert Rock Festival was an event celebrating various styles of rock and metal music on one stage in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Originally a one-day festival, it was expanded to two days in 2007 and 2008, before its eventual cancella ...
. In November of that year, a live double DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
/double CD package, ''Live in São Paulo
Live may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film
* ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film
* ''Live'' (2023 film), a Malayalam-language film
*'' Live: Phát Trực Tiếp'', a Vietnamese-langua ...
'', was released. This was the first official live album from the band.
''Dante XXI'', departure of Igor Cavalera, and ''A-Lex'' (2006–2010)
Sepultura's tenth studio album, '' Dante XXI'', was released on March 14, 2006. It is a concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
based on Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; most likely baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri; – September 14, 1321), widely known mononymously as Dante, was an Italian Italian poetry, poet, writer, and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called ...
's ''The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' (, ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun and completed around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest wor ...
''. Music videos were released for the songs "Convicted in Life" and "Ostia". AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that, "Overall, ''Dante XXI'' is easily one of Sepultura's strongest releases to feature Green on vocals."
In a 2007 interview with ''Revolver
A revolver is a repeating handgun with at least one barrel and a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold six cartridges before needing to be reloaded, ...
'' magazine, Max Cavalera stated that he and Igor, both of whom had recently reconciled after a near decade-long feud, would reunite with the original Sepultura lineup. There were also rumors that the reunited lineup would play on the main stage at Ozzfest 2007. However, this was denied by Kisser and the reunion did not occur. Instead, Igor Cavalera left Sepultura after the release of ''Dante XXI'' and was replaced by Brazilian drummer Jean Dolabella
Jean Turrer Dolabella (born 14 May 1978) is a Brazilian drummer, multi-instrumentalist member of Ego Kill Talent. He is also a music producer and one of the founders of Family Mob Studios, where he teaches, promotes workshops and drum camps. In ...
, leaving the band without any of its original members. After leaving Sepultura, Igor and Max formed Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy is a Brazilian-American heavy metal supergroup from Phoenix, Arizona, founded by Brazilian brothers Max (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Igor Cavalera (drums, percussion), who are widely known as former members of Sepultura, an ...
.
The band was one of the featured musical guests at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008
The 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards took place on Thursday, November 13, 2008, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas and were aired on Univision. The Brazilian Field awards were presented on the same day at the Ibirapuera Auditorium in São Paul ...
on November 13. They performed a cover of "The Girl from Ipanema
"Garota de Ipanema" (), or "The Girl from Ipanema", is a Brazilian bossa nova and jazz song. It was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. It was written in 1962, with music by Antônio Carlos Jobim a ...
", and "We've Lost You" from the album ''A-Lex''. The 9th annual Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
ceremony was held at the Toyota Center
Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once th ...
in Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
and aired on Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
. Sepultura also appeared in a successful ad campaign for Volkswagen
Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
motors commercial that aired nationally throughout Brazil in 2008. The spot said that "it's the first time you've seen Sepultura like this. And a Sedan like this one too". The Volkswagen TV spot shows Sepultura playing bossa nova, as opposed to its heavy metal style, to say that "you never saw something like this, as you never saw a car like the new Voyage."
Sepultura released the album ''A-Lex
''A-Lex'' is the eleventh studio album by the Brazilian metal band Sepultura. It was released on January 23, 2009 by independent German record label SPV. This is the first album featuring drummer Jean Dolabella, since the departure of Igor Caval ...
'' on January 26, 2009. This was the first Sepultura album to include neither of the Cavalera brothers, with bassist Paulo Jr. as the sole remaining member from the band's debut album. ''A-Lex'' is a concept album based on the book ''A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
''. The album was recorded at Trama Studios in São Paulo, Brazil, with producer Stanley Soares. AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
gave the album 4 stars out of 5 and said, "Personnel changes can have a very negative effect on a band, but Sepultura have maintained their vitality all these years – and that vitality is alive and well on the superb ''A-Lex''." In the same year Andreas Kisser contributed his recipe for "Churrasco
''Churrasco'' (, ) is the Portuguese and Spanish name for grilled beef prominent in South American and Iberian cuisines, and in particular in Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. The term is also used in other Spanish- and Por ...
in Soy Sauce
Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...
" to '' Hellbent for Cooking: The Heavy Metal Cookbook'', stating in the recipe that he prefers his meat "medium-rare". Sepultura supported Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
on January 30 and 31, 2010, at the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. The two concerts were attended by 100,000 people. The band filmed a concert DVD in 2010. Sepultura played at Kucukciftlik Park, Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
, on April 27, 2010. On August 8, 2010, visited the UK to play at the Hevy Music Festival
Hevy Music Festival was a rock festival established by Claire Baker and James that took place annually near Folkestone, Kent, in the UK. It was originally held on 1 August 2009 on Folkestone seafront as a one-day festival with Feeder, Gary Num ...
near Folkestone
Folkestone ( ) is a coastal town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour, shipping port, and fashionable coastal res ...
.
''Kairos'' and ''The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart'' (2010–2015)
On July 6, 2010, it was announced that Sepultura was signed with Nuclear Blast Records
Nuclear Blast Records is a German record label with subsidiary, subsidiaries located in Germany, the United States and Brazil. It was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Donzdorf. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label moved on ...
, and would release their first album for the label in 2011. The band confirmed that there would be no reunion of the classic lineup. By the end of 2010, the band began writing new material and entered the studio to begin recording their 12th album with producer Roy Z
Roy Z Ramirez (born February 1968) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer, best known for his work with Bruce Dickinson (from Iron Maiden), Halford, and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a Latin-influ ...
. On March 1, 2011, Sepultura had completed recording the album, entitled ''Kairos
''Kairos'' () is an ancient Greek language, Greek word meaning 'the right or critical moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'.
It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other being (). ...
'', which was released in June 2011.
The album includes cover versions of Ministry's "Just One Fix
"Just One Fix" is the third single from industrial metal band Ministry's 1992 album '' Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs''. The song features samples from ''Sid and Nancy'', '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' and Frank Sinatra rec ...
" and The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured
Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...
's " Firestarter", both of which are available as bonus tracks on various special-edition releases. Sepultura played on the Kairos World Tour and at Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...
2011. Drummer Jean Dolabella left the band and was replaced by then-20-year-old Eloy Casagrande
Eloy Casagrande (born 29 January 1991) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He is currently the drummer of Slipknot (band), Slipknot and Casagrande & Hanysz.
Biography
Casagrande be ...
in November 2011, who had previously played in Brazilian heavy metal singer Andre Matos
Andre Coelho Matos (; 14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. I ...
' solo band and in the Brazilian post-hardcore band Gloria (Brazilian band), Gloria. In November and December 2011, Sepultura participated the Thrashfest Classics tour alongside thrash metal bands like Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
, Destruction (band), Destruction, Heathen and Mortal Sin (band), Mortal Sin.
In May 2012, guitarist Andreas Kisser
Andreas Rudolf Kisser (; born 24 August 1968) is a Brazilian musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for the metal band Sepultura. He has been featured on every Sepultura release since their second album, ''Schizophrenia''. Additionally, ...
told Metal Underground that Sepultura would soon "start working on something new with Eloy" and see if they could "get ready for new music early next year". In an interview at England's Bloodstock Open Air on August 10, 2012, Kisser revealed that Sepultura would be filming a live DVD with the French percussive group Les Tambours du Bronx. He also revealed that the band was "already thinking about new ideas" for their next album and would "have something new going on" in 2013.
On December 10, 2012, producer Ross Robinson, who produced Sepultura's ''Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
'' album, tweeted: "Oh, didn't mention.. Spoke to Andreas, it's on. My vision, smoke ''Roots''", suggesting he would be producing the band's next album. This was later confirmed, as well as an announcement that it would be co-produced by Steve Evetts. Former Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
drummer Dave Lombardo made a guest appearance on the album.
On January 25, 2013, it was announced that author Jason Korolenko was working on ''Relentless – 30 Years of Sepultura'', which is described in a press release as "the only book-length biography to cover the band's entire 30-year career." ''Relentless'' was published on October 8, 2014, in Poland under the title ''Brazylijska Furia,'' and the English language edition was published via Rocket 88 on December 4, 2014. The Brazilian edition, titled ''Relentless – 30 Anos de Sepultura'', was scheduled for publication via Benvira in early 2015. The French language edition of ''Relentless'' was published in France on October 19, 2015.
On July 19, 2013, it was revealed that the title of the band's thirteenth album was ''The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart''. In September 2013, they performed at Rock in Rio#Rock in Rio 5, Rock in Rio with Brazilian rock/Música popular brasileira, MPB artist Zé Ramalho – this lineup was named "Zépultura", a portmanteau of both artists' names.
''Machine Messiah'' and ''Quadra'' (2016–2023)
After spending more than two years of touring in support of ''The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart'', Sepultura entered the studio in mid-2016 to begin recording their fourteenth studio album, with Jens Bogren as the producer. The resulting album, ''Machine Messiah (album), Machine Messiah'', was released on January 13, 2017. Sepultura promoted the album with a series of world tours, including supporting Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...
on their ''Gods of Violence'' tour in Europe in February–March 2017, and along with Prong
Prong or Prongs may refer to:
* Prong, synonym of tine (structural), a branch or spike of various tools and natural objects
* Prong (band), an American metal band
* Prong (company), an iPhone accessories company in New York City
* Prongs, British ...
, they supported Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
on the latter's ''Brotherhood of the Snake'' tour in North America in April–May 2017. The band also toured Europe in February–March 2018 with Obscura (band), Obscura, Goatwhore and Fit for an Autopsy, and Australia in May with Death Angel.
The first official Sepultura documentary, ''Sepultura Endurance'', was premiered in May 2017 and released on June 17. Max and Igor declined to be interviewed for the film and also refused to allow early material of the band to be used.
In an August 2018 interview at Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air (, abbreviated as W:O:A) is a Heavy metal music, heavy metal music festival, held annually since 1990 on the first weekend of August in the village of Wacken, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Almost all ...
, Kisser confirmed that Sepultura had begun the songwriting process of their fifteenth studio album, and stated later that month that it would not be released before 2020. The band began recording the album, again with producer Bogren, in August 2019 for a tentative February 2020 release.
In October 2019, during their performance at Rock in Rio#Rock in Rio 8, Rock in Rio 8, the band announced the name and revealed the cover for their fifteenth studio album, which was named ''Quadra (album), Quadra''. They also debuted the lead single, titled "Isolation", which is also the opening track for the album. On November 8, they released the studio version of "Isolation" and announced that ''Quadra'' would be released on February 7, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sepultura had not been able to tour or play any shows in support of ''Quadra'' for over two years after its release. They played their first show in two years at Circo Voador in Rio de Janeiro on February 12, 2022. The band promoted ''Quadra'' by touring North America with Sacred Reich
Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 1985. Since 2019, the band's lineup has consisted of vocalist-bassist Phil Rind, lead guitarist Wiley Arnett, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, and drummer Dave McClai ...
, Crowbar (American band), Crowbar and Art of Shock, and Europe with the two-thirds of the North American leg (only Sacred Reich and Crowbar remaining); due to the COVID-19 situation, the tours had been rescheduled to two years from March and April 2020 and a year from the fall of 2021 respectively. Drummer Bruno Valverde of Angra (band), Angra was brought to fill in for Eloy Casagrande
Eloy Casagrande (born 29 January 1991) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He is currently the drummer of Slipknot (band), Slipknot and Casagrande & Hanysz.
Biography
Casagrande be ...
on the last three dates of the US tour, as the latter could not perform due to a leg injury. Due to a "family emergency", Kisser was temporarily filled in by Jean Patton of Project46 on the summer 2022 European tour; the reason behind this "family emergency" situation turned out to be Kisser's wife Patricia's battle with colon cancer, which she died from on July 3. The band also co-headlined the Klash of the Titans tour in North America with Kreator during the spring of 2023, with Death Angel and SpiritWorld as the supporting acts.
Sepultura released a quarantine collaboration album on August 13, 2021, titled ''SepulQuarta'', which includes contributions by members of Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, Testament, Anthrax (American band), Anthrax, System of a Down, Trivium (band), Trivium and Sacred Reich.
In a July 2022 interview, frontman Derrick Green
Derrick Leon Green (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician best known as the vocalist of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined the band in 1997 after the departure of band founder Max Cavalera.
Early life
Born in Cleveland, ...
confirmed that Sepultura would begin working on their next studio album after the end of the ''Quadra'' tour, in 2024 at the earliest. Kisser later indicated that the band was not expected to release another studio album before at least 2025 or for "a few years".
40th anniversary and farewell tour (2023–present)
In August 2023, Kisser revealed that Sepultura would be celebrating its 40th anniversary as a band in 2024 with a "special tour", which he said would not include a reunion with Max
Max or MAX may refer to:
Animals
* Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog
* Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE)
* Max (gorilla) ...
and Igor Cavalera
Igor Graziano Cavalera (born 4 September 1970) is a Brazilian musician, best known as the former drummer for the heavy metal band Sepultura, which he co-founded with his brother Max in 1984. Max left the band in 1997, and Igor himself would ...
, and commemorate this anniversary with a live album.
On December 8, 2023, Sepultura announced that they would be embarking on a farewell tour in 2024 in celebration of their 40th anniversary.[ It was set to run for 18 months, indicating that they were set to disband in 2025; however, Kisser has since stated that the tour will end around late 2026.] When asked about the band "departing via a conscious and planned death on this farewell tour", Kisser explained, "There were a few factors, including the fortieth anniversary. Surviving the pandemic gave us new perspective, and then two years ago my wife passed away from cancer. It made me realise that dying can bring new possibilities for life. Live in the present, there might not be a tomorrow." The first show of the tour took place at the Arena Hall (Belo Horizonte), Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte on March 1, 2024.
Kisser has said that he would be open to reuniting with any former members (particularly the Cavalera brothers) for one final show. Despite initially saying that he was open to reuniting with Sepultura,[ Max Cavalera ruled out this possibility in a July 2024 interview with ''Metal Injection'', explaining, "The more the time passes by, the more I feel that I don't need to [reunite with Sepultura]. Like I said, the real reunion is between myself and Igor, and I did that. It's pure magic and amazing what we're doing right now. You kind of have to realise if we end up doing a Sepultura reunion, it's almost like we can't go back to the Cavalera Conspiracy, Cavalera thing, you know? It won't really make sense."
Three days before the farewell tour began, it was announced that Casagrande had quit the band on February 6, 2024, to join "another project",] later revealed to be Slipknot (band), Slipknot. He later stated that one of the reasons he left Sepultura was because he "didn't want to stop playing drums at the age of 33."[ Casagrande was replaced by former Suicidal Tendencies drummer ]Greyson Nekrutman
Greyson Nekrutman (born June 13, 2002) is an American musician, who is the current drummer of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura and former drummer of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies.
Biography
Nekrutman started playing drums at ...
.
In November 2024, Kisser revealed that Sepultura would release an EP with four new songs.[
]
Musical style, influences, and legacy
Sepultura has been influenced by a variety of music, including rock, heavy metal and hard rock bands such as Yes (band), Yes, Rush (band), Rush, Queen (band), Queen, Kiss
A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
, Motörhead
Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
, Scorpions (band), Scorpions, Venom
Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...
, Celtic Frost
Celtic Frost () was a Swiss metal music, heavy metal band from Zürich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several metal subgenres, particularly extreme metal,Bukszpan, Daniel. ''The Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal' ...
, Twisted Sister, Triumph (band), Triumph, Whitesnake and Corrosion of Conformity, thrash metal bands Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
, Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
, Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
, Exodus
Exodus or the Exodus may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible
* The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan
Historical events
* Ex ...
, Overkill (band), Overkill, Testament
A testament is a document that the author has sworn to be true. In law it usually means last will and testament.
Testament or The Testament can also refer to:
Books
* ''Testament'' (comic book), a 2005 comic book
* ''Testament'', a thriller no ...
, Anthrax (American band), Anthrax, Kreator
Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mille Petrozza, Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen Reil, Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli- ...
, Sodom, Destruction (band), Destruction and Sacrifice (band), Sacrifice, and death metal bands Possessed (band), Possessed and Death (metal band), Death. They were also influenced by punk bands such as the Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
, the Sex Pistols, Terveet Kädet
Terveet Kädet are a Finnish hardcore punk band. The group was founded in Tornio in January 1980. They have had a major influence on bands from all over the world, especially in Brazil (which some have claimed was because of a member from the le ...
, Rattus
''Rattus'' is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus.
Species and description
The best-known ''Rattus'' species are the black rat (''R. rattus'') ...
, Black Flag (band), Black Flag, the Dead Kennedys, Kaaos, Discharge, Stormtroopers of Death, S.O.D., Amebix, Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1986 in Queens, New York City. The band's lineup consists of brothers Lou and Pete Koller on lead vocals and guitars respectively, Armand Majidi on drums, and Craig Setari on bass. Sic ...
, Agnostic Front, the Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits and New Model Army (band), New Model Army, as well as early U2. Kisser has affirmed that "without Slayer, Sepultura would never be possible."
Sepultura's music comes in a wide range of Heavy metal genres, heavy metal musical styles. The band has been described mainly as thrash metal
Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
and death metal
Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...
,[ and considered one of the primary inventors of the latter genre. Another genre that the band has been commonly categorized under is ]groove metal
Groove metal, sometimes also called neo-thrash or post-thrash, is a subgenre of heavy metal music that began in the early 1990s. The genre is primarily derived from thrash metal, but played in slower tempos, and making use of rhythmic guitar pa ...
.[Best Sepultura Albums by Dan Marsicano - ''Retrieved'' on 11/20/2014]
The band later on started experimenting with elements of other musical genres such as hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...
, industrial metal
Industrial metal is the fusion of Heavy metal music, heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating Heavy metal guitar, metal guitar riffs, sampling (music), sampling, synthesizer or music sequencer, sequencer lines, and Distor ...
,[ ]alternative metal
Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
, world music
"World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
,[ and ]nu metal
Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...
.[ The band's first EP '']Bestial Devastation
''Bestial Devastation'' is an EP by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1985 through Cogumelo Records. It is their first official release, and originally appeared alongside Overdose's Século XX as a split album. The EP's songs were ...
'' and debut album '' Morbid Visions'' were influenced by Black metal, first-wave black metal such as Venom and Celtic Frost. Additionally, both records have been referred to as blackened death metal. Sepultura put more emphasis on the thrash metal part of their sound starting with ''Schizophrenia'', and by ''Beneath the Remains
''Beneath the Remains'' is the third studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on April 7, 1989. It was their first release by Roadrunner Records. Continuing in the death/thrash metal vein of its predecessor ''Schizophrenia' ...
'' and '' Arise'', had abandoned black metal entirely.
Elements of Latin music, samba and Music of Brazil, Brazilian folk and tribal music have also been incorporated into Sepultura's metal style, particularly on ''Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
''. ''Roots'' was partly recorded with the Indigenous peoples in Brazil, indigenous Xavante tribe in Mato Grosso, and incorporates percussion, rhythms, chanting and lyrical themes inspired by the collaboration.
Looking back on the band's career arc in a 2016 article on Max and Igor Cavalera's retrospective Return to Roots tour (in commemoration of the album's 20th anniversary), ''Nashville Scene'' contributor Saby Reyes-Kulkarni observed that, "Before ''Chaos A.D.'', the overwhelming majority of metal had a 'white' feel to it. Sepultura changed that forever. And with ''Roots,'' the band went a step further, asserting once and for all that the genre can accommodate native stylings from any culture, much like jazz had done for decades prior."
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
called Sepultura the most successful Brazilian heavy metal band in history and "perhaps the most important heavy metal band of the '90s." In 1993, Robert Baird of ''Phoenix New Times'' wrote that the band played "machine-gun-tempo mayhem" and that the members "love to attack organized religion and repressive government."
A number of bands have cited Sepultura as an influence, including Slipknot (band), Slipknot, Korn, Hatebreed, Alien Weaponry, Krisiun, Gojira (band), Gojira, Between the Buried and Me, Bullet for My Valentine, Xibalba (band), Xibalba, Vein (band), Vein, Toxic Holocaust, Children of Bodom, Code Orange (band), Code Orange, Puya (band), Puya, and Nails (band), Nails.
Band members
Current members
* Paulo Jr.
Paulo Xisto Pinto Júnior is a Brazilian musician best known as the bassist for heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined Sepultura after Roberto Raffan left the band in 1984, becoming Sepultura's second bassist. Although no original members are ...
– bass (1984–present, only live until 1992), backing vocals (1984–present); percussion (1993–1997)
* Andreas Kisser
Andreas Rudolf Kisser (; born 24 August 1968) is a Brazilian musician, best known for being the lead guitarist for the metal band Sepultura. He has been featured on every Sepultura release since their second album, ''Schizophrenia''. Additionally, ...
– lead guitar, backing vocals (1987–present); lead vocals (1996, 1997); bass (1987–1991, only in studio); rhythm guitar (1996–present)
* Derrick Green
Derrick Leon Green (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician best known as the vocalist of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. He joined the band in 1997 after the departure of band founder Max Cavalera.
Early life
Born in Cleveland, ...
– lead vocals (1997–present); percussion (2005–present); additional rhythm guitar (1998–2005)
* Greyson Nekrutman
Greyson Nekrutman (born June 13, 2002) is an American musician, who is the current drummer of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura and former drummer of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies.
Biography
Nekrutman started playing drums at ...
– drums, percussion (2024–present)
Discography
* '' Morbid Visions'' (1986)
* ''Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia () is a mental disorder characterized variously by hallucinations (typically, Auditory hallucination#Schizophrenia, hearing voices), delusions, thought disorder, disorganized thinking and behavior, and Reduced affect display, f ...
'' (1987)
* ''Beneath the Remains
''Beneath the Remains'' is the third studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released on April 7, 1989. It was their first release by Roadrunner Records. Continuing in the death/thrash metal vein of its predecessor ''Schizophrenia' ...
'' (1989)
* '' Arise'' (1991)
* '' Chaos A.D.'' (1993)
* ''Roots
A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients.
Root or roots may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
'' (1996)
* '' Against'' (1998)
* ''Nation
A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...
'' (2001)
* ''Roorback
''Roorback'' is the ninth studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 2003, through SPV Records.
Album information
The songs "Mind War" and " Bullet the Blue Sky" were released as singles and music videos. The digipak vers ...
'' (2003)
* '' Dante XXI'' (2006)
* ''A-Lex
''A-Lex'' is the eleventh studio album by the Brazilian metal band Sepultura. It was released on January 23, 2009 by independent German record label SPV. This is the first album featuring drummer Jean Dolabella, since the departure of Igor Caval ...
'' (2009)
* ''Kairos
''Kairos'' () is an ancient Greek language, Greek word meaning 'the right or critical moment'. In modern Greek, ''kairos'' also means 'weather' or 'time'.
It is one of two words that the ancient Greeks had for 'time'; the other being (). ...
'' (2011)
* ''The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be the Heart'' (2013)
* ''Machine Messiah (album), Machine Messiah'' (2017)
* ''Quadra (album), Quadra'' (2020)
Notes
References
Bibliography
*Anonymous (May 2003). ''Beneath the Remains''. In: ''A Megaton Hit Parade: The All-Time Thrash Top 20''. ''Terrorizer'' No. 109, page 35.
*André Barcinski, Barcinski, André & Gomes, Silvio (1999). ''Sepultura: Toda a História''. São Paulo: Ed. 34. . . . .
*Colmatti, Andréa (1997). Sepultura: Igor Cavalera. ''Modern Drummer Brasil, 6,'' 18–26, 28–30.
*Hinchliffe, James (December 2006). ''Beneath the Remains''. In: ''Death Metal, The DM Top 40''. ''Terrorizer'' No. 151, page 54.
*Lemos, Anamaria (1993). Caos Desencanado. ''Bizz, 98,'' 40–45.
*Schwarz, Paul (2005). ''Morbid Visions''. In: ''The First Wave''. ''Terrorizer, 128'', 42.
*Sepultura (1996). ''Roots.'' [CD]. New York, NY: Roadrunner Records. The 25th Anniversary Series (2-CD Reissue, 2005).
*
External links
*
*
*
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