Sepultura

Sepultura emerged from Belo Horizonte as Brazil's most accomplished heavy metal act ever. Across a decade the quartet advanced from raw death metal on 1987's Schizophrenia to one of the global aggressive-music scene's chief innovators by 1989's Beneath the Remains; 1991's Arise then locked in their stature. Palette expansion arrived with 1993's Chaos A.D., which folded in classic heavy metal and groove metal. Following the lengthy trek behind 1996's Roots, an acrimonious rift prompted guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera's exit, fracturing the unit and leaving Sepultura to regain traction. Replacing him with American singer Derrick Green, the band issued Against in 1998 and regained footing. Six further albums followed before drummer Igor Cavalera departed to rejoin his brother in Cavalera Conspiracy. After recruiting drummer Jean Dolabella for 2006 touring, Sepultura reasserted themselves through late-career peaks such as Kairos (2011), Machine Messiah (2017), and Quadra (2020).

Formed in Brazil's third-largest city, Belo Horizonte, in the mid-'80s as that nation exited two decades of military rule, Sepultura—Portuguese for “grave”—comprised Max Cavalera (vocals/guitar), Igor Cavalera (drums), Paulo Jr. (bass), and Jairo T. (lead guitar). Access to rock albums proved scarce, especially “socially unacceptable” styles like heavy metal and punk. Early touchstones included Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Slayer—the first three LPs Max acquired during a São Paulo visit—yet the group soon shifted toward death metal modeled on Possessed and Death. Singing in English from the outset, their drive offset geographic and technical limitations; still teenagers and novices on their instruments, they rapidly became an underground force.

Signing with independent Cogumelo Records, Sepultura contributed four tracks to a split LP with fellow Brazilians Overdose. Reissued on CD under the title of its opening cut, 1985's Bestial Devastation was self-produced in two days, revealing its constraints. Their debut full-length, Morbid Visions, recorded with scant resources in August 1986, offered modest gains yet yielded the first hit “Troops of Doom,” drawing notice that prompted relocation to São Paulo—Brazil's largest metropolis and financial hub—to advance their career. Jairo T. was replaced by São Paulo-born Andreas Kisser, whose superior musicianship elevated the ensemble.

By 1987 technical command matched ambition, and Cogumelo's second Sepultura album, Schizophrenia, revealed striking leaps in production and execution. It sparked minor critical acclaim throughout Europe and America, attracting Roadrunner Records, which issued the album globally and inked a long-term deal. Freed from Brazilian confines, the group crafted 1989's Beneath the Remains, the first of four LPs that would establish Sepultura among the decade's foremost heavy metal bands. Cut in Rio de Janeiro for Roadrunner under death-metal producer Scott Burns, Beneath the Remains achieved immediate critical and commercial impact; ferocious European-tour performances reinforced their standing. The first video, for single “Inner Self,” was filmed, and the year's itinerary closed with celebratory home-country shows.

Securing new management and moving to Phoenix, Arizona, Sepultura tracked 1991's Arise at Tampa's Morrisound Studios with Burns. Lead single “Dead Embryonic Cells” scored another major hit, while the title track's video faced an MTV America ban for apocalyptic religious content. The ensuing world tour drove platinum worldwide sales—an uncommon feat for extreme-metal acts—and, unusually, saw Max Cavalera wed manager Gloria Bujnowski, nearly twice his age. Success prompted Roadrunner to arrange Epic Records co-distribution for the next release, 1993's Chaos A.D. Integrating Brazilian social themes and surfacing punk and hardcore influences, the album became another global triumph via singles “Territory” and “Refuse/Resist.”

After more than a year on the road the members rested before tackling their most ambitious work, 1996's Roots. Infusing native Brazilian percussion and idioms into downtuned guitars and increasingly sociopolitical lyrics produced a distinctive heavy metal/world-music hybrid. Roots represented Sepultura's artistic summit, yet continued ascent halted when family tragedy triggered dissolution. Hours before England's Monsters of Rock festival, the group learned that manager Gloria's teenage son had died in a car crash. A stunned Sepultura performed as a trio while Max and Gloria flew home. Months later the band urged Max to drop Gloria and seek new management; still grieving, he interpreted the request as betrayal and exited amid rancor. Despite fears that losing the creative leader would end the band, Sepultura vowed to continue and sought a replacement.

After an extensive search, Cleveland native Derrick Green joined as vocalist and the group recorded 1998's Against. Retaining prior intensity and variety—including a Kodo percussion collaboration on “Kamaitachi”—the album nevertheless missed the distinctive spark of earlier releases and sold only half as well as Cavalera's debut with Soulfly, underscoring fan allegiance. Undeterred, Sepultura delivered Nation in early 2001; despite improved notices and a more seasoned Green, it followed similar stylistic lines. To reconnect with a contracting audience they released the final Max-era live set, Under a Pale Grey Sky, in fall 2002. Covers EP Revolusongs appeared in 2003, followed by full-length Roorback, 2005's Live in São Paulo, 2006's Dante XXI, and the Clockwork Orange-inspired A-Lex in 2009.

Sepultura then signed with Nuclear Blast, issuing Kairos in 2011—after which their drummer departed—and 2013's The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Must Be the Heart. Inspired by Metropolis and produced by Ross Robinson (who had overseen Roots), the latter introduced 20-year-old drummer Eloy Casagrande. Following extensive touring the revitalized band tracked 2017's Machine Messiah with Jens Bogren, remaining on the road until 2019, when they launched another cycle. Fifteenth studio album Quadra, released February 2020 and again produced by Bogren, comprised a four-part concept exploring the quadrivium of mathematics. Its intersections of prog metal, thrash, and death metal—even within single tracks—signaled a shift in Sepultura's sonic trajectory. The next year brought SepulQuarta, a collaborative collection featuring Devin Townsend, Scott Ian (Anthrax), Danko Jones, and Matt Heafy (Trivium) reinterpreting signature tracks.