Sepultura (, "grave")Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 17. is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 16. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal and death metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and were also an integral part of the sound of deathrash. Their style has changed over the years, with the band merging its sound with influences and textures of alternative metal, world music, nu metal,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, hardcore punk, and industrial metal. Archived at Sepultura.be Barcinski & Gomes 1999, pages 89 & 90. Sepultura is also considered part of the second wave of thrash metal from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.
Sepultura has released fifteen studio albums to date. The band released their debut album Morbid Visions in 1986, followed a year later by Schizophrenia. The latter album caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, who signed Sepultura in 1988. Their third album, and Roadrunner debut, Beneath the Remains (1989) was the band's international breakthrough. The next three albums – Arise (1991), Chaos A.D. (1993), and Roots (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 France, Australia, Indonesia,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, pages 109 & 143. the United States, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and their native Brazil.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 143.
Sepultura has undergone several membership changes throughout its -year career. Max and Igor Cavalera departed in 1996 and 2006, respectively. Their "classic" lineup, which lasted nearly a decade, consisted of Max, Igor, bassist Paulo Jr., and guitarist Andreas Kisser. Since Igor's departure in 2006, there have been no original members left in the band. Although Paulo Jr. had joined Sepultura shortly after its formation in late 1984 and is the longest serving member, he did not perform on any of their studio albums until Chaos A.D. Kisser, who replaced previous guitarist Jairo Guedz, has appeared on every Sepultura album since Schizophrenia. He also performed as a bassist until Chaos A.D. Their current lineup consists of Paulo Jr., Kisser, frontman Derrick Green (who replaced Max in 1997), and drummer Greyson Nekrutman. In March 2024, after more than four decades of activity, the band began a two-year-long farewell tour, after which they will disband; an EP, The Cloud of Unknowing (2026), was released to coincide with the tour's final year.
History Formation, Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions (1984–1986)
Sepultura was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, the sons of model Vânia, and well-to-do Italian diplomat Graciliano, whose death left the family in financial ruin.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 14. Graciliano's passing had deeply affected his sons, inspiring them to form a band after Max heard Black Sabbath's 1972 album Vol. 4 the very same day. They chose the name Sepultura, the Portuguese word for "grave", when Max translated the lyrics of the Motörhead song "Dancing on Your Grave". The brothers were previously in a cover band.
The brothers' early influences included Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, AC/DC, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, V8, Terveet Kädet, Rattus, and Discharge. They would travel to a record store in São Paulo that mixed tapes of then-latest records by American bands. Their listening habits changed after they were introduced to Venom. As Igor Cavalera recalls:
The Cavalera brothers started listening to more extreme metal bands such as Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Kreator, Sodom, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Exciter, and Dark Angel.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 26. They were also influenced by Brazilian metal bands like Stress, Sagrado Inferno, and Dorsal Atlântica. 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, and bassist Paulo Jr.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 21. Lamounier departed in March 1985 and became the leader of pioneering Brazilian black metal band Sarcófago. Max took over the vocal duties and Jairo Guedz joined the band as lead guitarist.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 28.
After a year of performing, Sepultura signed with Cogumelo Records in 1985. Later that year, they released Bestial Devastation, a split EP with 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. Released that November, the album contained the track "Troops of Doom", which gained some media attention. The band relocated to 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.Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 49. They released their second studio album, and debut with Kisser, Schizophrenia, in October of that year. The album reflected a change towards a thrash metal-oriented sound while retaining the death metal elements of Morbid Visions. Schizophrenia displayed improved production and performance, becoming a minor critical sensation and sought-after import in Europe and North America. The band sent tapes to the United States that made radio playlists during a time when they were struggling to book shows as club owners were wary of their style. Sepultura gained attention from Roadrunner Records, who signed them in the spring of 1988 and released Schizophrenia internationally before seeing the band perform in person. Max Cavalera later recalled to Revolver 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."
In a May 2018 interview, 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.
Sepultura's third studio album, Beneath the Remains, was released in April 1989. The album was recorded towards the end of 1988 in a rustic studio in Rio de Janeiro. The band communicated through translators with American producer Scott Burns. It was an immediate success and became known as a classic on the order of Slayer's Reign in Blood. Terrorizer magazine hailed it as one of the all-time top 20 thrash metal albums,Terrorizer No. 109 (2003), page 35 (author unknown) as well as gaining a place in their all-time top 40 death metal records.Hinchliffe 2006, page 54 AllMusic 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." European and American tours furthered the band's reputation, although they were still very limited English speakers; their first live dates outside of Brazil included opening for Sodom on their Agent Orange tour in Europe. Sepultura's first U.S. show followed, held on October 31, 1989 at the Ritz in New York City, opening for King Diamond. During this time, the band released its first music video for the song "Inner Self", which received considerable airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball, 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, European dates with Mordred, and a North American tour with Obituary and Sadus.
Sepultura relocated to Phoenix, Arizona 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", was a success, and the title track gained additional attention when MTV banned its video 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 the band's first to enter the US chart, reaching No. 119 on the Billboard 200.
Sepultura toured relentlessly in support of Arise throughout 1991 and 1992. Prior to the album's release, the band played for more than 100,000 people at the Rock in Rio II festival. The tour began in May 1991 with a European trek with Sacred Reich 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. They also played with several other bands, including Slayer, Testament, Motörhead, Kreator, White Zombie, Type O Negative, and Fudge Tunnel, and along with Alice in Chains, Sepultura supported Ozzy Osbourne on the latter's tour for No More Tears. 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) supported Ministry on their Psalm 69 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", "Territory", and "Slave New World", it was their only album to be released in North America by Epic Records, and the first of two albums to be certified gold by the RIAA. It marked a departure from the death metal sound of the band's previous works,Barcinski & Gomes 1999, page 131. adding elements of groove metal, industrial, hardcore punk, and thrash metal. AllMusic 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", while Ultimate Guitar claimed it to be the album that "elevated Sepultura to even greater heights" and called it "an integral part of the decade's so-called 'groove metal' boom movement." The band embarked on a year-and-a-half-long tour in support of Chaos A.D., headlining a European run with Paradise Lost, followed by a North American tour with Fudge Tunnel, Fear Factory, and Clutch. They were one of the supporting acts (along with Biohazard and Prong) for Pantera's Far Beyond Driven tour in North America, opened for the Ramones in South America, and toured Australia and New Zealand with Sacred Reich. 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 1993, Max and Igor formed Nailbomb with Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. They released an industrial-oriented album, Point Blank, the following year. The group performed its only live concert for nearly two decades at Dynamo Open Air in 1995, which was released as a live album, Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide. Nailbomb disbanded shortly afterward.