Sepultura

Revision as of 19:26, 27 June 2008

Sepultura

Sepultura (portuguese for Grave) is a Brazilian Metal band that was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte by the brothers Igor and Max Cavalera. Sepultura is the most successfull band from Brazil although they are a Thrash/Death Metal band that plays non-commercial music. The band was famous for their raw and simple music that is influenced by native brazilian music. In 1996 singer and guitarist Max Cavalera disbanded after an argument and started his own, successfull projects. Sepultura are loosing fans since this day.

Early Years

The band was formed by Max Cavalera on guitars and his brother Igor Cavalera on the drums. The brothers were inspired by Motörhead and Iron Maiden but when they were confronted with Thrash Metal for the first time, they knew which music they wanted to play. The brothers recruited Wagner Lamounier (vocals) and Paulo Jr. (bass guitar). Rumors say that they chose Paulo, who was living in the same street as the Cavaleras, only because he had a shiny new bass and not because he could play it well. Playing ability was a big problem within Sepultura in the early years: Every member was selftaught on his instrument without any help of a teacher which resulted in the lack of basic knowledge like tuning the instrument. But the lack of professional helped to make Sepultura's music raw, simple and unconventional. Wagner Lamounier disbanded after an argument with the brothers and Max had to take part on the vocals. The lineup was completed by the local Jairo Guedez on the lead guitar. In 1985 the band released their first EP Bestial Devastation after a year of performing in small venues. The EP got them signed to a Brazilian independant Label and they were able to record their first real album called Morbid Visions in 1986. Morbid visions was also released in the United States by an independant Label called New Renaissance Records. Jairo Guedez left the band because their style was too much Death Metal for him and he was replaced by Andreas Kisser from Sao Paolo. The Classic lineup of Sepultura now started to record their second LP.

Career

Sepultura's second record Schizophrenia was released in 1987 and became a huge success and got the band signed to Roadrunner Records. Now the band's music was distributed worldwide and their first record was rereleased. The band toured the United States with their 1989 record Beneath The Remains and went on their first world tour as one of the worlds biggest Thrash Metal bands with their fourth record Arise in 1991. The style of the band changed with 1993s Chaos A.D. record on which the band took parts of Industrial and hardcore into their sound which seperated them from their former Death/Thrash Metal to Groove Metal. On 1994s Roots the band took it one step further and incorperated traditional Brazilian music and rythms into their playing. With the release of Roots the band was on the height of their success.

Most Important Record: Roots

Roots is the best selling record of Sepultura and also the last record with Max Cavalera as their frontman. The band used a diffrent tuning for the first time; they went from E standard straight to drop B. The music is heavily influenced by ancient brazilian music. The band went into the amazonian jungle and lived with a native tribe for a couple of weeks. They played together with the Indians and learned from them. Especially Igor Cavalera's drumming was influenced an has now a native touch to it that makes his drumming truly unique. Itsari was actually recorded with members from that tribe. Their biggest Hit Single Roots Bloody Roots is started off by a percussion intro and has a strong groove to it. The song Rattamanhatta is entirely recorded in portuguese and uses native instrumentation combined with the well known Sepultura soundtrack and trademarks.

1. Roots Bloody Roots
2. Attitude
3. Cut-Throat
4. Ratamahatta
5. Breed Apart
6. Straighthate
7. Spit
8. Lookaway
9. Dusted
10. Born Stubborn
11. Jasco
12. Itsari
13. Ambush
14. Endangered Species
15. Dictatorshit
16. Chaos B.C.
17. Symptom Of The Universe

The Split

At the hight of their success in 1996, after the release of Roots, Max Cavalera disbanded from Sepultura. The band relations were tense because the band refused to prolongue the contract of Sepulturas' former mangaer Gloria Cavalera; Max' wife. But the reason why Max had left the band in the end was another: Gloria's son Dana died during the Roots Tour and guitarist Andreas Kisser tried to predate Dana's funeral to keep Max and Gloria from leaving the Tour and travel back home. Max could not believe what Andreas had done to keep the Tour going on and left the band immediatley. He did not even talk to his own brother any more. For most fans Sepultura ceased to exist without Max Cavalera.

Sepultura with Derrick Green

The band continued without Max and hired the afro american Derrick Green as their new singer. They released two more albums called Against and Nation (for the first time with also clean vocals) but the records were far less succesfull than the predecessors. Due to the decreasing sales Roadrunner Records quit the contract with the band and they signed up with Steamhammer Records. The band continues to record albums of a good quality but the fans demand for a reunion and the Old Sepultura.

Nailbomb, Soulfy and Cavalera Conspiracy

Max Cavalera started an Industrial Metal side project during his Sepultura days called Nailbomb with other band members. Although it was just a One-record time killer, Max enjoyed the style change. After he disbanded from Sepultura he formed a new Band called Soulfly that continued the path Sepultura started with Roots. Soulfly became more successfull than Sepultura without Max and released five albums so far and a sixth is coming up in 2008. In 2007 Max talked with his brother Igor for the first time since 1996. Igor had also left Sepultura and the reunited brothers started an old school Thrash Metal project called Cavalera Conspiracy and released the album Inflikted in 2008.

Musical Style

The band is famous for a very brutal and raw style of Thash Metal which comes from the lack of musical knowledge. Andreas Kisser is the only bandmember who had a guitar teacher, everyone else is 100% self-taught. The sound is characterized by random sounding riffs with a heavy distortion and fast picking. The band often uses minor chords and dissonant chords to create tension and atmosphere. The solos are typical for Thrash Metal with fast picking patterns and whammy bar divebombs. For the later records the guitars were tuned down to drop B to create more low end for the Groove Metal songs. Sepulturas bass is pretty simple chord-root playing with a distorted bass tone. Igor Cavaleras drums were standard Thrash drumms with double bass and fast fills until the band was inspired by an indian tribe. The ancient rythms were incorporated into the bands music by Igor and gave the band a unique native sound. The band is often counted as a Death Metal band due to Max Cavalera's raw shouting and screaming vocals and their minimalistic riffs; Rythm guitar player Max even got rid of his high e and b string because he does not need them for Sepultura's music.

Discography

Studio Records

   * 2006: Dante XXI
   * 2005: Live In Sao Paulo
   * 2003: Roorback
   * 2002: Under A Pale Grey Sky
   * 2001: Nation
   * 1998: Against
   * 1996: Roots
   * 1993: Chaos A. D.
   * 1991: Arise
   * 1989: Beneath The Remains
   * 1987: Schizophrenia
   * 1986: Morbid Visions
   * 1985: Bestial Devastation

Sampler

   * 2006: The Best Of Sepultura
   * 1997: Blood Rooted
   * 1996: The Roots of Sepultura

EP

   * 2002: Revolusongs

--ZakkWylde 23:02, 26 June 2008 (CEST)