From their humble beginnings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Sepultura became the most successful Brazilian thrash metal band in history. Over a ten year period, the band grew from strength to strength, transforming itself from a primitive death metal ensemble into one of the leading creative trendsetters of the international aggressive music scene. Unfortunately, a bitter internal crisis almost destroyed the band, and Sepultura struggled to recover their previous momentum.
Hailing from Brazil's third largest city, Belo Horizonte, Sepultura (which means "grave" in Portuguese) were formed in the mid '80s a time when that country was beginning to emerge from a 20 year military dictatorship. Max Cavalera (vocals/guitar), Igor Cavalera (drums), Paulo Jr. (bass), and Jairo T. (lead guitar) had a hard time even finding rock & roll albums, and especially "socially unacceptable" genres such as heavy metal and punk. Their early influences were Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Slayer (literally the first three records purchased by Max on a visit to the "big city," São Paulo), but the band soon progressed toward a death metal sound, inspired by emerging bands such as Possessed and Death. Their drive and determination (they sang in English from day one) more than made up for their geographic isolation and inexperience, and though they were only in their teens and still learning how to play their instruments, the band quickly evolved into an underground contender. After landing a deal with independent Cogumelo Records, Sepultura recorded four songs for a split LP with fellow Brazilians Overdose. Reissued on CD and named for its first track, 1985's Bestial Devastation was self-produced and recorded in just two days and it shows. Recorded with minimal time and money in August 1986, their first full-length album, Morbid Visions, showed little improvement, but contained their first hit, "Troops of Doom," which attracted some media attention and convinced the band to relocate to São Paulo (Brazil's largest city and financial capital) in order to further their career. They also replaced guitarist Jairo T. with São Paulo native Andreas Kisser, whose greater musical ability would help take the entire band to the next level.
In 1987, Sepultura's technical proficiency finally caught up with their creative vision, and their second full-length album for Cogumelo, Schizophrenia, displayed an incredible evolution in terms of production and performance. It also became a minor critical sensation across Europe and America, drawing the attention of Roadrunner Records, which promptly released the album worldwide and signed the band to a long-term contract. No longer restrained within Brazilian borders, the band set about composing 1989's Beneath the Remains, the first of four albums which would solidify Sepultura's position as perhaps the most important heavy metal band of the '90s. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro under the guidance of leading death metal producer Scott Burns, Beneath the Remains was an immediate critical and commercial success, and the band's ferocious performances on the subsequent European tour (which saw them systematically blowing headlining German thrashers Sodom off-stage) further cemented Sepultura's reputation. The band also filmed its first video, for the single "Inner Self," and finished the year's tour with a triumphant set of shows in its homeland.
After obtaining new management and relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, Sepultura entered Tampa's Morrisound Studios with producer Burns to record 1991's highly acclaimed Arise album. First single "Dead Embryonic Cells" proved to be another resounding hit, and the title track would gain even more attention when its video was banned by MTV America due to its apocalyptic religious imagery. The world tour that followed elevated the album to platinum sales worldwide (a figure rarely achieved by bands of such an extreme nature) and, in a strange twist, found singer Max Cavalera marrying band manager Gloria Bujnowski, who was almost twice his age. Such was the band's success that its label, Roadrunner, obtained a co-distribution deal with Epic Records for its next recording, 1993's Chaos A.D. By incorporating social issues (especially relating to Brazil) into their lyrics, as well as displaying some of their punk and hardcore influences for the first time, the album was another worldwide smash thanks to singles like "Territory" and "Refuse/Resist."
B1. Polícia (Titãs cover) 1:48
B2. Biotech Is Godzilla 1:52
• Andreas Kisser: Guitars (lead)
• Igor Cavalera: Drums
• Paulo Jr.: Bass.
Track B1 previously unreleased. Published by Warner/Chappell Edicoes Musicais ltda. admin. by Rightsong Music, Inc (BMI).
Track B2 published by Roadblock Music, Inc. (ASCAP)/Maim That Tune (BMI)/Roadster Music B.V.
Tracks A and B2 from the album Chaos A.D.
Photo illustration, art direction and design by Ioannis for Vivid Images.
Management courtesy of Oasis Management.
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