Group

Sepultura

From: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Active: 1984–2026
Rating: ★ 4.25 (11 votes)
Releases: 97

thrash metal
groove metal
death metal
heavy metal
metal
alternative metal

About

Sepultura (Portuguese: [sepuwˈtuɾɐ], "grave") was a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera. They were a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal and death metal genres between the late 1980s and mid-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, progressive rock, hardcore punk, and industrial metal. Sepultura is also considered part of the second wave of thrash metal from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.

Sepultura released fifteen studio albums. Their second album, Schizophrenia (1987), caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, who signed the band in 1988. Further albums – including Beneath the Remains (1989), Arise (1991), Chaos A.D. (1993), and Roots (1996) – established Sepultura as one of the most popular bands in heavy metal music history. 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, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cyprus, and their native Brazil.
Sepultura underwent several membership changes throughout its 42-year run. 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. After Igor's departure in 2006, there were no original members left in the band. Although Paulo Jr. had joined Sepultura shortly after its formation in late 1984 and was 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, appeared on every Sepultura album since Schizophrenia. He also performed as a bassist until Chaos A.D. Their final lineup consisted 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 disbanded; an EP, The Cloud of Unknowing (2026), was released to coincide with the tour's final year.

From Sepultura on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.