A band that perservered through harsh conditions for the love of
metal. The members of the band were
Max Cavalera (vocals/rhythm guitar),
Igor Cavalera (drums),
Paulo Pinto (bass), and
Andreas Kisser (rhythm/lead guitar).
They started in
Brasil, in impoverished conditions, playing shitty equipment, with one drum in the kit and a guitar and bass plugged into one amp. They didn't have the greatest skill or even easy access to firsthand metal tapes.
But they kept at it. Their playing became tighter and tighter, as their
songwriting did. They played an early form of
death metal/
thrash in the beginning. The first album,
Morbid Visions was a
primitive and harsh statement.
Their technical skills neared their peak on
Beneath the Remains. This album is one of the most desperate and
bleak albums I've heard. At the same time, it is very
angry. Somehow, it is positive overall.
By the time they got to
Chaos A.D., they had simplified their
compositional style some, but became more
expressive and
heavy. Everyone had a great
feel for their
instrument by this time. They always had a powerful sense of
rhythm, but on this album, they brought out its full potential. There are incredible passages in this album in which the
pitch does not change at all.
I saw them on this tour. They were even stronger
live.
Sometime after
Roots, things started to go bad. Their
manager was also Max's wife. When the other members didn't want to continue using her, there was fallout, and Max left the band. Very shocking for a band that was always very
unified.
He was since replaced (at least on vocals) by
Derrick Green. He is on the album
Against. It is decent, but not as amazing as the classic
Sepultura albums.