Sepultura — Music Videos

Brazilian metal with a changing vocabulary

Sepultura emerged from Brazil and developed a heavy sound that moved through thrash metal toward a broader range of rhythmic and sonic ideas. The classic lineup of Max Cavalera, Igor Cavalera, Andreas Kisser and Paulo Jr. joined forceful vocals and precise guitar playing to a rhythm section with a strong individual character. Their recordings show a band repeatedly reconsidering how heaviness could be organized rather than relying on a single tempo or texture.

From Chaos A.D. to Roots

Refuse/Resist appeared on Chaos A.D. in 1993, using a tightly focused arrangement and emphatic rhythmic figures. Roots Bloody Roots followed on Roots in 1996, placing a slower, more repetitive guitar idea beside a vocal hook designed for immediate impact. The two recordings make the group’s changing priorities easy to hear: the attack remains direct, while rhythm and repetition become increasingly central to the music.

Listening through the rhythm section

Igor Cavalera’s drumming is a useful guide to the songs, with accents and patterns that give the riffs their particular movement. Kisser’s guitar parts add texture as well as speed, while bass and voice help hold the arrangement together. Sepultura connect Brazilian musical identity with an international metal language, making their classic catalogue an important part of any broad exploration of heavy music.