Sepultura‘s guitarist says art is the first casualty under authoritarian rule, and describes metal as an inclusive scene.
During an interview with “The Adventures Of Pipeman“, Andreas Kisser spoke about the fact that authoritarian governments have historically moved against artists before anyone else.
The Sepultura guitarist said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth):
“That’s why they are scared of art and culture. On a fascist government or a dictatorship, the first one to suffer are arts — movie theaters, music, paintings, poems, newspaper text and books and so on. They are the first. Why do they burn books? Because they change people… Because arts, it touches you in a very unique way. That’s a self-knowledge process, to watch a painting or to paint yourself or listen to music and whatever, whatever art form, it helps you to self-knowledge and for evolution, self-evolution. And that’s why people are scared. Because they want us stupid so they can control [us]. Divide and conquer.”
Kisser is speaking from a country with direct experience of it. Brazil was governed by a military dictatorship from 1964 until 1985, with censorship of music, film, theatre and the press throughout. Sepultura formed in Belo Horizonte in 1984, in the final months of that period.
He also described the metal audience as one of the broadest in music.
“It’s a great family. The heavy metal community is a beautiful family,” he added. “Very inclusive. No bulls**t, no cancelations. [When Judas Priest singer] Rob Halford came [out publicly] about being homosexual, you didn’t see any cancelation. Everybody really embraced [him]… [There are a lot of] women [in the scene], a lot of women bands. We have a black singer, Derrick Green. So many elements that heavy metal, it’s built on it. That’s why it’s the most popular style in the world. Sepultura visited more than 80 countries in 42 years of a story, of a career. It’s amazing, how music opened the doors, regardless of politics, dictatorship or religion. It’s amazing. Very powerful.”
Rob Halford came out publicly in 1998, the same year Judas Priest reunited with him still absent from the lineup. Derrick Green joined Sepultura in 1997 as Max Cavalera‘s replacement and has fronted the band for close to three decades.
The band last show is on November 7 at the Mercado Livre Arena Pacaembu in São Paulo, closing the “Celebrating Life Through Death” tour. The venue was chosen for a reason: Sepultura built much of their standing in Brazil with a concert at Praça Charles Miller, directly in front of the stadium, in the early 1990s.
Metal Allegiance appear on the bill, with Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, Alex Skolnick and Chuck Billy of Testament, Phil Demmel, formerly of Machine Head, Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Mark Menghi. Krisiun and Sacred Reich also play. Former drummer Jean Dolabella and Jairo Guedz, the guitarist Kisser replaced in 1987, are expected to take part.
The Cloud Of Unknowing, the band’s final release, came out on April 24 through Nuclear Blast. The four-track EP — “All Souls Rising”, “Beyond The Dream”, “Sacred Books” and “The Place” — was recorded across January and February 2025 at Criteria Studios in North Miami, produced by the band with Stanley Soares.
The farewell run opened on March 1, 2024 at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, a sold-out show that was also drummer Greyson Nekrutman‘s first with the band. He had replaced Eloy Casagrande at under two weeks’ notice. Sepultura have played more than 80 countries and hold in excess of a dozen gold records.
