With their farewell tour coming to an end, Sepultura proves why they are and always will be one of the greatest heavy metal bands on the planet. And they will be missed.
“THE Grave will end.” They said. ‘Nonsense, the band is stronger than ever,’ I thought. Then, in December 2023, the announcement appeared on social media: “The Grave will stop. Will die. A conscious and planned death.”
The first memory that comes to mind is that of a boy in the interior of São Paulo buying a T-shirt of the album with his first salary Chaos AD. The piece did not come off his body until it fell apart. “The Grave will end.” They said.
Some say it was time for the band to say goodbye to music. That it’s better to stop “at the top” than to get stuck in ‘cash-and-carry’ tours, with lukewarm shows and living the glory of the old days. I disagree.
Anyone who likes music in general recognizes the value of one of the greatest metal bands on the planet. Anyone who likes music, even if they don’t like the style, knows that the importance of the band transcends musical genres. Grave It is a heritage. But “it will end”, they said.
There was a time when the maxim that “metal is dead” hung like the São Paulo drizzle in the recesses of the city’s underground. A time when vocalists left their bands and metal groups felt intimidated by the new generation (of the time): grunge. See Metallica and yours Load and Reload. But the Grave No. Even in the midst of twists and turns Horsemanship of life, Andreas Kisser and Paulo Xisto Jr. continued to do everything they could to keep the band fueled and on the same road as always, valuing the fundamental characteristics of Grave: speed and weight.
But there are still those who say that the Grave Today’s music is no longer the same as it was in the past, with rhythmic musical innovations and a mix of tribal and heavy rhythms; but would that be the case? Perhaps the answer for this person would be another album à la Roots? We will never know. But what we are sure of is that “the Grave will end.”
On September 7, 2024, the band performed their second show of three performances at Unimed Spacein the capital of São Paulo, all with sold out tickets. The opening band was the Venezuelan Culture Threewhich has Paul Jr. on bass, and it was because of her that I met a fan of Grave who was with his grandson at the show. His name is Ilana Casoywriter, screenwriter and criminologist, who collaborated on the series Dual Identity (2014), from Gloria Perezand Good morning, Veronica. (2016), in partnership with Raphael Montes. Ilana and the grandson Gabrielaged 9, were eager to see one of the band’s last live recordings. “I follow the Grave since forever, and I’m very happy to be here today, and at the same time sad that it’s ending, but I want more to come Graves and I have time to see [risos]. I think they end but never end, and they will leave an important mark on heavy metalbecause those who like it will never stop listening. Grave already has one foot in eternity”, comments the writer.
The little one Gabriel was impatient for the show to start, going up and down the fence and asking every five minutes if it was going to start yet. “I was surprised by his musical taste and he was surprised by mine, because at school no one really understood that he was going to a show by Grave with his grandmother, but I finally have company to enjoy this here and he does too, because his parents weren’t going to bring him. It’s really nice to share this affinity with him”, he concludes. Ilana.
But for the little one’s happiness Gabriel and of the eight thousand fans, the house lights begin to dim and the riffs of War Pigsof the Black Sabbathtake over the amplifiers. It was just the introduction, the audio was the band’s original. Soon after, Policeof the Titansis also played, and after that the Grave finally enters the stage with the powerful Refuse/Resistfrom the album Chaos ADfollowed by Territory and Slave New Worldfrom the same disc.
The vocalist’s powerful guttural Derrick Green complements the guitar speed of Andreas Kisser with the Phantom Selfof the Machine Messiah, Dusted, Attitude and Cut-Throatof the Roots. Following the loud bang came Kairosfrom the album of the same name, Means To An Endof the Block, Sepulnationof the Nation, Guardians of Earthof the Blockand Mind Warof the Roorback. Despite being his second performance of the night, the bassist’s energy Paul Jr. continued at all times Falseof the Dante XXI, Chokeof the Againstand Escape to the Voidof the Schizophrenia.
Some lucky fans had the opportunity to go on stage and play drums in the pre-RootsKaiowasof the Chaos ADtogether with Supla, Yohan Kisser, Marcio Sanches and crew members. While we’re at it, I need to give a special shout-out to the person responsible for pounding the drums on this tour: Greyson Nekrutman.
Months after the farewell tour announcement Celebrating life through deaththe former drummer Eloy Casagrande left the band to join Slipknot. I’m not going to discuss the drummer’s or the band’s actions; I’ll leave that to the experts on social media. Imagine yourself holding the fort, or rather, the drumsticks, of one of the greatest bands in heavy metal of the planet on his farewell tour. Well, Greyson held on. With attitude, he learned the extensive setlist and, with flying colors, he puts his arm on the drums of the band’s fast and broken songs. But the “Grave will end”, they insisted.
Dead Embryonic Cellsof the Arise, Biotech is Godzillaof the Chaos AD, Agony of Defeatof the Block and the cover of Orgasmatronof the Motörheadmastermind new circles of head-banging among the most fervent. Troops of Doomof the Schizophrenia, Inner Selfof the Beneath the Remainsand Arisefrom the album of the same name, close the set for the encore with the double Ratamahatta and Roots Bloody Rootsof the Roots. Perfect. I dare say I saw some men with tears in their eyes when the quartet left the stage. It was hard to say if it was emotion or booze, after all, the “Grave will end”.
It would be a cliché to say that amidst so many setbacks, Grave continued strong. It didn’t continue. They had their ups and downs like any band. Like any person. Like any relationship. And like any of us, at some point it ends, as they insisted on telling us, as I hammered home in this article: the “Grave will end”. As the man himself Grave said: “The Grave will stop. Will die. A conscious and planned death.” However, I prefer to agree with the Ilanawho with wisdom and a smile on his face stated that the Grave has already left its foot in eternity. I prefer this version, and I will add a word to the sentence that I used most here: the “Grave will never end.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
