Former members decided to release new versions of the band’s first three works: the EP Bestial Devastation and the albums Morbid Visions and Schizophrenia
In recent years, the brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera they worked on re-recordings of material from Sepultura, a band they co-founded and were part of in the past. The EP Bestial Devastation (1985) and the albums Morbid Visions (1986) and Schizophrenia (1987) gained new versions, under the argument that the quality of the original recordings was not that good, given the lack of resources to invest in good studios and the absence of technology in Brazil.
The idea didn’t sound good to Andreas Kisserguitarist who continues to be part of the group. In an interview with Zé Luiz and Bebé Salvego for the program Uol No Tomthe musician defined the initiative as “totally irrelevant”, “pointless”, “zero artistic value”, “disrespectful”, “sad” and “a disservice”.
Initially, according to the transcription of the Rolling Stone BrazilKisser stated:
“At the end of the day, if they’re enjoying it, whatever. Who cares about my opinion? But I think it’s very weak artistically. I find it completely irrelevant and meaningless. Especially for a guy like Max, who says he did everything himself, that he’s the most creative guy in the world, ‘I did this and that’. It comes at a time, it wastes time and creativity to do things we did 30, 40 years ago, with a different sound. Zero artistic value. There’s no point in doing that.”
Andreas mentioned the The Troops of Doomband formed by Jairo Guedz — Sepultura’s first guitarist, who recorded Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions — as a more interesting initiative. Guedz pays homage to the group’s past by rescuing the sound of the time and making some versions, but without giving up unreleased material, nor re-recording complete albums.
“Troops of Doom, Jairo’s band, Sepultura’s first guitarist, does that honestly. In fact, Troops left first. Then Max and Iggor made a copy of Troops of Doom. Troops of Doom pays homage to that time with new, original sound, and some versions from that time where Jairo also worked as a composer. Much more legitimate. A new proposal, today. Don’t simply exploit a part of the story just because a technology sounds a little better.”
“Very disrespectful”
In the opinion of Andreas Kisser, Max and Iggor Cavalera — who left Sepultura respectively in 1996 and 2006 — acted in a “very disrespectful” way towards their own legacy. The guitarist praised the relevance of the original release of Schizophreniahis first album with the band.
“I find it very disrespectful. In 1987, we dedicated a lot to making Schizophrenia, it was my first album with Sepultura. I brought all my ideas. We changed the concept of the lyrics, I brought my lyrics. I was no longer talking about Satan and Christ, but about what we unfortunately experience today: anxiety, panic attacks, suicide, schizophrenia, pressure from society. We started talking about it. They were my lyrics. Historical facts, as in ‘From the Past Comes the Storms’. This neo-Nazism thing we are seeing today.”
He then added, trying to find an explanation for the attitude of his former colleagues:
“Schizophrenia It’s a milestone. The process they did today is irrelevant in the historical aspect of the band. It’s more for them to have some fun and some change, maybe. Really, it’s sad. I think they do a disservice to their own past.”
Invitation to final show
Still, the Grave intends to have Max and Iggor Cavalera — as well as all former members — to participate in the farewell tour Celebrating Life Through Death. Apparently, the idea is to promote a reunion at the last show, scheduled for São Paulo in 2026.
“We plan to invite everyone who was part of the band. The idea is to celebrate. I don’t want to sit at the table and argue: ‘Oh, Max, you were wrong and I was right’. This is irrelevant, it won’t lead anywhere. He has his point of view, I have mine. We write our biographical books and talk, then everyone believes what they want.”
What Max Cavalera says about re-recordings
In a publicity video, Max Cavalera commented on the idea of offering a re-recording of Schizophrenia. Indirectly, he also spoke about the other two works, Bestial Devastation and Morbid Visions. In addition to Max (vocals and guitar) and Iggor (drums), the new ventures included Travis Stone (Pig Destroyer) also on guitar and Igor Amadeus CavaleraMax’s son, on bass.
The frontman stated, with a transcript from the website IgorMiranda.com.br:
“Schizophrenia! The last piece of the trilogy puzzle! We were never happy with the sound, those records were made in shitty Brazilian studios when we were kids. And for my part, because I wrote the majority of all these records, I wanted to show the world how powerful these songs are, how powerful these albums are.”
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.
