Max Cavalera says he “wouldn’t dare” re-record Sepultura’s Chaos AD and Roots with his brother Igor.
Max Cavalera talks re-releasing early Sepultura albums and the possibility of a Chaos AD tour
In 2023, Max and Igor Cavalera revisited their debut albums with Sepultura, re-recording Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation with renewed intensity. Earlier this year, they concluded this trilogy by releasing a new re-recorded version of Schizophrenia. Asked by Oran O’Beirne of Overdrive.ie about the possibility of re-recording other Sepultura albums, Max replied: “The fans have asked us for this, and there are two schools of thought on this. Some say we should re-record the others, but I think it’s okay. These three were the ones that really needed it, because they were made in Brazil. Once [le producteur] Scott Burns took over, I have no problem with the sound of Beneath The Remains. I think it sounds good. There is this Scott Burns touch which is the signature of the Death Metal sound of the time. And I wouldn’t dare touch Chaos AD and Roots.”
Max added: “We know our limits, which is a good thing. Some groups don’t know them — some never stop. I think we’ll play them live, though. I would love to tour for Chaos AD [avec le projet Cavalera de Max et Igor]…It’s entirely possible.”
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The enduring success of Sepultura and the prospect of participating in the band’s farewell tour
The group Sepultura split in 1996 after Max’s departure, following the other members of the group’s decision to part ways with Gloria, Max’s wife, who was their manager at the time. Igor, Max’s brother, remained in the group for another ten years before leaving and reforming a duo with Max in Cavalera Conspiracy.
For the reissues of Morbid Visions, Bestial Devastation and Schizophrenia, the Cavalera brothers called on Travis Stone (Pig Destroyer) for lead guitars, and Igor Amadeus Cavalera (Go Ahead And Die, Healing Magic) contributed his talents on bass . The new version of Schizophrenia was recorded between April 15 and June 5, 2023 at the Focusrite Room in Mesa, Arizona, with mixing and mastering handled by Arthur Rizk (Soulfly, Go Ahead And Die, Turnstile).
Although Sepultura has maintained a loyal following around the world over its nearly four decades of existence, the Max-era albums Roots and Chaos AD remain by far the band’s biggest commercial successes, having been certified gold records in the United States with more than 500,000 copies sold.
In December 2023, Sepultura announced that they would celebrate their 40th anniversary with a global farewell tour. The band’s current lineup includes guitarist Andreas Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and touring drummer Greyson Nekrutman, who officially replaced Eloy Casagrande in February.
