Sepultura is a Brazilian metal band where Max Cavalera started his musical career with. It was formed in 1984 by Max and his brother Igor Cavalera Sr. The band is based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sepultura have released six albums during Max Cavalera's tenure with the band. Their first album was Morbid Visions, released in 1986; their last with Max was Roots, released in 1996.
Albums with Max Cavalera[]
Morbid Visions is Sepultura's debut album and of Max Cavalera's career, released in 1986 by Cogumelo Records. The album has "Satanic" themes and the main genres are death metal and black metal. Tracks on the debut album include "Morbid Visions", "Troops of Doom", "War", "Bestial Devastation", and "Necromancer".
Their second album is Schizophrenia, released in 1987 through Cogumelo and Roadrunner Records. The album shifts towards death/thrash metal genre. Tracks on Schizophrenia include "From the Past Comes the Storms", "Escape to the Void", "Screams Behind the Shadows", "Septic Schizo", and "R.I.P. (Rest in Pain)".
Their third album is Beneath the Remains, released in 1989. It was the first Sepultura release through Roadrunner Records as a lone label. According to Max, Sepultura had "really found [their] style" on that album as it has classic thrash metal style. Tracks on Beneath the Remains include the title track "Beneath the Remains", "Inner Self", "Mass Hypnosis", "Sarcastic Existence", and "Primitive Future".
Their fourth album is Arise, released through Roadrunner in 1991. This album acquired an experimental edge with first incursions with Latin percussion, hardcore punk, and industrial music with the use of samples and sound effects. Arise includes the title track "Arise", Dead Embryonic Cells", "Murder", "Altered State", and ""Under Siege (Regnum Irae)"
Their fifth album is Chaos A.D., released through Roadrunner in 1993. This is the first album to emphasize groove metal into their sound. The leadoff track "Refuse/Resist" begins with the heartbeat of Max's then-unborn son Zyon who is now the everyday drummer for Soulfly. Other tracks on "Chaos A.D." include "Territory", "Slave New World", tribally "Kaiowas", and "Biotech Is Godzilla".
Their sixth and final album with Max Cavalera is Roots, released in 1996. The album utilizes a lot of Brazilian tribal instruments. The album containing the elements of world music, tribal music and Brazilian folk music alongside with nu metal, death metal and thrash metal is practically the setup for the first Soulfly album. Tracks on Roots include the quasi-title track "Roots Bloody Roots", "Attitude", "Ratamahatta", "Straighthate", and "Lookaway".
Max's departure[]
Following the release of Roots in 1996, Max Cavalera had a dispute with fellow guitarist Andreas Kisser about trying to fire their manager and Max's wife, Gloria for planning to have funeral of their stepson Dana Wells, who died tragically in a car accident. The tirade sealed Max's decision to quit Sepultura. A year later, Max formed Soulfly with guitarist Jackson Bandeira, bassist Marcelo Dias, and drummer Roy Mayorga.
Post-Max era Sepultura[]
Sepultura went on after Max's exit with his brother Igor remaining with the band until 2006. The band hired the vocalist Derrick Green to replace Max. Against is the first Sepultura album without Max Cavalera, which was released in 1998, the same year when Soulfly released their debut album. Sepultura would release eight albums following Max's departure with the latest being Machine Messiah, released in 2017.