According to Sepultura’s long-time guitarist Andreas Kisser, the band’s founding members Max and Iggor Cavalera have turned down the chance to feature at the extreme metal outfit’s farewell show later this year.
The Cavalera brothers founded Sepultura in 1984, and hired Kisser as an additional guitarist three years later. The trio worked together until 1996, when guitarist Max left following a fallout with his brother. Then, in 2006, drummer Iggor left the band and rekindled his relationship with Max in Cavalera Conspiracy.
As founding members, the two Cavaleras were key driving forces in establishing the Brazilian band as an institution of the extreme metal scene, overcoming bitter splits, blessed reunions and hardship along the way.
Given the fact Sepultura’s very existence is so closely intertwined with the Cavalera duo, fans hoped they'd make an appearance when the group perform their swansong show in São Paulo later this year.
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, with Kisser all-but ruling out a reunion in a new interview with Metal Hammer.
“We’re still in the middle of [arranging] everything, but it’s going to be great,” Kisser says of the show.
“We did invite the Cavalera brothers. I spoke to Iggor personally on a phone call a few months ago and we started some communication. Even our managers went to talk to their management and stuff. But, they don’t want to be a part of it, and that’s OK. It’s a choice.”
Kisser got in contact with Cavalera because he knew what their inclusion for that final show would mean to the fans. “It would make sense to have a celebration at the end, for the fans, and just to enjoy ourselves onstage.”
Arranging a Sepultura reunion – even one for a farewell show – was always going to be tricky. Not least because Max Cavalera has offered mixed messages when discussing the prospect in the past.
In June 2024, Max had said he was open to a reunion “as long as we do it the right way”. However, just two weeks later, he dashed all hopes, saying, “The more the time passes by, the more I feel that I don’t need to [reunite with Sepultura]. The real reunion is between myself and Iggor, and I did that. It’s pure magic and amazing what we’re doing right now.
“It’s definitely out of the question. You can ask Iggor the same question. He doesn't want to do it either. It's not gonna happen.”
Sepultura will go ahead with the farewell show, which will take place in Sao Paolo on an as-yet-unconfirmed date.
Head over to Magazines Direct to pick up the new issue of Metal Hammer and read the full interview with Kisser.
