On their 30th-anniversary tour, Brazilian metal legends Sepultura stopped in Sacramento for a crushing show at Ace of Spades. Jon Rexius caught up with guitarist Andreas Kisser to talk about the current tour, the metal scene in Brazil, personal influences, the status of the band, and what’s next for Sepultura.
This is the fourth show of the tour—how’s it going so far?
So far, so beautiful. We kicked off at Rock in Rio Las Vegas, the first time the Brazilian festival came to the U.S. We had Steve Vai as a guest, which was an amazing experience. It was a perfect combination—you never know how it’ll turn out when you blend different styles, but everything clicked.
After Vegas, we started the tour in Phoenix with Destruction and Arsis. Today’s our third actual tour date. We just came from L.A., where we played a sold-out show at the Whisky. Great vibe, great friends—it feels amazing to be back.
You started in Brazil. Do you ever go back to your hometown? What’s the metal scene like there today?
Yes, absolutely. We’ve never lost touch with our roots. Paulo still has family in Belo Horizonte, where Sepultura began. We play there occasionally, visit friends, do interviews. We all live in São Paulo now, where our studio and practice space are based.
I lived in Phoenix in the ’90s, but it’s great to be home in Brazil. Despite the challenges, there’s nothing like recharging your energy with your own people. That balance between the road and home life is essential for mental health.
Can you tell us how you got started playing guitar, and who influenced you?
I started playing acoustic guitar around 1980, at 12 or 13. I began with Brazilian popular music to learn chords but always wanted to play rock. My goal during my first lesson was to learn “Stairway to Heaven.”
I got into Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Slayer, and Metallica. KISS and Queen were my gateway bands. Seeing KISS live in Brazil in 1983 was life-changing—it was my first big concert.
Over time, I’ve played with various Brazilian artists across genres: pop rock, country, jazz, blues, even reggae. I like expanding my musical vocabulary. Traveling helps too—exposure to different cultures, food, religions—all that influences my creativity.
Back in the day, we were very radical about rejecting Brazilian music, but we grew up and started incorporating Brazilian cultural elements into Sepultura’s sound. That helped us stand out globally.
What’s your take on the current metal scene? How are younger fans responding to Sepultura?
Metal peaked in popularity and influence during the late ’80s and early ’90s—think Master of Puppets through Nirvana. It was a short but powerful era.
Metal is still strong. Only Metallica really broke through into stadiums consistently. You look at the “Big Four,” and Metallica’s impact is just different. It’s inspiring to see what they’ve done with their music.
I have a radio show in São Paulo with my 17-year-old son, Johan. We exchange music—he brings in the new stuff, I bring my experience. We play everything from The Beatles to Slipknot and Napalm Death. It’s great to see new Brazilian bands producing high-quality music—some even singing in Portuguese, which used to be rare.
Respectfully, fans always ask—do you still communicate with Max and Igor? Is the door to working together ever open again?
There’s a bridge of communication, but it’s rare. Max and Igor are doing their own thing, and we’re doing ours. A few years ago, we played the same festival in Europe. We said hello, exchanged a few emails. It was cool, but that doesn’t mean a reunion is happening.
They left—Max in 1996, Igor in 2006. Max took the management and a lot of the infrastructure Sepultura had built over 10 years. We were portrayed as the bad guys, and Max played the victim, but we overcame that.
We learned how to manage ourselves, take care of our business, and we’re in a much better place now. Back then, we were playing arenas, but backstage was a mess—like kids fighting over candy.
Now, we respect each other and enjoy being on stage. We’re not doing this just for money. I’m not going to cheat fans or myself. If people like it, great. If not, that’s okay too.
We’re still pushing boundaries. We just played Rock in Rio Las Vegas with Steve Vai—30 years in, and still trying new things. That’s what keeps us going.
What’s next for the band after this tour wraps up?
It’s a busy year! On June 5th, we’re releasing a new song called “Sepultura Under My Skin.” It’s a tribute to our fans who have Sepultura tattoos. The single will be available on vinyl and digital only. We’re playing it on this tour, and the reaction has been amazing.
After the North American tour ends in mid-June, we head back to Brazil for two big shows in São Paulo and Rio. Then it’s off to Europe for festivals like Bloodstock, Wacken, and Brutal Assault.
In September, I’ll play Rock in Rio again with my other band, De La Tierra, which sings in Spanish and Portuguese. Then in October, we plan to tour Brazil more extensively. In November, maybe Scandinavia.
After that? A little vacation—we deserve it. Then we’ll start working on a new album.
Watch the full video interview below
Sepultura perform their smash hits 05/12//15 @ Ace Of Spades — Sacramento, California
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