Sepultura formed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1984 around brothers Max and Igor Cavalera and became the country's defining metal band. Chaos A.D. and Roots — which folded Brazilian indigenous music into groove metal — are the essentials, with Beneath the Remains and Arise for the thrash faithful. Browse Sepultura vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Sepultura formed in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil in 1984 around brothers Max Cavalera (born August 4, 1969) and Igor Cavalera (born September 24, 1970). The band's name (Portuguese for sepulchre) was taken from a Motörhead song. They are widely cited as one of the most important contemporary Brazilian metal bands and a foundational figure in the contemporary thrash metal and groove metal genres. Their early Cogumelo Records material established their international underground reputation. They signed with Roadrunner Records in 1989 and released the landmark Beneath the Remains (1989), Arise (1991), Chaos A.D. (1993), and Roots (1996). Their 1996 album Roots - featuring integration of Brazilian indigenous music traditions (Xavante collaborations) and broader world music influences - expanded their international audience. Max Cavalera departed the band in 1996 amid creative and personal tensions with the rest of the band; he subsequently formed Soulfly with commercial success. Derrick Green replaced him as vocalist in 1998. Igor Cavalera departed in 2006. The remaining members have continued releasing material across multiple decades. They announced a farewell tour starting in 2025. Their foundational influence on contemporary metal is widely cited.
Sepultura's sound combines thrash metal, groove metal, death metal, alternative metal, metal, hardcore punk, and world music with the distinctive vocal delivery, virtuosic dual guitar arrangements, and lyrical content addressing politics, indigenous rights, war, and broader social commentary drawing on Brazilian political and indigenous cultural traditions alongside contemporary metal influences.
Cogumelo Records, Roadrunner Records, SPV, and Nuclear Blast Records pressings of the Sepultura catalog have been issued in multiple color variant editions and elaborate limited deluxe pressings, with collector demand. Multiple anniversary editions (particularly the 25th and 30th anniversary editions of Roots and Chaos A.D.) have been.
Listeners new to Sepultura typically start with Roots (1996) or Chaos A.D. (1993).
