Sepultura have long been a staple among the metal elite, forging their own sound and style along the way while helping thrash metal reach the top of the musical food chain in the world of extreme music. While there may have been a few bumps in the road along the way, their latest album “Machine Messiah” has finally made people realize that the past is the past and that there is a future to create something beyond expectations. The Brazilian metal act return to Australia in 2018 alongside Bay Area thrashers Death Angel, we caught up with Sepultura frontman Derrick Green to discuss the tour and what has put Sepultura in such a great creative place right now.
Andrew: So hows things with you and the band at the moment?
Derrick: Pretty busy actually. We’re preparing to go on a trip to do a few shows in Asia and we have one more show at the end of the year here in Brazil where I’m at right now.
Andrew: Nice! Well we are excited to see you coming back to Australia in May, it’s been a couple of years since we last saw you.
Derrick: Yeah it’s really exciting, it will be the first time touring with “Machine Messiah“. It’s been great doing the songs live, we play at least 6 of the songs from the new album and it’s been going really well. Great reaction from people and feels good to play live with these new songs.
Andrew: Yeah it’s a fantastic album. I remember when it came out earlier in the year and I loved the prog element and the concept of the ideas so it does seem like it’s a really good album to play live.
Derrick: Oh absolutely, I think it goes well with the old material. It’s a great mix in the set so it’s not really hearing a lot of the same sounds, you’re hearing a lot of diversity with this setlist that we have now.
Andrew: Now you mentioned playing 5 or 6 songs off this album, one of my favorites songs on the album is “Iceberg Dances”. Is that one of the songs that you happen to be playing live?
Derrick: Yes it is [laughs]. It’s a song that took some time to work into the set but now we really have it down and it’s really a great part of the set. Like I was saying before it really adds diversity to the set so it gives some different elements.
Andrew: Sure and I guess with such a vast catalogue to choose from, how is that process of picking a setlist these days?
Derrick: We can play pretty much the majority of stuff from the past but I mean with the setlist now we’ve already switched a few things around here and there depending on where we are going. So we pull out a lot of the classics that people really want to hear and it’s been fine tuned after touring so much that we’re able to pick out what works best for the crowd.
Andrew: And with new songs, how do you know which ones you want to play live? Do you rehearse and jam on all of them before a tour?
Derrick: Yeah we did and I think it’s really trial and error. Once we’re on tour that’s when we really know what’s going to happen with reactions, and we can always guess but it’s never really the case. I think just playing live we adjust to what we feel is really hitting people where they can really feel it and also just from talking to people online and hearing their requests on what they want to hear. It also adds to it but I think just face to face and seeing how we all feel playing the new songs live, that’s how we determine which ones work and which ones don’t.
Andrew: With this album, because there are so many great songs on there, was it difficult to know which ones to kick out and keep in or was it a natural process?
Derrick: I think when we were doing the demos, we wanted to put as much as possible on recording, to record as much as possible. Once we got to record the album in Sweden with Jens Bogren [producer], he really added a lot of his influence as far as his opinions as far as which songs or certain parts could be changed. I believe we dropped 1 or maybe 2 songs, we just wanted to go with the strongest songs, the songs that we felt had the most impact and really fit well with the album. Because we wanted to write an album from the beginning to the end that you could really listen through it and have it connected to each other, have the songs connected. So I think it worked really well, that combination especially being together with Jens really opened up a different point of view from us.
Andrew: Almost a year later since the album came out you’ve had some time to sit with the songs, has your opinion on the songs changed at all? Do you think they came out stronger than you thought they were?
Derrick: The songs are actually stronger than I imagined. There’s some crazy parts that are going on in some of the new songs and I think the reaction we’ve seen on people in the crowd has been amazing, better than I imagined. We started doing the actual title song “Machine Messiah” live which has added a big challenge to do a song that has singing involved and at the same time, screaming! So it’s something that’s really cool, I think for I’ve always sang my entire life and sang on certain songs in Sepultura but we’ve never really played these songs live so now with this song it’s stronger than I imagined. It’s definitely a surprise and a big shock that people really enjoy that song with the clean vocals.
Andrew: Yeah you’ve had obviously some clean stuff in the past but I think there’s definitely more of it on this album.
Derrick: I think so, I think I’m a little more confidant. That was one of the reasons I really wanted to work with Jens because he had done so many bands that had clean vocals that were heavy and I like the way it was produced, it really sits well in the songs with certain bands that I had heard and I wanted to have that same effect with us. I felt that we could really do something special and I think the combination really worked well. But I mean everything has been changing naturally, I think as we get older and in our case, traveling around, it adds the elements of what goes into writing an album and what came out with this album.
Andrew: Well I love the prog element that has been introduced into the band bit by bit over the years. Obviously Sepultura has been billed as a thrash band, even for this tour with Death Angel who are one of the best thrash bands in the world but you guys have got a lot of the prog elements in there now which I think has taken people by surprise and how well you have approached it.
Derrick: Well I think there was always these different ideas we had to do and I guess it was just the right timing for us to really open up. I think Eloy Casangrande (drums) being in the band and on his second album working with him, he felt more comfortable to do certain elements along with us. I was telling Andreas (Kisser, guitars) that it would be great to hear certain elements that he has from his classical background and being able to play classical music and just really go out there and not be afraid of attempting or trying anything because we have a big passion for music. I think it was really great being able to show even stronger parts of our personality in the band and so I think this was something that just happened with time and also just wanting to, from the last album to the next we’re always trying to do something that’s different. But this is something that I feel really good about, that I think we are more secure as a band to be able to try these experimental things.
Andrew: Yeah it’s great to see that evolution. It’s hard to imagine the fact that you have now been in the band for almost 20 years now which is amazing, does it feel that long to you?
Derrick: Yeah and actually sometimes it feels a little longer! But it’s pretty intense, I never imagined any of the things that we’re doing or have done. It’s been amazing, beyond amazing it’s life changing. I changed my entire life to be in this band and to travel the world and I think we’ve come really far, a big evolution. Especially as an artist it’s something that I always dreamed of was to be able to play with musicians and to learn and do things that I never imagined for myself, to be really pushing. So it’s done all that, it’s always challenging and never easy and it’s great that way. When it’s good, it’s really good!
Andrew: I remember the first time you came out to Australia with Sepultura and I guess it was around 1998/1999, do you remember much from that tour at all?
Derrick: It was kind of a blur but I do remember it [laughs]. I remember certain elements of it definitely, I mean it was my first time even being in Australia so it was intense and really amazing for me.
Andrew: Well it’s good to see you coming back and on a somewhat regular basis as well since Australia is hard to get to I know.
Derrick: Yeah I can’t wait, we hadn’t been there in such a long time since the last time so it’s just too long but now I think it’s something that we have to have regularly to make it out there.
Andrew: You are coming with Death Angel who I’m a huge fan of as well, have you guys been on tour with them before?
Derrick: Yeah we did a tour in North America and it was fantastic, we really get along so well with those guys and I was so stoked to see that would be the lineup. I mean I couldn’t imagine a better lineup! We’ve been really fortunate with having great gigs with great bands, we started the year with Kreator in Germany and all of Europe and that was a phenomenal tour and the after that we went straight into going with Testament in North America which was again another wonderful tour with great people, great musicians and just a really good billing where people could feel a little bit of the past to where everybody is now so it’s great.
Andrew: It’s a great time for heavy music and in particular, thrash metal bands as a lot of those bands that came out of the 80’s are really going strong at the moment. Do you feel that these bands are going really strong right now?
Derrick: Yeah I would definitely say yes. I felt that especially with the Kreator tour, they were number one in Germany with their new album and that was something that never happened in their career and I wasn’t really expecting that and I don’t think they were either but after those shows and touring and with a new album and feeling the energy and seeing the reaction and hearing that people really knew the material even in the metal world where a lot of times people like to hold on to the past. People like to live in the past sometimes but it was great seeing a lot of young people and people being open minded.
Andrew: Well thanks for your time, it’s been a great chat. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Australia, we will see you very soon!
Derrick: Yeah I can’t wait man, I’m really looking forward to it.
SEPULTURA (With specials guests Death Angel) Tour Dates
Tuesday 15th May – MELBOURNE, 170 Russell
Wednesday 16th May – ADELAIDE, The Gov
Friday 18th May – BRISBANE, Eatons Hill Hotel
Saturday 19th May – SYDNEY, The Metro Theatre
Sunday 20th May – PERTH, Capitol
Tickets: https://metropolistouring.com/sepultura-death-angel/
