It's pronounced Sep-pull-too-ra and not any other way. Their new album is called Roorback which draws its title from a word meaning "A defamatory falsehood published for political effect" which is something that Sepultura has always been against. They are a band that has always worn their politicalness on their sleeve, been proud of it and the new album is no different. This album's lyrics are in touch with the political abuses and prejudices of its native country, Brazil, and the rest of the world.
Roorback is a fresh opportunity to get Sepultura back on top after leaving Roadrunner Records, adding Derrick Green as the new singer and joiing Hunter Records. Roorback is a return to form for the band with their harsh vocals, speed bursts and controlled aggression. Also they just might hit the mainstream after teaming with former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton for a song on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack.
When doing my research I found that when Sepultura gets interviewed it's usually with founding members of the band. So I got a new perspective by talking with their newest and dearest member, vocalist Derrick Green. Green has felt the pressure of having replaced fan favorite Max Cavalera but he just shakes it off. He knows that many fans would love to have Cavalera back but he also knows that will never happen. Its time to move on and besides he is co-creating a new identity for the band. Plus fans should never say to his face. He may seem like a very peaceful man but once see his 6'4 frame, long dreadlocks and then you hear him scream on stage you won't want to piss him off.
Check out Sepultura's website.
Daniel Robert Epstein: What inspired the new album?
Derrick Green: I think a lot of the events that were going on at the time of writing. There were so many things as far as the elections in Brazil, the 9/11 disaster, leaving our label and a lot of changes in our career. It all came across in the aggressive lyrics on this new album.
DRE: Do all the band members work on the songs collectively?
DG: Yeah. Everything was pretty much collective especially the lyrics between Andreas and I. Igor also participated on one song. So it was a big group collaboration because we felt closer since we started and that we've grown together more so as a band.
DRE: What's it like finally really growing with this band that you didn't start?
DG: Well the biggest change was moving to Brazil and learning a different language. Also traveling and playing places that none of us have ever played before. I think that's been incredible.
We've gone through three managers since I've been in the band. Switching from Roadrunner to Hunter was pretty intense because they were with Roadrunner for such a long time. Roadrunner didn't really like the new lineup, were doing things kind of half assed and they were concentrating on the past so much and not on the future of the band. Hunter may be smaller but it's more efficient because you don't have to talk through so many people. It's always face to face and things get done. Those changes have been good.
DRE: I know the new album title Roorback has a specific meaning but what does it mean to you?
DG: For me it really is a state of affairs as far as using propaganda to have some type of political gain. It was very relevant in the 2000 elections in the United States. It was lies, deceit and he walked away with the election. It's kind of scary that they did it so blatantly and without hiding. They tried to cover it up but people didn't care. It seemed like people are more concerned with reality TV like American Idol. That was the biggest news.
DRE: Does living in Brazil give you more perspective?
DG: Definitely. I think seeing different news broadcasts from outside the US and how the US is portrayed really gives you a different perspective. It's a more open-minded view. The media outside the US has no super interests. The media in the US doesn't want to get sued, they have to sell the news so it has to be sexy and there is a lot of work to get to the real news. The US media doesn't have time to do real research. The Guardian in London is a nonprofit paper so they don't care, they point out what's really going on. Foreign countries know more about our country than the ameircan peopel.
DRE: Were you a big fan of Sepultura before you joined?
DG: Absolutely. I think the first album I was introduced to was Arise on tape. Every since then I collected their albums. But I never saw them live. I was just a fan of the music, I didn't know who played what so it was pretty amazing to go to Brazil and meet them for the first time..
DRE: How is it singing songs that you weren't part of creating?
DG: It's good. I'm with the people who actually wrote the songs so it's great to have that behind you. I believed in the lyrics of those songs before I was in the band and I believe in them now.
DRE: What was it like working with Mike Patton?
DG: Mike is incredible just for the fact that he loves doing what he does. I've always been a big fan of his. As a vocalist it's great to work with him.
DRE: He does some pretty amazing things with his voice. Could you ever do what he does?
DG: I would like to experiment and try things like that. I don't see why not. The future is very open for us to do that.
DRE: What made you decide to cover U2's "Bullet The Blue Sky"?
DG: I think it was the most unexpected song [laughs]. The lyrics are very powerful and the fact that it would be a challenge to cover a song that wasn't metal or hard rock. Those songs are easy and we've done that. U2 was a big influence on us. They revolutionized they way we hear music.
DRE: Sepultura has lost some ground recently. What are you doing to get back?
DG: We have a few plans. The first plan was to break away from Roadrunner because they were dragging us down. Once we did that we wanted to do a video. I thought of the idea for the video and ended up being a main character in it. We wanted to show people that the band was different now, a different singer, a different vibe and we want to do that with more videos.
We want something new and fresh for all the new album covers. For the stage show we want lights and more visual things going on because they never had that before. Also playing live is the best way to get the word out and playing with fresh bands is always great.
DRE: Is politics in music still a big deal?
DG: Politics is just a label to put on how you feel and how you see things. We don't try to tell people what to do. We write about things going on in our life and that are relevant to us. If people can relate to that then that's great. If they want to be in a fantasy world then they could go listen to bands like that, there's thousands of them out there.
DRE: What are the rabid Sepultura fans like?
DG: They're pretty intense. They are definitely opinionated which is good because that's what the whole vibe of Sepultura is about. It's about having your own mind and opinion. We're intense as well but in the sense that we're not violent. The shows are not so violent that people are showing up to beat everyone up. I like to think we have an open minded and passionate audience just like us. I love talking to the fans that are into us because they are very intelligent more so than the average metal fan.
DRE: [Former Sepultura frontman] Max Cavalera said that in the beginning Sepultura was a cheap imitation of Slayer and Venom.
DG: I've heard that. In the very beginning there were a lot of elements taken from other bands but that's common until they find their own identity. I think the identity for Sepultura was really changed once Andreas joined the band. It really added a different element to the band and took it to another level. That impact was shown on Arise. Now we're always developing.
DRE: Many people say System of a Down has inherited the mantle of the "political" metal band. But they seem a bit poppier.
DG: We've toured with them when they started. They have great lyrics and ideas which makes them different. They do what they want to do. They sound wacky sometimes. He's more of a poet.
DRE: Are you excited about touring in South Africa?
DG: Yeah I have no idea what to expect. I'm not excited about their politics even though it's been changing. It's a country that's gone through so much crap with people going there and raping it. But I want to meet the people and see the country.
DRE: I would think Sepultura is really popular there.
DG: Yeah one show is already sold out and we get emails from there all the time from fans asking us to come down. In Europe we played Romania and Croatia where we've never played before. It was incredible and some of our best shows.
It's in these bigger venues and its non-stop reactions from beginning to end. Constant screaming and that can't be beat.
DRE: What do your tattoos mean?
DG: I have so many tattoos I don't know where to begin. This one here is a Borneo symbol. When you become a man they usually put it on your neck. I'm not getting any neck tattoos. I also really like New Zealand style tattoos.
DRE: Have you met many of your Goth fans?
DG: We did some shows in Europe with Cradle of Filth so it was cool meeting those guys and doing shows with them. It's a whole different audience. It was a lot of work because the fans were there to see them and I think we walked away with a lot of new fans. I could tell they got into it.
DRE: What's your favorite pornography?
DG: I like the old school stuff like Debbie does Dallas. I like film and the scripts.
DRE: So you're into it for the story?
DG: [laughs] No but I'm into the whole thing. It's all put together carefully. The video age has ruined that. The women are real and haven't had as much surgery.
DRE: What do you think of Suicide Girls?
DG: I love it. A friend of mine turned me onto it. When I first saw it I wished they had it when I was 14.
DRE: I know.
DG: Those are the girls I always dreamed about with tattoos and into different types of music. Back then you see them at shows and just dream about them. Its cool reading the journals. They're intelligent, interesting and that's sexy. I don't remember the names but I would recognize their faces.
DRE: What's your favorite out of the punk emo and Goth girls?
DG: Punk girls. But I like them all.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
Roorback is a fresh opportunity to get Sepultura back on top after leaving Roadrunner Records, adding Derrick Green as the new singer and joiing Hunter Records. Roorback is a return to form for the band with their harsh vocals, speed bursts and controlled aggression. Also they just might hit the mainstream after teaming with former Faith No More vocalist Mike Patton for a song on the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack.
When doing my research I found that when Sepultura gets interviewed it's usually with founding members of the band. So I got a new perspective by talking with their newest and dearest member, vocalist Derrick Green. Green has felt the pressure of having replaced fan favorite Max Cavalera but he just shakes it off. He knows that many fans would love to have Cavalera back but he also knows that will never happen. Its time to move on and besides he is co-creating a new identity for the band. Plus fans should never say to his face. He may seem like a very peaceful man but once see his 6'4 frame, long dreadlocks and then you hear him scream on stage you won't want to piss him off.
Check out Sepultura's website.
Daniel Robert Epstein: What inspired the new album?
Derrick Green: I think a lot of the events that were going on at the time of writing. There were so many things as far as the elections in Brazil, the 9/11 disaster, leaving our label and a lot of changes in our career. It all came across in the aggressive lyrics on this new album.
DRE: Do all the band members work on the songs collectively?
DG: Yeah. Everything was pretty much collective especially the lyrics between Andreas and I. Igor also participated on one song. So it was a big group collaboration because we felt closer since we started and that we've grown together more so as a band.
DRE: What's it like finally really growing with this band that you didn't start?
DG: Well the biggest change was moving to Brazil and learning a different language. Also traveling and playing places that none of us have ever played before. I think that's been incredible.
We've gone through three managers since I've been in the band. Switching from Roadrunner to Hunter was pretty intense because they were with Roadrunner for such a long time. Roadrunner didn't really like the new lineup, were doing things kind of half assed and they were concentrating on the past so much and not on the future of the band. Hunter may be smaller but it's more efficient because you don't have to talk through so many people. It's always face to face and things get done. Those changes have been good.
DRE: I know the new album title Roorback has a specific meaning but what does it mean to you?
DG: For me it really is a state of affairs as far as using propaganda to have some type of political gain. It was very relevant in the 2000 elections in the United States. It was lies, deceit and he walked away with the election. It's kind of scary that they did it so blatantly and without hiding. They tried to cover it up but people didn't care. It seemed like people are more concerned with reality TV like American Idol. That was the biggest news.
DRE: Does living in Brazil give you more perspective?
DG: Definitely. I think seeing different news broadcasts from outside the US and how the US is portrayed really gives you a different perspective. It's a more open-minded view. The media outside the US has no super interests. The media in the US doesn't want to get sued, they have to sell the news so it has to be sexy and there is a lot of work to get to the real news. The US media doesn't have time to do real research. The Guardian in London is a nonprofit paper so they don't care, they point out what's really going on. Foreign countries know more about our country than the ameircan peopel.
DRE: Were you a big fan of Sepultura before you joined?
DG: Absolutely. I think the first album I was introduced to was Arise on tape. Every since then I collected their albums. But I never saw them live. I was just a fan of the music, I didn't know who played what so it was pretty amazing to go to Brazil and meet them for the first time..
DRE: How is it singing songs that you weren't part of creating?
DG: It's good. I'm with the people who actually wrote the songs so it's great to have that behind you. I believed in the lyrics of those songs before I was in the band and I believe in them now.
DRE: What was it like working with Mike Patton?
DG: Mike is incredible just for the fact that he loves doing what he does. I've always been a big fan of his. As a vocalist it's great to work with him.
DRE: He does some pretty amazing things with his voice. Could you ever do what he does?
DG: I would like to experiment and try things like that. I don't see why not. The future is very open for us to do that.
DRE: What made you decide to cover U2's "Bullet The Blue Sky"?
DG: I think it was the most unexpected song [laughs]. The lyrics are very powerful and the fact that it would be a challenge to cover a song that wasn't metal or hard rock. Those songs are easy and we've done that. U2 was a big influence on us. They revolutionized they way we hear music.
DRE: Sepultura has lost some ground recently. What are you doing to get back?
DG: We have a few plans. The first plan was to break away from Roadrunner because they were dragging us down. Once we did that we wanted to do a video. I thought of the idea for the video and ended up being a main character in it. We wanted to show people that the band was different now, a different singer, a different vibe and we want to do that with more videos.
We want something new and fresh for all the new album covers. For the stage show we want lights and more visual things going on because they never had that before. Also playing live is the best way to get the word out and playing with fresh bands is always great.
DRE: Is politics in music still a big deal?
DG: Politics is just a label to put on how you feel and how you see things. We don't try to tell people what to do. We write about things going on in our life and that are relevant to us. If people can relate to that then that's great. If they want to be in a fantasy world then they could go listen to bands like that, there's thousands of them out there.
DRE: What are the rabid Sepultura fans like?
DG: They're pretty intense. They are definitely opinionated which is good because that's what the whole vibe of Sepultura is about. It's about having your own mind and opinion. We're intense as well but in the sense that we're not violent. The shows are not so violent that people are showing up to beat everyone up. I like to think we have an open minded and passionate audience just like us. I love talking to the fans that are into us because they are very intelligent more so than the average metal fan.
DRE: [Former Sepultura frontman] Max Cavalera said that in the beginning Sepultura was a cheap imitation of Slayer and Venom.
DG: I've heard that. In the very beginning there were a lot of elements taken from other bands but that's common until they find their own identity. I think the identity for Sepultura was really changed once Andreas joined the band. It really added a different element to the band and took it to another level. That impact was shown on Arise. Now we're always developing.
DRE: Many people say System of a Down has inherited the mantle of the "political" metal band. But they seem a bit poppier.
DG: We've toured with them when they started. They have great lyrics and ideas which makes them different. They do what they want to do. They sound wacky sometimes. He's more of a poet.
DRE: Are you excited about touring in South Africa?
DG: Yeah I have no idea what to expect. I'm not excited about their politics even though it's been changing. It's a country that's gone through so much crap with people going there and raping it. But I want to meet the people and see the country.
DRE: I would think Sepultura is really popular there.
DG: Yeah one show is already sold out and we get emails from there all the time from fans asking us to come down. In Europe we played Romania and Croatia where we've never played before. It was incredible and some of our best shows.
It's in these bigger venues and its non-stop reactions from beginning to end. Constant screaming and that can't be beat.
DRE: What do your tattoos mean?
DG: I have so many tattoos I don't know where to begin. This one here is a Borneo symbol. When you become a man they usually put it on your neck. I'm not getting any neck tattoos. I also really like New Zealand style tattoos.
DRE: Have you met many of your Goth fans?
DG: We did some shows in Europe with Cradle of Filth so it was cool meeting those guys and doing shows with them. It's a whole different audience. It was a lot of work because the fans were there to see them and I think we walked away with a lot of new fans. I could tell they got into it.
DRE: What's your favorite pornography?
DG: I like the old school stuff like Debbie does Dallas. I like film and the scripts.
DRE: So you're into it for the story?
DG: [laughs] No but I'm into the whole thing. It's all put together carefully. The video age has ruined that. The women are real and haven't had as much surgery.
DRE: What do you think of Suicide Girls?
DG: I love it. A friend of mine turned me onto it. When I first saw it I wished they had it when I was 14.
DRE: I know.
DG: Those are the girls I always dreamed about with tattoos and into different types of music. Back then you see them at shows and just dream about them. Its cool reading the journals. They're intelligent, interesting and that's sexy. I don't remember the names but I would recognize their faces.
DRE: What's your favorite out of the punk emo and Goth girls?
DG: Punk girls. But I like them all.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
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