During an interview on Rádio Transamérica, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was asked to recount the incident involving the altercation with Max Cavalera, which ultimately resulted in the band’s dissolution.
Andreas said (as transcribed by Whiplash and translated from Portuguese via Google translate): “In 1997 it was Max‘s departure. It was at the height of Roots. So, peak of achievements, okay. We played in arenas in Europe. But the band was dismantled. We were at the worst moment, everything was poorly done and poorly organized. So, there wasn’t all this boom, you know?”
Kisser later acknowledged that his perspective was naive at the time, but he now advises his son, Yohan, not to overlook the business aspects of the music industry to prevent him from experiencing the same challenges he faced.
“We had a fight in the hotel in Buenos Aires, we tried to tour Europe, but it didn’t happen,” he said. “It was a way of trying to move forward. Max decided to start SOULFLY and the story continued. It was our fault. I was very naive to I trust people a lot, I just want to play the guitar and not know about business.
“Therefore, I advise anyone who starts to get involved in this. I see it from my son Yohan. I tell him to pay attention to how much things cost, when he is paying, how much everyone is earning. It is not invasive, it is something that is part of the business. The more you control this, the more artistic freedom and possibility of creating projects you will have. Everything needs money, investment and logistics.”
Max left the band in 1996 after the rest of the band split with his wife Gloria as their manager. Max‘s brother, Iggor, stuck around with the group for another 10 years before leaving SEPULTURA and re-teaming with Max in CAVALERA CONSPIRACY.
SEPULTURA kicked off their farewell tour on March, 1st at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The packed venue signified the band’s first concert with Greyson Nekrutman (formerly of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) as their new touring drummer, who replaced SEPULTURA‘s longstanding drummer Eloy Casagrande in February.
