Ex-SEPULTURA Guitarist JAIRO GUEDZ Explains Why He Wasn't Involved In CAVALERA's Recent Re-Recordings

In a new interview with Metal Remains, former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz was asked why he wasn't involved in last year's re-recordings of the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and 1986's "Morbid Visions" LP, which were made available by CAVALERA, the project featuring SEPULTURA's founding members Max Cavalera (guitar, vocals) and Igor "Iggor" Cavalera (drums). He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Maybe because, uh… Maybe two things. Because of my band, THE TROOPS OF DOOM, maybe they didn't want to mix the things and make something with me at the time. I don't know. And also the markets, also the business — not the market; the market wanted to do that, the people want to see that, but maybe [it's] not good for the business. Because you have to pay for this — you have to pay for me to go to a studio and everything, or maybe to travel to [Max's hometown of] Phoenix and to record with the guys, so it can be expensive. So maybe they want to do something more with a low budget and see what happens. And I think it was very good because now they just released [a re-recording of SEPULTURA's 1987 second album] 'Schizophrenia' album also, and I think this one is better than the other ones for me. It's more listenable, I think. I like this one more."

Asked what his reaction was when he heard that the current lineup of SEPULTURA had announced its farewell tour, Jairo said: "Well, I was very sad about that, actually. As a fan, I think they have too much things to do and to give to the fans and the people. But I understand Andreas [Kisser, current SEPULTURA guitarist], and I think this is actually, it's more a decision from Andreas himself, because he is a little bit tired of everything. He lost his wife and his mother and this and that, and he works a lot. So I understand. He wants be more with his kids and his new girlfriend and not be on the road all the time. So I understand him. I think we will lose one of the biggest bands in the world, and I'm a big fan of the last two albums, for example — 'Quadra', for me, it's a big one; yeah, it awesome. And that's it. I was kind of sad, but I understand this. I was talking to [Andreas] and [SEPULTURA bassist] Paulo [Xisto Pinto Jr. in April] at the Summer Breeze [festival in São Paulo, Brazil], at the backstage of Summer Breeze, and we were talking, and I can see they need that kind of vacations. You can see they are very tired — as men, as family men and everything. So this is not good for us, but it's necessary. And we were talking about that — maybe we will make a big party at the end of this tour; me, Max, Igor and the guys [from the current lineup] also. It's possible to happen at the last gig."

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on "Bestial Devastation" and "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA and was replaced by Kisser.

Back in June 2021, Igor, Max and Jairo reunited virtually to record a new version of SEPULTURA's classic song "Antichrist", which originally appeared on "Bestial Devastation". The resulting clip was uploaded to YouTube as part of Igor's video series "Beneath The Drums", where he dissected some of the best-known songs from his recording history.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM released its sophomore album, "A Mass To The Grotesque", as a limited LP vinyl edition and CD digipack on May 31 via Alma Mater Records, the Portuguese label run by MOONSPELL singer Fernando Ribeiro.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM was formed in 2020, during the pandemic, by Guedz. The band also includes other significant figures from the Brazilian metal scene, such as guitarist Marcelo Vasco (PATRIA, MYSTERIIS),a globally renowned graphic artist known for his work with bands like SLAYER, Dee Snider, KREATOR, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY and many others. The vocalist and bassist Alex Kafer, former live guitarist for MATANZA, and drummer Alexandre Oliveira, a former member of the band TIANASTÁCIA, complete the lineup.

THE TROOPS OF DOOM emerged to revive the classic death metal of the 1980s, inspired by SEPULTURA's early era with Jairo and other influential bands such as SLAYER, CELTIC FROST, KREATOR and POSSESSED. It serves as a time machine for those nostalgic for the golden age of death metal. In just three years since its formation, the band has released three Eps, "The Rise Of Heresy" (2020),"The Absence Of Light" (2021),and "Prelude To Blasphemy" (2023),along with their debut album, "Antichrist Reborn", that was released in 2022 on CD LP, and cassette by Alma Mater Records and lauded by both fans and music press alike, as well as the aforementioned follow-up effort, "A Mass To The Grotesque".