SEPULTURA Guitarist Talks 'Kairos' In New Interview

Robert Gray of Ultimate-Guitar.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American thrashers SEPULTURA. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: How did SEPULTURA come to sign with Nuclear Blast?

Kisser: For our last album we were working with SPV, but they had many different problems financial problems and so on. They unfortunately went bankrupt and the personnel changed there, so the people there we used to work with all left and now they have a different approach and different plans for everything. We decided to leave, although they kept our back catalogue. At the same time though, we were free really to deal with a different label for our next album. We were very lucky and very happy to have a chance to work with Nuclear Blast; they are a metal label, they've been there forever, they really understand the market and all the changes, and they survived because they understand what they're doing. They're real metalheads; they understand the fans, the style of music, and how to market this stuff. Like I said, we're very fortunate to have such a partner for this album and we're very happy to be together with them. So far it's working great, just preparing everything for this release since last year and building a plan and everything. It's all working really good we're glad.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: You said how "Kairos" is more or less a biography of SEPULTURA. Have you ever been tempted to sit down and write your memoirs?

Kisser: Not really, but at the same time we are doing a movie right now. Since last year, when we started writing the album, the whole process of composition and then in the studio and now on the road, we're filming every day. We are talking about our history and at the same time really showing the actual moment of SEPULTURA, so the intention is really to film everything that's gonna happen during this album cycle and maybe in a year to a year and a half we're gonna be ready to release a movie talking about SEPULTURA's history. We're not actually writing our memoirs, but at the same time talking about ourselves and our history not in the form of a book but a movie. Let's see how the film develops; we've already filmed a lot of stuff, but we still have a lot to go.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Will this SEPULTURA documentary be released in conjunction with this filmed orchestral performance where the group played with Orquestra Experimental de Repertrio on April 16th at the Virada Cultural festival in So Paulo, Brazil? Or will that be a separate release?

Kisser: It's gonna be a part of the movie. We filmed everything of our appearance with the orchestra, but at the same time we didn't have a chance to really record a proper sound. The sound's not really that good, but the whole experience was amazing. It worked very well, but the intention is really to do more songs and try to do this type of show in a closed environment instead of doing it at an open festival like we did in So Paulo. We can then control a lot better the sound, not only from the band but from the orchestra especially, but this is something for next year. Everything is being recorded for the movie, and everything we do we are recording and filming so we have as much as we can to decide what's gonna be in the movie or not.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: Did SEPULTURA's twenty-fifth anniversary have a musical effect on "Kairos"? Maybe flavours from some of the older records?

Kisser: I think so man, not only from our records but from influences that we had during those days. Like the thrash metal bands and the punk and hardcore scenes, which we still listen to today. In those days those influences were stronger than they are today though, so I guess yeah, I think the whole celebration of twenty-five years was really something that brought that idea of time and what time is, and what the concept of time is. Then I found this word "kairos" that was really powerful, and really inspired the whole thing. It was great.

Ultimate-Guitar.com: "Kairos" is SEPULTURA's second album to feature drummer Jean Donabella, who has played numerous shows with the group now. Was there that improved chemistry with Jean on "Kairos"?

Kisser: Yeah, definitely. He's been in the band for like five years already and this is his second album with SEPULTURA, and we've been playing everywhere in every kind of situation from Cuba to South Africa to everywhere pretty much we went to India and so on. Of course, this brings a lot of experience to play in any kind of situation and I think our playing is very tight. It makes you ready to face any type of situation really, live or in the studio. It makes working easier. We know each other better and the chemistry is there, so yeah, it's working great.

Read the entire interview from Ultimate-Guitar.com.

"Kairos" song (audio stream):

Photo credit: Alex Solca