SEPULTURA's DERRICK GREEN: 'The Fact The U.S. Has More People In Prison Than Any Other Country In The World Is Astonishing'

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy magazine, frontman Derrick Green of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA discussed the lyrics on the band's latest studio album, "Quadra". "Quadra" is a concept album that is based on the Quadrivium, which is the four subjects, or arts (namely arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy),taught after teaching the trivium. The word is Latin, meaning "four ways."

"This time around I really wanted to get a head start on lyrics," he said (hear audio below). "A lot of times they come way after the music. But once we had the topic as far as the concept, then I decided that I definitely have the room to have 12 topics of conversation. I wasn't sure what songs were going to be instrumental or not; I just wanted to have 12 topics that we would write about on the album. I went out and wrote those and I showed Andreas [Kisser], our guitarist, and he was, like, 'That's cool.' We agreed that I should write something on these topics — they're very significant. I'd have a corkboard and I'd put those topics down. From each of those topics, I would each day write lyrically something that moved me or something I got from research on those topics and just filled that board slowly but surely. I would be reminded of it every day — that's why I had it on a corkboard in my room so I could see it. The topics, from the very top of the album, I wanted to write about the prison system in the U.S. It's really been dysfunctional for such a long time. They also use solitary confinement as a way of punishment which I think is [in]humane — it's already shown that it doesn't work. The fact the U.S. has more people in prison than any other country in the world is astonishing. It's something to look at and question. A lot of the topics I wanted to really question. I wanted people to question themselves and question the things around them. Some of the topics that I also wrote about were depression, addiction, political manipulation, refugees, the killing of the indigenous surrounding the Amazon. These are pretty heavy topics and I wanted to write these topics because they're very significant about what's going on in society right now."

"Quadra" was released on February 7 via Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

SEPULTURA comprises bassist Paulo Pinto Jr., Green, Kisser and drummer Eloy Casagrande.