Sepultura are nothing short than legendary. Playing music together since 1984, despite some lineup changes, they’re definitely prolific. Whether or not you’ve been following their career closely for the last fifteen records, you’ve got to hand it to the band that they have staying power and keep on producing quality music. We caught up with vocalist Derrick Green about their newest record, Quadra, out now on Nuclear Blast, and the massively storied history of the band.
Tell me a little about the new album. After 15 records, what makes this one stand out?
What’s really different about this record is that it has really the elements from the history of the band throughout the album We’re kind of thinking of it as a triple album, sides A, B, C, and D. The first side had a heavy, thrashing sound, and the second side is more groove oriented. The third part is more instrumental and melodic. It’s like a history of the band, but also creating something new.
With all that variation, what was the writing and recording process like?
It was great, because on the last album, we didn’t really have as much time, but with this one, we had the time and space to be extremely creative and not have that feeling of being rushed.
We knew we were going to be recording, and we had a timeline and a process in mind. We had a concept that we were working with, you know the different sides and the elements that we wanted to add. I was working on lyrics from the very beginning, from very early on.
Then it was really a matter of matching the lyrics to the songs, because I had topics I wanted to talk about. I have a cork board in my room, and I was consistently just writing ideas and seeing that every day, becoming comfortable with the ideas, so it was a very smooth process.
What are some of the lyrical concepts you focus on with this record?
I wanted to really write about things that matter to me personally and also things that are going on socially. I have been living outside the U.S. for 20 years; I’ve living in Brazil. So, there was a lot of things that were really shocking coming back to the U.S.
One of the things I talk about is the prison system and how dysfunctional it is, and also question the ideas surrounding solitary confinement. It doesn’t really work, and it’s completely inhumane. So there’s a lot of questioning around that justice system.
I talk about drug addictions, and not just drugs but addictive personalities. I also talk about the fact that there are so many refugees trying to come into the country, there are so many reasons that they want to come to America, and empathy is something that’s really needed.
We also focus on the political corruption on the internet, the fact that people are so extreme on one side and don’t even necessarily question their own point of views. I talk about how money is something we are all a slave too because on some level, we all need food and shelter. There are so many topics, and I wanted to really dig deep with some of them this time around.
With so much already under your belt, how much longer do you think the band will be active and creating music?
Now is a great, great time to be playing music especially for us. I think in our career, this is definitely a high point to be able to come out with an album that’s relevant after so many years. We’re feeling very good, very connected. We feel that we can go on.
For us, the focus is this current tour cycle because it is quite extensive, but we definitely want to keep evolving and creating in the future.
Quadra Tour Dates
3/18/2020 San Diego, CA – House of Blues
3/19/2020 Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater
3/20/2020 Berkeley, CA – UC Theatre
3/21/2020 Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades
3/23/2020 Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
3/24/2020 Iowa City, IA – Wildwood
3/26/2020 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
3/27/2020 Milwaukee, WI – Rave II
3/28/2020 Chicago, IL – House of Blues
3/29/2020 Detroit, MI – Harpo’s
3/30/2020 Toronto, ON – Opera House
4/01/2020 Montreal, QC – Astral
4/02/2020 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
4/03/2020 Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
4/04/2020 Brooklyn, NY – Warsaw
4/06/2020 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
4/07/2020 Philadelphia, PA – Theatre Of Living Arts
4/08/2020 Baltimore, MD – Soundstage
4/09/2020 Charlotte, NC – Underground @ The Fillmore
4/10/2020 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
4/11/2020 Ft Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room
4/12/2020 Tampa, FL – The Ritz
4/14/2020 New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
4/16/2020 Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
4/17/2020 Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
4/18/2020 Dallas, TX Gas – Monkey Live
4/19/2020 Austin, TX – Emo’s
4/21/2020 Phoenix, AZ – Van Buren
4/22/2020 Ventura, CA – Ventura Theatre
