Metal Muse Interviews: Metal Legend Andreas Kisser

By Andrea Briceno

After the release of A-Lex, which is the band’s latest album, Sepultura targets a new audience and opens the doors to a fresh new start. I had the chance to speak to guitarist Andreas Kisser, member of well-known Brazilian metal legends Sepultura, who set the standard for other bands emerging in the genre. He talks to the Metal Muse about their latest album, recent struggles of the band and much more.

MM: First and foremost, thank you very much for speaking to me on this occasion

Thank you.

MM: Let me start off by asking you, what is the question that bothers you to be asked the most and why?

(Chuckles) I don’t know. None… I mean questions are questions. Really, it depends on what your mood is, as long as it is not a specific question that bothers. I can talk about anything really, especially with Sepultura, there are a lot of topics concerning the past and the reunion and that kind of stuff. That could be a pain in the ass you know, but at the same time, that is part of our music, so I really don’t mind talking about it.

MM: I am very much looking forward to this interview. Let us get started. First of all, congratulations on the latest Sepultura album. For many of the fans, it was actually unexpected since many people were turned off by your performance at the Grammies. I want to know why did you decided to do a cover of Garota de Ipanema?

Well, this is the first time that the Latin Grammies were held in Brazil. There are a lot of Brazilian musicians that win and compete, so they decided do it for the first time. We were invited to be a part of it. Also, last year we were celebrating 50 years of Bossa Nova, you know João Roberto, Elza Soares in 1958 were the mark of the beginning of Bossa nova, and as you know Bossa nova and Sepultura are the most international acts from Brazil, and the biggest influences outside the country. Bossa nova has influenced so many people outside Brazil and so has Sepultura. So, they wanted to put this together for a special presentation for the first Latin Grammies in Brazil. It was a challenge for us to do Bossa nova, which is something we are not very familiar with, I mean, of course we know the music but we are not Bossa Nova players. At the same time, it was something that was great. We did our song. Derek has a great voice not only can he scream but he can also sing great doom, reggae and rap, so it went great. We work by challenges, we are not here to be a, b, or c. It was a great learning process for us and we were very proud.

MM: To you, how has the transition been between Max Cavalera and Derek Green?

AK: It has been great. Since he joined the band, Derek grew up a lot. He has been a great part of the band because he is not willing to copy anybody, especially Max. As soon as Max left, he left. Derek had a different background and taste, and overall he was a different musician. He was a guy that had more options. Max could only do one type of voice and Derek brought a lot of different options for us and we started working with that and we took our time, especially when you are willing to change a lead singer like Max. Here, you have room to develop something new and is a time to develop something special. This is not like changing a piece on a guitar, there’s a human factor and organic factor that we have to respect. Having Derek in the group for 12 years, the transition has been done, or at least on that part.

MM: How has Sepultura evolved in terms of sound? How do you see it being different after establishing a huge trajectory with Max, then with the entrance of Derek Green?

AK: In the direction we took at the same time that Roots was a great experience for us, we did a lot of research about our own Brazilian roots. We worked with the Indian tribe Xavantes, we brought the African influences to the percussions and even our own urban influences from São Pablo, Rio, and etcetera. This was a great album because it was a conceptual work around our own Brazilian roots. As soon as Max left, we went some place else. Even if Max were still in the group, the tendency of Sepultura was to do something else all the time. As you can see, all the albums are very different from each other, still keeping the same formation. We always keep the same spirit. We didn’t want Roots to represent us or to have to reproduce it over and over again. With the new singer, we went to Japan to work with a different concept group, different rhythm patterns, and different melodies. We also toured with Apocalyptica. That’s why we are still doing it… Even when you come up with new stuff you learn something and that is development.

We have new formation, new ideas and options that always keep us fresh. Sepultura is a band that has the privilege to travel the world every year many times. We see the changes a little closer; we do not depend on television or newspapers to see or feel the changes going on. We have the privilege to be there in different places and feel that up close. That can also be represented in music easily because it is what we feel.

MM: I am curious now that you mentioned going to Japan and traveling the rest of the world. As my understanding goes, you just came from the Philippines not long ago. Do you guys go to these places to look for musical influences?

AK: Definitely! We go there to do everything, to present our music, and our ideas. We have been to many different places regardless of politics or religious ideas. We have been to Indonesia, Dubai, Israel, Cyprus, Turkey and it is all because of the music. Of course, when you go to different places, you meet different people, different bands, regional and local music, different foods, different tastes, different ways of watching the world, different ways of dressing… This is why we respect the world, we are getting information and we understand it.

You do not see the world from a bubble and think everyone is a f@#$ing enemy. Music teaches you that. You go with an open heart and you go willing to learn a lot and then you have the tendency to respect because you then understand why people do what they do. Like I said it is a privilege to have the chance to travel the world and still be able to represent Brazil.

MM: I wanted to ask you about your latest album, which is a concept record based on Anthony Borges’ A Clock Work Orange. Tell me what does A-Lex Mean?

AK: A-Lex is a Russian expression that means no law. There is a lot of Russian on the novel because Anthony Borges lived in many different places, and Russian was one of the languages he spoke very well. It was then mixed with Cockney, which is the British dialect, to create a new slang for the gangs in the novel, which he called Nadsat. In A-Lex [no law] represents the whole environment, the whole vibe of the society at the time of the novel. There is a certain future when there is no government, and no police, there are a lot of kings and anarchy. We represent the whole vibe of where the novel takes place. The sound of the album represents this entire scenario. That’s were the name came from.

MM: I realize that the influences go beyond simply being inspired by it. Just by seeing the latest video We lost you, I see the book’s reflection throughout the video. I also see that you guys seem to have a lot of Beethoven influences, and as I remember the main character was in love with Beethoven. Why did you choose to be inspired by him?

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AK: Because to represent the Clock Work Orange, especially when doing a musical representation of the album, without Beethoven it would be incomplete, since Beethoven was a crucial part of the whole character. Alex loves classical music, especially Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It was almost like a drug for him. He experienced physical changes when he listened to it. So it was crucial for us to have a representation of the 9th symphony on the album. That was our biggest challenge to mix Sepultura with an orchestra but at the same time Beethoven was heavy. I think he was the first heavy metal ever, he was very intense, raw and beautiful, just like metal is. It was still a lot of work. We had to do part by part, using the vocals, building up the orchestra in the studio, in many different sessions but in the end we were really happy with the way it turned out.

MM: I really like how you define Beethoven as the first heavy metal. download gangland divx

AK: It’s true!

MM: And it just reflects, if we go back to the album, the character’s struggle between violence and very calm music, just mixing them both and giving rise to songs such as Moloko Mesto, to me at least was very surprising and unexpected.

AK: Awesome, that’s what we do: unexpected things of what people expect.

MM: Hence why you have been around for such a long time. Before your album I was always looking forward to news about your future releases. After Dante, I wondered if anything had happened to you, and as I asked people would simply say: “Don’t bother, Sepultura sold out.. They are not Sepultura anymore…” Then, I got the CD two weeks before the official release date. Then I said, Sepultura is clearly far from being extinct.

AK: that’s right!

MM: So, what do you have to say to those people that said f@#$ it, Sepultura is done?

AK: Well, I think you just have to give us a chance. It is all about music. It is not about politics or gossip. This is not a soap opera, even though it may look like one. I respect the different opinions from our fans, I may not necessarily agree with them all. Just listen to the album, go to a show and go with an open mind, then feel what you may want to feel. Do not try to expect anything and see what happens. We are not here to fulfill any expectations of what people may think that we should be. We pretty well know what we are and that is why we create Sepultura everyday. I even create myself every day. I think the music of Sepultura is very alive, even though it may not be 1996 or 1994. We respect our past, but we are here talking about new stuff and we have to be relevant today. All I ask is to just listen and go see us; then you can give your opinion as you go.

MM: My favorite album by Sepultura is Roots, and I know you personally would feel very identified by it since you constantly bring up the Brazilian influences, such as the drums and the Bossa Nova. Are you guys planning on doing something similar in the near future or even just singing in Portuguese?

AK: I don’t know, that could be a possibility especially doing a song in Portuguese. Derek has been here in Brazil for the last 10 years and so far he has survived. He speaks the language, knows Brazil very well, and he can sing Portuguese just fine. But I still don’t know. It depends on what we do, the concept of the song, the ideas present, if we have percussion or not. It has to come very naturally, not force ourselves to do anything just because we did it before. In A-Lex, we have percussions used in a different way. Even thought this time we have Brazilian percussionist again, it is something completely different and that is what is great about it. We try to keep our Brazilian inspiration present and that’s what makes it great.

MM: Did you guys record this album in Brazil?

AK: Yes

MM: To you, what is the difference between recording an album back home instead of doing it in Europe or even in Florida?

AK: You said it, is home! (Chuckles) It is done differently. Why should we stay two months away from home if we have everything here? We have great studios today, the know-how-to from the technicians, engineers, and equipment. We have everything here. We do all the recordings here and the only thing we do outside was the mastering, which we did in New York. We wrote the album here. Every time after practice, I would come back home to stay with the family as well as living all the cultural Brazilian stuff we experience daily, like football and our favorite beer, stuff like that. Important stuff, you know… (Chuckles).

MM: (Chuckles) I noticed that you support the São Pablo FC, so big props to that

AK: Thank you

MM: I noticed, you guys are touring everywhere but there are no news about North America. I mean, everyone always goes to the United States but I want to know if you guys are coming to Canada anytime soon. divx thumbsucker

AK: Yes, in September

MM: OH MY GOD! I’m so excited (MAJOR CHUCKELS OF EXCITEMENT)

AK: (Chuckles along…) finally, it is very hard to tour North America. It is very hard to find a package and money to put together the tour. We finally manage to put something together. I think we got a package to play along with Dark Angel and we are going to do a North American tour. We are going to Toronto and some other cities but we are still putting the dates but for September we will be around for sure.

MM: I am so excited to hear this, you have no idea! I have actually never had the chance to see you. I am originally from Colombia and I know for a fact that you guys have gone there more times than you have actually come to Canada. I feel like I have been chasing you all over the place, but finally September will come and I will have to root myself to the ground and not move until you guys come

AK: (Chuckles) that’s cool!

MM: So, in terms of Record labels, I know you guys were with Roadrunner for quite a long time and now you changed to SPV. What is the difference between the two? How does this affect your music? How does this affect the band in terms of personal relations? Has it opened more doors for you guys?

AK: Roadrunner was great for us. Without Sepultura, Roadrunner would not be Roadrunner like it is today and vice versa. I think we did a great job together, but right after Max left, they did not believe in anything we did and they didn’t respect the new line up and Derek, so they decided to put all the money and the energy on Soulfly. The first album from Soulfly was the same stuff we used in Roots, the only difference was the bass player, the guitarist and the drummer. It took 10 years to build that kind of position and Max took it all because they did not believe in this new line up and etcetera. But that was good, because we had to build everything from scratch and we learned a lot about the process that we did not care a lot about in the past, like the business side and managers and all that bulls@#$. We are in a much better place now. When we left Roadrunner, it was great because we left in peaceful terms. We still have another album to do with them with a lot of money involved but we didn’t want to have the headache to prove to them what we were doing and that kind of stuff. They were too involved in all that Sepultura did in the past and we didn’t see this happening in the future. Then we joined SPV and it was great because they didn’t care about all that crap that happened in the past. They wanted us to be strong in the future and so far it has been great.

MM: That was awful on their behalf simply to turn their back on you, considering they had been with you for such a long time…

AK: Yeah, but that’s the music industry unfortunately.

MM: Andreas, what are you currently listening to?

AK: Not much, I mean I still listen to all the old stuff I like, you know, the Metallica, the Slayer, the Sabbath, Deep Purple… all that stuff. I am not really a music hunter. I like to let music to come natural. I look for musical influences somewhere else outside music, like books and such. This is what we are doing now. I don’t listen to that much music actually. I am more interested in making music than actually listening to it.

MM: That’s ideal! That is what every musician would like to do: Just produce their own music to listen to.

AK: Yes!

MM: You are a real Heavy Metal person, congratulations. Andreas, before I fully define you as a Heavy Metal icon, I had a chance to listen to some soundtracks that you have worked on as a soloist. As I was listening to for example Em busca d’oro, I noticed it was very Bossa Nova-driven. Then I wondered, is he really that romantic or what exactly happened?

AK: (Chuckles) I don’t know. It was because there were so many different fields in which I could go. I play guitar and I have been playing acoustic guitar for many years. I like to play blues with a lot of people here. I have played with many different artists from various styles and it has been a great school, because you can bring your own style your own guitar into a different world and come up with something completely new. The mixture creates something new and it is great. I have had the privilege to play with many artists and it has been a learning experience that I have enjoyed a lot. I can play hard, I can play soft, but it all depends on what the music really needs. It always has a different technique that you learned either from Right or Left hand influences. Stuff like that makes a huge difference in what you are trying to play or whatever you need to improvise and to do different stuff, so it’s great.

MM: I see that you are very driven by your cultural heritage, so I actually want to thank you for doing so because it is absolutely necessary.

AK: Yes, it comes naturally and that is what I am. The music is a way of expressing what we feel. Being from Brazil and living all the cultural Brazilian stuff. Brazil is very rich musically speaking from North to South you have so many rhythms and sounds. It is great to be able to express all that stuff.

MM: Andreas, I want to thank you very much for speaking to me today.

AK: Thank you

MM: Do you have any words for your Canadian audience?

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AK: Yes, sorry that we took so long to go to Canada. We are preparing a tour in September. Hopefully we will see everybody there and hopefully we will be back sooner than later.