In an interview with the channel 100 Segredo , Andreas Kisser revisited one of the most controversial chapters in Sepultura : the break with manager Gloria Cavalera and the subsequent departure of vocalist Max Cavalera in 1996.
According to Andreas, the problems began when Glória started exclusively representing her husband's interests, creating a clear division within the band.
Kisser stated that Max already saw himself as the central figure in the group and reacted badly to the decision not to renew Gloria's contract at the end of the agreement. He recalled symbolic episodes from that time, such as moments when Max and the manager circulated with privileges, while the rest of the band followed a different dynamic. For Andreas, this favoritism reinforced the feeling that there were "the three of them on one side and Max on the other."
“Max and Glória always liked that, that more glamorous thing, let's say, rock and roll, right? That thing about hotels and room service and things of that ilk. And it became a strange thing because it's very difficult to judge, because my point of view is just my point of view on the same event, they will have theirs. Igor will have his, Paulo has another. And it's a discussion that leads nowhere, right, of saying: 'Ah, I'm right, I'm wrong'. It happened, each one had their choice. And Max decided to leave the band because our contract with Glória ended,” confessed Andreas [transcription via Mundo Metal ].
The guitarist also cited unilateral decisions, such as album covers that featured Max's son as if he were a symbol of the band, without the participation of the other members. “Gloria wasn't representing the band anymore. She was only representing Max and his interests. So much so that this whole limousine thing, despite being so common in Phoenix, was something that grew later. Then he had his own bus, his own dressing room; it was something that separated the band. Gloria started separating things; it was the three of them and Max on one side. Max appears on album covers with his son, what's the point of that? Things we didn't participate in, because it was something between him and Gloria, between the press, between the record label, and we were kind of left in the lurch.”
Max Cavalera's departure
The definitive split occurred on December 16, 1996, after the show at Brixton Academy, when Andreas, Iggor Cavalera , and Paulo Xisto formally announced that they would seek new professional representation. Max did not attend the meeting and chose to leave Sepultura soon after.
“Max didn’t go to that meeting, who knows why, right? And we presented our idea: ‘we want to change the representation of the band, we want this and we want to organize this thing, make it more professional and not so emotional and biased as it is.’ And obviously, what happened, happened. They didn’t accept this change and left,” he recalled.
Kisser emphasized that no one fired the vocalist, they only dismissed Gloria. Even so, Max and the manager left together and immediately started Soulfly , using the same creative team from Roots . The guitarist states that the change brought renewal to Sepultura, while he sees Max stuck in the past.
“They used the same studio, they used the same producer Ross Robinson , they used the same mixer Andy Wallace , that we used on Roots . And we had to look for everything new, right? New manager, new producer, everything new, which was excellent for us. You see, Max is still struggling with Roots . He's always saying the same thing, always talking about this and that. It seems like he's stuck in a time vortex, you know? Trying, I don't know… It's very strange. And I think he needs a bit of therapy too. He needs to take care of his head a little. I'll say it bothers me a bit.”
Andreas Kisser praises Iggor Cavalera but criticizes Max
For him, the paradox remains: "Max left Sepultura, but Sepultura didn't leave him." Even so, Andreas emphasizes that he prefers to move on, while each has chosen their own path.
“It’s bizarre and paradoxical. Because they chose to leave the band. Nobody was fired. The only one who was fired was Glória, the manager. And they chose it, and they never even argued about anything. They simply signed the papers and left. They literally turned their backs and walked away. To keep doing what they do, it kind of seems like they’re just playing at being Sepultura. And Igor has a solo career, he does incredible things, parallel to Sepultura, artistically fantastic. Besides, he’s outside the mainstream, outside the box, I think that’s sensational. While Max is trapped in his own box, always doing the same thing and saying the same things, etc. I have much more to do than worry about that. It’s not something that bothers me. Everyone chooses their own path.”
READ ALSO: Andreas Kisser admits he has "absolutely no desire" to play with the Cavaleras.
