Max Cavalera left Sepultura , the band he formed with his brother Iggor Cavalera , at the height of the group's commercial success, shortly after the release of the iconic album Roots (1996).
The behind-the-scenes conflicts that led to this decision, especially because the other members intended to fire Gloria Cavalera , then the band's manager and Max's wife to this day, remain a recurring topic of debate among metal fans around the world, particularly among Sepultura fans.
Toninho Iron , founder of the band's first official fan club, recounted in an interview with the Colisão the reaction to the news among the group's most dedicated followers at the time, ranging from widespread shock to more extreme reactions, as transcribed by Wikimetal .
“For us, who didn’t want to know about their personal side, it was a surprise. We didn’t want to accept it; we had Sepultura as an example: ‘This band will go all the way together.’ United, they ended up being like four brothers,” he commented. “We kept imagining that everything was perfect every day and that all the shows were wonderful. We had to accept that it’s not quite like that.”
With greater interaction with the band, Toninho learned about the rumors before the press. “This monster of a news story kept growing, it was becoming a reality. (…) We wish it hadn't happened,” he continued.
The disappointment among fans was widespread, but some considered more extreme actions in response to the announcement. “We had to think about how we were going to handle the situation; it was a shock. Many fans promised to do crazy things, one wanted to chain himself to the MASP [São Paulo Museum of Art] and go on a hunger strike, some people shaved their heads,” Toninho recounted. “[The band] had a legion of fanatics, there were already those really hardcore guys. A lot of sad ideas came up, but we kept saying, 'That's completely out of line.'”
READ ALSO: The day Max Cavalera cut his hair due to family pressure – and became even more metal.
