Even decades after their departure, the legacy of brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera in metal remains as strong as when they formed Sepultura more than 40 years ago. The band from Belo Horizonte became a giant, and the impact of its founders on the global scene remains unquestionable.
Recently, in an interview with Hammer , legendary drummer Iggor Cavalera spoke about the band's legacy, the importance of remaining open to new music, and reminisced about the beginning of it all. The conversation began with Iggor's participation in a show by the Botswana band Overthrust during their first UK tour.
The Connection with Global Metal
When asked about an inherent connection to bands from the Global South, Iggor went straight to the point, comparing the Botswana scene to his own experiences in Brazil.
“Growing up in a place like Brazil – and I’d be surprised if it wasn’t the same in Botswana – culturally there was always a feeling of ‘Oh, they [foreigners] do it better.’ But we always thought, ‘Fuck that. We’re going to do as well as any band in the US, UK, or anywhere else,’” he recalled.
For Iggor, this was one of the main motivations. "It's one of the things I'm most proud of in my heritage, being able to see bands from all over the world making incredible music."
He said he discovered Overthrust through searches on Bandcamp and recommendations from friends. He felt the band's attitude reminded him of Sepultura's early days. "In Brazil, especially in the early 80s, everything was about samba – nobody talked about metal. Playing metal in Brazil back then was something unheard of."
The Beginning of Sepultura and Tape Trading
Iggor also shared memories about how metal arrived in Brazil, highlighting that radio played no role in it. The movement was built on the basis of exchanging cassette tapes.
“It was mainly tape trading – you’d get a tape, trade it with friends, and through that, discover a whole new scene of bands,” he explained. “Sometimes you’d get a tape that had been copied two hundred times, so the sound was crap, the quality got lower and lower with each copy, until it sounded evil. Actually, sometimes it was disappointing to listen to the original recording! ‘My tape sounds better than that!’”
Slayer ’s Haunting The Chapel EP for us, and played it at the wrong speed. It was supposed to be 45 RPM, and they played it at normal speed. So it sounded so slow that for months we thought Slayer had turned doom metal or something!”
Speaking about how proud he is of Sepultura being credited with helping to propel the global metal movement, Iggor was emphatic. “That’s what makes me proud; that bands can follow what we did. Not just musically, but also in attitude. That’s the future of music. People who only listen to old stuff are lazy.”
He concluded by reinforcing the importance of keeping an open mind. “When we first left Brazil, people were like, ‘What the hell is this?’ We were pushing the boundaries of music. And I’m still doing that now. (…) It’s about connection. We were connecting Brazil to Japan, to everywhere. I want to keep my antennas open for new things.”
READ ALSO : Sepultura will release a new EP in 2026, according to Andreas Kisser
