Sepultura vocalist Derrick Green recently opened up about the band’s decision to end their run.
Green explained that the choice to call it quits came from a natural evolution in the band’s mindset. It was driven by years of repetitive cycles and a desire to step away before things turned sour.
“I think just life in general. I think all of our lives are constantly changing and evolving and moving, and so your mindset also changes,” Green said. “With us, the cycle of creating and then recording and then touring can be like a vicious cycle. It’s an incredible cycle, but we’ve done it for so many years.”
He went on to describe how the creative process began to lose its spark. This ultimately pushed the band toward a re-evaluation of their future.
“And as artists, it’s important for us to really step outside the box, to really challenge ourselves in everything that we do, especially when it comes to creating,” he continued. “And so when the creative process becomes very robotic and the same, then it becomes more of a ‘job job.’ And this is something that is less appealing to us, because we’ve always been involved in music for other aspects, for the love of the art, and not just because we have to do it. And so when it starts to become very robotic and the same and tedious, then I think it’s time for us to re-evaluate where we’re at, and that’s what we did.”
Green emphasized that the decision was unanimous and made on the band’s own terms. He made clear they did not want to wait for a breakdown to force their hand.
“We did that re-evaluation and we all agreed that it was something that… In order for it to wait for something bad to happen or to break down, in order to break up or to stop moving, it just didn’t make sense to us,” he said. “It made more sense to stop on our own accord and to stop on a very high note. And so I think just life in general and just where we’re at and positioning of the band and the history, it just made sense. [We’ve been doing it for] so many years, more than most bands have been able to maintain. It just ran its course, and we’re happy to celebrate everything, all the achievements and all the years that have been created with Sepultura.”
Rather than framing the farewell as a loss, Green called on fans to view it as a celebration of the band’s legacy.
“And so this is something that [is] not necessarily to feel sad about, but again, a celebration with all our fans and traveling around the world doing that and this final goodbye,” he concluded.
Sepultura are currently on their farewell tour, marking the end of a career spanning several decades.
The decision brings the curtain down on one of the most enduring and influential careers in heavy metal history. The band’s journey began in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 1984, when brothers Max and Igor Cavalera founded the group alongside guitarist Jairo Guedes and bassist Paulo Jr.
Sepultura rose to global prominence through the 1990s with a string of landmark albums that helped define the sound of extreme metal. Records such as Beneath the Remains, Arise, and Chaos A.D. pushed the boundaries of thrash and groove metal. They earned the band a devoted worldwide following and cemented their place among the genre’s elite.
A major turning point came in 1996, when founding vocalist and rhythm guitarist Max Cavalera departed the band following internal tensions. Rather than dissolving, Sepultura pressed forward and recruited Green — an American vocalist — as his replacement in 1997. The lineup change proved controversial among fans at the time. However, Green’s tenure ultimately lasted nearly three decades, making him the longest-serving vocalist in the band’s history.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Sepultura continued to release studio albums and tour relentlessly. The band released over a dozen studio albums in total across their career, consistently exploring new sonic territory while maintaining the aggressive edge that defined their early work.
Their farewell tour represents the final chapter of a story that stretched across more than 40 years, multiple continents, and countless lineup changes. Few bands in the genre have matched Sepultura’s longevity or their ability to remain a relevant force in heavy music across so many different eras.
The interview was originally published by Mr. Music.
