Brazilian metal legends Sepultura will soon be dropping their 15th album Quadra. Reminiscent of the old Sepultura, this raw and morbid offering unites old-school members Andreas Kisser (guitar, vocals) and Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. (bass) with frontman Derrick Leon Green and drummer Eloy Casagrande in what promises to be a powerful listening experience. Sepultura, as it is today, is the combination of decades of experience with youthful vigour. A refined beast, if you will. We catch up with Derrick L. Green who talks in depth about the album’s concept, the creative process, and fronting Sepultura for over two decades.
TEO: How did a settled lineup and producer benefit the recording of Quadra?
Derrick: It’s an extension from [the last album] Machine Messiah. This time, though, we are able to go very deep. That album, we wrote quickly (in a way) and we are so happy with that. But with Quadra, we felt we could do a lot more. We felt comfortable with producer Jens Bogren, so we went back with him. It was an incredible experience. Jens is fantastic, he has a great work ethic, is precise with time and understands what is going on. It helped us become looser; the music becomes more organic that way. He was willing to contribute with fantastic ideas of having an orchestra and choirs. We went to a church and he was able to guide them with what we wanted. It was phenomenal and really added to the album.
Is it a concept album?
Yes, Andreas Kisser came up with the idea from the John North book Quadrivium, which talks about the four different elements: geometry, astronomy, music and maths. The idea is that each number has a meaning behind it, and four is a very powerful number. We feel that, as a four-piece when we go on stage, travel and write music. Quadra also means “playing court” in Portuguese, so it’s like a court with four sides and everyone is born within it, and with a set of laws and rules they abide by that no one questions. So, a lot of it is about how to survive and/or break out of your quadra in the world and get a better understanding of who you are as a person. We’re digging deep philosophically and bringing it to the music on this album.
You’ve been in the band for 21 years. How have you handled following Sepultura Version 1?
I don’t have the problem. I guess it’s other people—who think they might know the band better than the band itself—who may have the problem … these days people can go on the internet and see what someone else has written about the band and develop their opinions based on that. I never had a problem. I mean, if I talk about my life, it’s fucking fantastic! It’s been going on an upward trajectory. Starting off was really hard and really difficult but I knew that. Working with the band and being together for a certain amount of time, we get to evolve. The last album was the best response to an album since I’ve been in the band. The numbers were better than any time of touring, so it’s building in a forward direction. We can talk about numerous different subjects and people are still interested. New fans keep coming, some old fans getting back on. So, I don’t have time to think about people talking about shit, if anything it’s motivating. I’m a punk rock kid at heart and controversy drives me. That was the reason to get into it, not a popularity contest.
Sepultura always puts effort into album packaging. Will Quadra have extras included?
Oh yeah! We have [a] ‘the making of’ film. We shot a live show as well as a documentary movie of Sepultura which a lot of people have not been able to see. It’s exciting for fans to know it’s going to be part of one package.
Can we expect an Australian tour for Quadra?
I’m pushing for that. I would love to do that after fall, but nothing is booked—yet!
Quadra is due for release on Friday, 7th February and you can pre-order it here.
You can watch the video for ‘Isolation’ below.
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