SEPULTURA's ANDREAS KISSER Says Coronavirus Crisis Is 'A Time Of Opportunity'

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser has told the "213Rock" podcast that the coronavirus pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to reflect on things and to reconsider what we do, how we do it and why we do it.

"I think it has two points of this — one really bad and one really good," he said (hear audio below). "It is a time of opportunity; that's for sure. You see a lot of new concepts of what the world is and what the nature is. In the first months, or the first days of the pandemic, you [saw] nature responding — a lot of animals appearing in the cities, because they were empty and stuff. And the air was much better here in São Paulo, Brazil."

He continued: "So it is a time of opportunity to rethink why we are running so much. What's the hurry? Everybody's running and never gets anywhere. Quite the contrary — we are destroying our life with anxiety and depression and suicide rates among the youngsters that it's insane. And all the social media that creates an illusion of what life is supposed to be. That's the subject that we try to bring to our lyrics and our music so we can reach a lot of people that are tired of the news of the normal outlets of what's going on in the world, and numbers and statistics and all that, and look within a little more — towards your own place that you live. Small steps. Especially here in Brazil. Basic education — don't throw litter on the street, respect the laws, pay your taxes. Basic citizenship stuff that we should think even before we try to change the macropolitical situation in Brazil."

This past July, SEPULTURA announced the rescheduled dates for its North American tour. The trek, which was originally slated to take place in March and April, was postponed in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

SEPULTURA's 2021 tour, which will still feature support from SACRED REICH, CROWBAR and ART OF SHOCK, is currently scheduled to take place in March and April, depending on the latest COVID-19 protocols.

SEPULTURA's latest LP, "Quadra", was released in February via Nuclear Blast Records. It is a concept effort created at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios with renowned producer Jens Bogren.

The Brazilian group comprises Kisser, vocalist Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr., and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in Belo Horizonte by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, who are no longer with the band.

"Quadra" is the follow-up to "Machine Messiah", which was SEPULTURA's fourteenth studio album and the eighth since Green joined the ranks.