SEPULTURA's ANDREAS KISSER: 'We Learn How To Deal With The Present And With The Elements We Have In Our Hands'

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser was asked about how he and his bandmates have adapted to all the changes in the music industry over the last four decades. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think we absorb everything. It's kind of stupid to ignore… I mean, SEPULTURA survived…. If you put together this 40 years of the SEPULTURA's life, dude, just put together all the technology changes — from vinyl to CD, CD to download, computers, phone, mobile phones and Spotify and Napster and everything that's happened during this 40 years — it was so quick, everything, so many information, and we still are going through a transitional phase. Everything is happening. A lot of different ways of selling albums came out of it. The lockdown, the pandemic situation, and we're still here. Because we learn how to deal with the present and with the elements we have in our hands. It's kind of stupid not try to work something that is not there anymore. So, with the lockdown situation, it was like that."

He continued: "We were ready to go on tour. [Our latest album] 'Quadra' was just released in February [2020], and in March [of that year] the world stopped. And then we moved our energy and focus to the 'SepulQuarta' [weekly online sessions]. We started working at home. Every Wednesday we had a connection with our fans, we jammed our music, and an album came out out of it. So we kept working, but in a different frame, in a different energy. So we waited two years to finally start the tour in 2022. So here we are on the second year of the 'Quadra' tour, and it felt great, because we respect the changes that… It's not us; I mean, it's not up to us. The pandemic situation; nobody chose that. I mean, we have to deal with it. And that's how is life. If you have this idea that you control everything in your life, that's an illusion. We learn how to deal with the present and with the elements we have in our hands, and that's how we grow. And we feel better than ever."

SEPULTURA comprises Kisser, singer Derrick Green, bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. and drummer Eloy Casagrande.

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Guitarist Jairo Guedz joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Kisser.

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band split with Max's wife Gloria as their manager.

Igor left SEPULTURA in June 2006 due to "artistic differences." His departure from the band came five months after he announced that he was taking a break from SEPULTURA's touring activities to spend time with his second wife and their new son (who was born in January 2006).