In a recent conversation with HEAVY, Max Cavalera discussed his decision to re-record two classic Sepultura albums, explaining that his intention wasn’t merely to fix mistakes, but to enhance the original recordings. “It was more of a chance to do it again, but better—not really to fix the mistakes, because I think the mistakes were cool, but to make everything sound better,” Max explained. “We had the opportunity for better guitars, better drums, a better studio, and to work with knowledgeable metal people who know how to record this stuff.”
He elaborated on the challenges they faced when initially recording the albums in Brazil: “We didn’t have any of that back then. We were on our own, the engineers didn’t know what to do, and it felt like being in no-man’s land. So, we got the chance to redo the albums and make them sound the way we had always envisioned them to. These re-recordings are what we, as musicians, think they should have sounded like from the start. Even as kids, this is the sound we were aiming for, and it’s awesome that we finally got to do it.”
Max also expressed pride in maintaining the original energy and spirit of the records. “A lot of bands don’t get the chance or don’t manage to capture the same energy. We kept the anger and intensity, and the re-recordings are still full of that same fire. That’s why fans really love them—they’re well received all over the world.”
Max and his brother Igor re-recorded Sepultura’s early albums Morbid Visions and Bestial Devastation, which were released in May last year. However, their decision hasn’t been without controversy. Andreas Kisser, who remained with Sepultura after the Cavalera brothers left, criticized the re-recordings, calling them “totally unnecessary” and stating that he found little artistic value in them. He even questioned Max’s reasoning, stating, “It’s weird to see a guy who always says, ‘I did this,’ ‘I did that,’ and ‘I did everything by myself,’ and now re-recording riffs that we did 30 or 40 years ago. It doesn’t click.”
Max subtly responded to Kisser’s comments during an appearance on the Everblack Podcast, explaining their approach to the re-recordings. “What we did was really cool because it was just me and Igor doing things the way we’ve always done. I set up a mic in the middle of the room, got my guitar, and Igor was right in front of me, and we just went live—one, two, three, go. That’s the brother magic, and that’s what we kept at the heart of the recordings.”
In addition to discussing the re-recordings, Max also touched on the possibility of reuniting with Sepultura. While he’s open to the idea, he revealed that he hasn’t been approached about it yet.