Sepultura: The Age of Quadra
“I think you’ve got to believe in who you are and what you are. You have to have that strong relationship with your bandmates ‘coz once you start touring at that professional level, they’re the people you’re gonna be spending time with. You’re gonna be seeing them more than you see your family, so you really need to know how to respect that and communicate and make the best of it. You’re only gonna grow as people and musicians if you have that. Playing live is how you really get to know each other. That’s the final test. And it’s the one that you have to go for to go the distance.” The mood is one of reflection and rumination as Distorted Sound catches up with SEPULTURA bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr.
Having blazed a trail worldwide in the pursuit of thrash metal with his fellow Belo Horizonte brethren for over 35 years, the above is certainly advice that bands – both new and established – can learn from or at the very least relate to on some level. Admittedly, the journey along the way since their now legendary 1986 debut Morbid Visions hasn’t been a simple one. From turbulent inner-circle relationships and personal tragedies to several line-up changes, the proverbial road has had its fair share of detours. But what has remained a constant, is the unwavering support from the band’s dedicated fanbase. Humorous quips aside (“I think it’s my grey hair!”) the reason behind it is much less dramatic than the trials and tribulations of years past. “I just think at the end of the day it’s all about the music. It doesn’t matter how many members the band has had before or about the drama,” Paulo insists. “Yes, there’s been change but that’s life. Sometimes it’s not what you want or expected, but it’s needed for the better and for improvement. Despite all the crap, and all of the shit talking, I think all of us represented the band and the name in the right way up to this day – and I think that’s why we’re still here.”
For the present-day incarnation, the release of fifteenth album Quadra will mark the next chapter in the SEPULTURA story. Two scathing singles (Isolation, Last Time) have already whet fans appetites via respective penchants for high energy and ferocious riffs, but there’s much more to the Brazilians’ upcoming effort than meets the eye. Inspired by the number four, musically speaking Quadra sees the band dipping their collective toes into conceptual waters. Divided into four parts, it mimics the makeup of a double vinyl with each side encompassing past elements of the band’s discography. From the pure unadulterated thrash of the early 80’s and side two’s nod to that dynamic Roots-era rhythmic flair to the melody-driven acoustics of parts three and four, the album follows its own rules, definitions and reality.
“This is us revisiting that old thrash feeling of Beneath The Remains and Arise, only we’re seeing it through the eyes of today,” he reiterates. “We’re working in such a specific way that people are gonna be able to recognise it when they listen. The percussive, the experimentation, the more instrumental side of things. I mean that’s something we’ve done for years now. Its very hard to represent 35 years but I think we’ve done a pretty good job here!” Having Fascination Street Studios‘ Jens Bogren [AT THE GATES, ARCH ENEMY, OPETH] back at the production helm would see the band reunited with their so-called fifth element“ as well as pushing their own boundaries, creatively and mentally, to the absolute limit in the process. “When it came down to it, he was the perfect choice coz we’d worked with him previously on [2017 album] Machine Messiah and it was just so good with everyone stepping up idea wise. He was the best producer to continue this journey with,” the bassist recalls. “We knew how it would go and we know each other better now. He knew how to really push all four of us to capture that sound and performance. It was the hardest time I’ve ever experienced in that sense, but every moment was worth it because the final result was so incredible; and I think that’s the main thing to take away. When you have a producer that can really represent and inspire – and make you work your ass off!”
As our conversation with the bassist draws to a close, there’s just enough time to broach the topic of Quadra’s future ranking in an illustrious (and much debated) discography. With material fuelled by the kind of relentless energy rarely seen in a band of so many years, could we be about to witness the dawning of a Sepulnation? And could album number fifteen achieve ‘magnum opus’ status? The bassist believes time will tell all. “I think it’s the new reboot for us – it’s thrash metal for a new age,” Paulo concludes. “We took the old influences from those past records, but also from the bands around those same periods of time. We just updated it as much as possible and the result is this beautiful record. And I believe it’s one that everyone is gonna enjoy!”
Quadra is out now via Nuclear Blast Records.
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