MAX CAVALERA Tells The Story Behind Sepultura's 1996 Classic, Roots

The Sepultura founder/former frontman goes in deep on the band's 1996 classic, Roots, describing the inspiration for its sound, and teaming up with Jonathan Davis and Mike Patton. Max's current band Soulfly release their new album, Ritual, on October 19.
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Love rock? Subscribe to Kerrang! po.st/KerrangSub For more news and features on your favourite rock artists, visit Kerrang.com! Twitter: twitter.com/kerrangmagazine Facebook: facebook.com/kerrangmagazine Instagram: instagram.com/kerrangmagazine_ Email: [e-mail]

[@msw0322]

Roots is definitely Max's most brutal vocal delivery in my opinion. It was pretty surprising to hear him hit those high screams as opposed to the usual low gutturals/shouts he was known for.

[@ghostpepper2484]

Max is a metal legend

[@rainbowspace994]

Древний Укр he is an asshole

[@darrylbellotti]

Roots, Master of Puppets, No More Tears, Far Beyond Driven, Chaos AD, Great Southern Trendkill, Vulgar Display of Power, No Rest For the Wicked, Ride the Lightning … I could go on … Great era of music … So glad I was around to hear Roots when it was brand new

[@deepintothewoooods]

we get it. you listen to a lot of metal

[@LeoMessiGoat1986]

Incredibly influential record, although Arise and Beneath The Remains are still the best \m/

[@Legoboygago]

Arise it always be "that album"!!

[@Aakheperura]

you are right

[@johnreremoana9564]

'Roots' is definitely one of and still is the best ultimate, pure heavy metal classic albums of them all.

[@stretchhfab7315]

Dude is a legend. Metal wouldn’t be what it is without this band

[@thedarklord6130]

I was already a big Sepultura fan with arise and chaos ad, but when I heard roots, I was die hard. Its all I listened to for that whole summer.

[@BadEconomyOfficial]

U can’t forget Beneath the Remains

[@doublew030]

J7JoYoPro Studios You have great taste

[@BadEconomyOfficial]

@@doublew030 Thanks man!

[@despew4716]

Putting Max and Mike Patton in a room together shredded the envelope.

[@ianwalters11]

I’m always curious how us Sep fans rate the albums. I loved Roots when it came out then my opinion wavered over the years before settling on yes a damn find record introducing some big changes, down tuning the guitars real low and slowed riffs are deliciously heavy, minimal solos and more experimental noise a la FNM and Korn. Plus the tribal sounds rooted into the album. I still find it crazy not everyone likes Chaos AD that is very well recorded but we all have different taste. I love Arise it’s quite scary I listened to it last week first time in ages and the stark message on some of those songs is even more relevant today than 1991, songs like Altered State, Regnum, Dead Embryonic Cells etc…my least favourite is Beneath the Remains however that being said some really great songs on there. Chaos was first album if there’s I heard. Interesting what Max says about production it’s a good job Andy Wallace mixed it I don’t know how it was before but Andy did a great job. If anyone is on the fence or not heard Roots in a while please take another listen. My advice please listen to CD or the Mastered for Apple version and do it through high quality speakers or some nice headphones. I listened through Sony 1000XM3’s a few weeks ago and it’s sublime. The riffs are delicious slabs of down tuned sludgy guitar groove BUT its not a muddy sound everything still comes through clearly, bass, percussion and vocals. Ambush, Breed Apart, Endangered Species. Lookaway is especially good through headphones, there is a lot going on with Max, Mike and John’s vocals my Sonys capture it all. Great stuff! I would just add that on some devices Roots can sound muddy if the speakers or amp/device are not good. I don’t have access to ultra expensive/boutique hi-fi but a very low quality loudspeaker or headphones won’t cope with the sonic ranges. Same can be said for the earlier Korn albums, higher production quality on their later albums garnered good results from most systems. It’s those low frequencies on Roots guitar tracks and also the tribal drums and ambience that do need decent speakers to deliver the goods. Mind you I just love down tuning. Doesn’t make a bad song good but a good song better. If the strings get too loose add another on! We are lucky to have so many 7 string guitars now, and albeit more a niche thing 8’s and even 9’s! Meshuggah have some bond crushing 8 string tunes, I’m going way off topic now sorry!

[@whanowa]

The vocals on Roots are just so pure and full force. That's what makes it so special to me.

[@allenargosino721]

The last album of sepultura that i like and had it. The last true sepultura

[@BadEconomyOfficial]

When I was in high school, I listened to Sepultura and many other bands, I was the only one who turned out NOT to have ADD or ADHD in my class.

[@yodubmixesprod]

#OldSepulturaForever 🤘🏾🔛

[@LucasPenido]

Def one of the Greatest Top 5 Metal albums of all time released in the 90’s! Easily!

[@Goldie1977]

My least fave album by one of my fave bands. Chaos AD and Arise being my faves

[@stuarttomlinson802]

I was 14 when i saw Sepultura on RAW POWER and it changed my path !

[@keifergray0479]

People do not understand what evolution is and what its purpose is evolution is 100% one of the roots of music

[@jerekp]

Best 1996 metal album .

[@danielpaez4210]

BTR and Arise are Sepultura's best records, but Roots it's something epic.

[@rocknpop1198]

Me alegra que esté album sea una leyenda es de los albums que más me gustan y que marcaron mi gusto por el metal. I am glad that this album is a legend, it is one of the albums that I like the most and that marked my taste for metal music

[@Gomez___]

Max is looking like Osho

Is it a masterpiece

[@doublew030]

Not a classic brother but a damn life changing album! We jammed you til we bled in Texas! Love Brazil and your message

[@david_contente]

Love Texas from Brazil

[@gubberdude7460]

I love the way he says "album"

[@lorenzovarela7397]

It's how we say in portuguese

[@doublew030]

Lorenzo Varela Texas for Brazil 🇧🇷 brother

[@robjohnson5833]

It's 2021 and this is my new favorite album again

[@sussychachi]

You should convince Mike Patton to make a video with you about Angel Dust or Mr. Bungle first album. But God luck with that mikes I think he doesn't like a lot of press, but the media press was more annoying and fake back then now with KZbin media the press has gotten a lot more bearable and relatable. Angel dust very influential masterpiece album. And Mr. Bungle first album very crazy and creative masterpiece.

[@notyetskeletal4809]

I'm getting flashbacks of where I was while listening to it. It feels personal and special to me. I remember one time in the mall and thinking the sound was coming from somewhere outside the headphones. Do you know the part I mean?

[@silassousa5994]

VC é Brasileiro? Senta o dedo no like aqui. Vc não está sozinho

[@willyzapata4473]

MAX TRAX CAVALERA

That LP has afro influence on there as well

[@Romper_Stomper_]

Quick, someone get this man several more bracelets!

[@korky-7349]

Beneath the Remains and Chaos AD still my faves

[@dannythemetalcrusty666]

I need a Max Cavalera ASMR

[@YouTubeIsRanByFagsandCommies]

Dan Dan Dan let’s hear you do better. I’m waiting 😜

[@rainbowspace994]

This fucking fatass is an ungrateful asshole. If it wasn't by the Belo Horizonte scene, he and his brother would be homeless.

[@siobhanstrauss8492]

Oi

[@jerry76152]

Sepultura were soo COOL

[@warriorbaton]

where do i get a t shirt like max is wearing i want one

[@adamhooper9098]

Faithinmetal.com

[@stevebradley1683]

One of the greatest albums ever

[@edwardhuxter3572]

I remember when Roots came out and when I got it I went round to a friend's house to listen to it and it was the SHIT yes it was more groove but still SEPULTURA I always hope that Max and Igor would rejoin SEPULTURA but I do not think it will happen I think since Max left SEPULTURA was not so good and now it's just Andreas Kisser I don't really listen to them anymore HELL AWAITS DARKNESS IS THE LIGHT 😡😠😡😠

[@afraid_to_shoot_strangers8066]

Same here

[@jurasitol2615]

Its definitely not happening and so it shouldn't

[@stahu_mishima]

Max you're my biggest music mentor 🙏🇧🇷

[@michaelgibbons2556]

😂😂😂

[@crisz7690]

Behind the roots to be quadra

[@tcswag801]

Huge part of my music life .

[@leftsideboy87]

Viva os Irmãos Cavalera 🤘

[@HoradoSomOficial]

Classic work.

[@farojor]

what is the band of the shirt?

[@galosniper7010]

Up (wanna know as well)

[@wintermillennium]

That would be Black Anvil

[@pabloverino3934]

Visionario como pocos.

[@ashishxoxo]

🙏🙏🙏

[@jurasitol2615]

Roots is probably the worst sepultura album of all there 15 albums, but its still good

[@lonewolf6071]

What, why? because they changed things around mixing metal with tribal, my opinion, top album.

[@jurasitol2615]

Because the songs are lame and poorly written

[@marcodia2612]

Max are sepultura...sepultura are Max

[@n.p.3338]

Nope he was part of sepultura

[@marcodia2612]

@@n.p.3338 this is your opinion

[@n.p.3338]

@@marcodia2612 you live in the past

[@marcodia2612]

N. P. best time!

[@n.p.3338]

@@marcodia2612 boomer

[@petergosinya5211]

Was so pissed spent my hard earned money on this shit album. Havent made good album since Arise

[@angelievd]

u dont like Chaos AD?

[@oyvey8526]

Just as Max said at the 48 sec mark, Sepultura ended the moment they put out Roots. If Max had stayed after Roots, Sepultura wouldve sounded more like soulfly than a thrash metal band that they were previously. Max didnt want to play thrash metal anymore and wanted to go nu/tribal/metalcore. Not that the current lineup is the best one, i mean none could touch Sepultura`s 1987-1994 golden years however it is still better than if Max had stayed and ruined the band further with more metalcore/nu metal sounds than it had already dished on Roots. Btw their latest album quadra is much better than anything max put out in soulfly.

[@robertokawabata4390]

...o cara se perdeu....

[@coryjeremiah4745]

What about your roots? You don't look Indian.

[@tugboatriverengineerjourne2886]

Brazil is mix race .

[@rodrrodr7457]

Brazil is like the United States, there are people with many origins ... and not nearly all of them are mixed, Max has Italian origin, and by the way the largest Italian colony is in Brazil, mainly in the south...

[@volkankangal7306]

ALLAH

[@Cygnus0lor]

NAH

[@victorsavov2073]

Just Max Cavallera

[@volkankangal7306]

ALLAH

[@Cygnus0lor]

NAH

[@adamturner1563]

ALLAH DONT EXIST.