"Sepultura? They are morons!"

(click to enlarge cover)

(Metal #44, 1988)

Offended with the declarations of Sepultura's guitarist, Max Cavalera, on METAL #42, the band Sarcófago comes out to defend themselves. In their defense, the band clearly shows all the rotness and low acts of their Metal scene.

METAL - What do you think of the criticism that the guys of Sepultura did to Sarcófago two issues ago?
SARCÓFAGO - Well... first of all, they said that we put too much effects on our albums and couldn't play them live. But a lot of other bands, like Celtic Frost, also fill their albums with effects and don't repeat 'em on shows! Then they (Sepultura) said that this was lack of competence. Well, if they think they are that competent, then I hope to see them using violins and keyboards on their shows, since these are the effects that they used on the album! By the way, they said that all members of Sepultura took part on Schizophrenia, including Paulo Jr. on bass and Max on rhythm guitars, when everybody knows that this is a lie, they didn't play anything! You can ask that to the studio technicians! And a proof of that is the tremendous evolution between Morbid Visions and the new LP, right after Andreas joined the band!

METAL - But wait a second: does this thing of bands bashing each other mutually brings any benefit for Metal?
S - Of course not! That's rotness, pure low acts!

METAL - So why don't you try to make a peaceful deal, instead of keeping up with this war?
S - We tried to arrange, on August of the last year, a gig with Sarcófago and Sepultura, but they laughed at our face when we did that proposal! And to think that back then we were so friends that we used to go to the shows of Overdose just to boo the band, after the Sepultura guys' request...

METAL - Ah, so you weren't enemies since the beginning...
S - No, we were very united back then. It was our bass player who taught Paulo Jr. how to play (even though he didn't learn), we used to rehearse together... after all, everything that Sepultura is today they owe to the support of other bands, the same bands that they keep bashing nowadays! Once we placed an old picture on Cogumelo where we and Sepultura were shown together on a rehearsal, everybody hugged, with the legend "we hope that some day everything will be like it used to". And the guys of Sepultura laughed at that, they were mockering. I mean, for what was up to us, we tried...

METAL - After these statements, aren't you afraid of some sort of payback from the guys of Sepultura?
S - No way! They like acting as strong boys, willing to beat us up, but actually they're all morons, a bunch of fool kids!

METAL - Talking about less polemic issues, how is Sarcófago nowadays? Is it over or not?
S - No, it's not. After the recording of I.N.R.I., which came out on August of last year, our vocalist had to move to Uberlândia, and the guitarist moved to Juiz de Fora. But at any moment the guys will return with full force.

METAL - How has been the acceptance of I.N.R.I.?
S - It's been excellent, up 'til now. It sold two thousand copies in five months, and...

METAL - Two thousand? But that's barely enough to cover the expenses of printing and copying!
S - Yeah, but for a band that, unlike Sepultura, had no promotion at all, it's better than expected.

METAL - Well, but isn't that a proof that Death isn't going well in Brazil?
S - Not that much, it's even an optional style: everybody who did Death or Black fell on the Thrash massification, so now almost all bands are Thrash. Who wants to listen to heavier stuff ends up without an option. Only us, who are and will always be a Death band, 'cos it's the sound that we like making.

METAL - Like making or know making?
S - Contrary to what a lot of people say, Sarcófago features excellent musicians, who just can't show everything that they know how to do.

METAL - Why singing in English?
S - There's a good probability for the album to be released on the foreign, and since English is an universal language, it makes it easier. Not to mention that, singing in Portuguese, it's impossible to be released out there.

METAL - But what's the point of singing in English, since the Death vocals are traditionally impossible to understand in any language without the lyric sheet?
S - Well... A lot of people say that our vocalist uses too much effects...

METAL - And does he?
S - (Hesitating) Well... he does, but 80% of what he did on the record is performed on stage. There's also a rumour that the drums came out so fast on I.N.R.I. because every piece was recorded separated. But who heard us live knows that the beats are even faster than on the album.