ANDREAS KISSER / SEPULTURA
From their humble beginnings in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Sepultura has become the most successful Brazilian heavy metal band in history. Sepultura, which means "grave" in Portuguese, formed in the mid-'80s — a time when that country was beginning to emerge from a 20-year military dictatorship. In a career that now spans more than 30 years, the metal act has released 14 studio albums, selling almost 20 million units worldwide to gain multiple gold records around the globe.
In 1987, Andreas Kisser met the members of Sepultura while he was on a vacation in Belo Horizonte. During the trip, he went to see the band play live, serving as an improvised roadie for vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera and jamming with the members during the intermissions. Following the departure of the band’s original lead guitarist, Kisser auditioned for the position, performing with the band live for the first time in Caruaru, Pernambuco. The Jackson guitarist is credited with bringing a more progressive sound to the band starting with 1987’s Schizophrenia.
Born:
São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil
Other Projects:
No Coração dos Deuses, Sexoturica, Roadrunner United, Quarteto da Pinga, Asesino, Hail! and De La Tierra
Producer Credits:
Kisser produced Hammerhead’s Shadow of a Time to Be, Necromancia’s Check Mate and Sayowa’s eponymous album.
Flying Solo:
Kisser released his debut studio album, Hubris I & II, in 2009. The album was nominated at the 2010 Latin Grammys in the "Best Brazilian Rock Album" category.
Did You Know?
Kisser studied classical guitar for several years before joining Sepultura.
Other Fun Facts:
In 2011, Kisser stood in for Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian for some European summer tour dates, including the Big 4 Sonisphere shows as Ian and his wife were expecting the birth of their first child.
Kisser played a few concerts with Brazilian Beatles cover band Clube Big Beatles in The Cavern Club in Liverpool and was given his own brick in the Cavern Club's wall of fame, becoming the first Brazilian to have one, and the first modern metal guitarist to achieve that honor.
