SEPULTURA’s Derrick Green Says His Parents Supported His Music From the Start: 'They Were Very Open-Minded'
Summary
- Derrick Green says his parents supported his early music, even when it meant loud screaming from the basement.
- Green’s mother, a music teacher, encouraged his creative expression through heavy music.
- He calls his parents’ attitude ‘very open-minded’ and says all SEPULTURA members had similar support at home.
Derrick Green, longtime frontman of the Brazilian metal band SEPULTURA, recently opened up about how his parents reacted when he first started screaming into a microphone.
In a new interview with Finland’s Chaoszine (watch below), Green said his parents were “very open-minded” about his decision to become a musician, even when his early performances were loud and intense.
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Green grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He said his band practiced in the basement of his parents’ house, which meant they could hear everything, but they didn’t mind.
“I think they were always supportive, because, as much as they might not have understood what we were doing, and screaming and the loud music, but it was done in my parents’ house in the basement, and so they kind of knew where I was,” Green said.
He added that his mother, a music teacher, recognized how important music was for developing identity and self-expression.
“My mother, being a music teacher, understood the importance of being able to establish a personality through music,” he said.
Green said it wasn’t common for kids in his neighborhood to pursue music seriously, but it gave him and his bandmates a sense of purpose and joy. His parents even came to some of his early shows.
“They actually got to see a few shows, which was shocking to ’em. But they liked the fact that people were into what we were doing, or at least what I was doing, as well,” he said.
The support he received at home made a big difference. Green said that everyone in SEPULTURA had parents who encouraged them in some way.
“That was something that was super important, I think, in all of our lives. Everyone in the band, we had very supportive parents,” he said.
Green joined SEPULTURA in 1997, after moving from New York to Brazil. He has spent nearly two decades living in São Paulo and currently resides in Los Angeles.
The band is currently on its farewell tour, called Celebrating Life Through Death, in honor of SEPULTURA’s 40-year legacy.
About SEPULTURA
SEPULTURA is a Brazilian heavy metal band formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte. Known for blending elements of thrash, death, groove, and tribal metal, the band gained international attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s with albums like Beneath the Remains, Arise, and Chaos A.D.
The band was originally founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, but both eventually left the group. Derrick Green became the lead vocalist in 1997, following Max Cavalera’s departure. His arrival marked a new chapter in the band’s sound and global reach.
Throughout their career, SEPULTURA has released more than a dozen studio albums and toured extensively around the world. Their lyrics often focus on political, social, and environmental themes, making them one of the most respected acts in the global metal scene.
In 2024, the band announced their farewell tour, titled Celebrating Life Through Death, to mark their 40th anniversary. They are also recording a live album featuring 40 songs in 40 different cities as a way to honor their history and longtime fans.
The current lineup includes Derrick Green (vocals), Andreas Kisser (guitar), Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. (bass), and Greyson Nekrutman (drums).
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Max Cavalera is best known for helping create one of Brazil’s most influential metal bands: Sepultura. But in 1996, after years of success, he walked …
