Igor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former
drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, which he co-founded with his
brother Max in 1984. Max left the band in 1996, and Cavalera himself would
depart ten years later. The brothers have since reunited in the band Cavalera
Conspiracy. Biography
He, along with older brother Max, were the founding members of the Brazilian
thrash metal band Sepultura. Cavalera is now the drummer for Cavalera Conspiracy.
He has played in the bands Nailbomb and Strife, and guest drumming in
"Brasileiro," a song by Titãs. As his hip-hop influences grew stronger he
began to DJ. Cavalera is one half of DJ duo Mixhell, a project he founded with
his wife Laima Leyton. Cavalera started playing drums around 7
years old. He was into samba music as a child but, after watching Queen live in
1981 along with his brother Max, he started listening to rock music. When
Sepultura was formed, Cavalera was the youngest member at the age of 13, his
brother Max was 14 at the time. Sepultura was a big success and gave
Cavalera an early start. On April 21, 1984, Cavalera played, for the first
time, on a real drum kit, which was borrowed from Helinho of the band
Overdose, that also played that night. After the band split with his brother
Max in 1996, their relationship underwent a crisis. In recent times
their relationship has improved, with Max stating in an interview that a
reunion with Sepultura was possible. Cavalera joined Max's current band
Soulfly on stage at the 2006 tenth annual D-Low Memorial Show, to play the
Sepultura songs "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Attitude". It was the first time the
brothers had played together in ten years.
In 2006, with the release of Dante XXI, he began spelling his name "Iggor,"
preferring the way it looks. On January 13, 2006, it was announced that he was
taking a break from the band due to the birth of his fourth child, initially
leaving Sepultura temporarily. He later announced that he was quitting Sepultura
due to "artistic incompatibility." Sepultura replaced him with Jean
Dolabella. Cavalera was scheduled to collaborate
with underground hip hop artist Necro, on a project described by Necro as in
the style of "old-school '80s thrash/death metal." However, Necro
mentioned later that the project will not go ahead. In 2008 he released the
album Inflikted together with his brother Max in a project named Cavalera
Conspiracy. He is credited as having made a guest
appearance on Biohazard's 2001 release Uncivilization on the track "Gone".
In 2012, Cavalera performed drums for the entire Strife album Witness A
Rebirth, released via 6131 Records. Personal life
Cavalera collects toys and football shirts and has many hobbies, including
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, snowboarding, surfing, drawing and supporting
Brazilian football club Palmeiras. He admires his father Graziano Cavalera as
his role model. He has four children: Christian Bass Cavalera, Raissa Bass
Cavalera, Iccaro Bass Cavalera, Antonio Leyton Cavalera and a stepson Pedro
Leyton Pereira. In 1996 he started the fashion label "Cavalera". He currently
lives in London. Playing style
Cavalera cites drummers like Roger Taylor, Bill Ward, Dave Lombardo,
Stewart Copeland and Mike Bordin among his major influences.
In the early Sepultura albums his drumming was loud and fast, following
the thrash metal norms of the 80s. He mastered this style by 1987–1991. His
innovative style in the album Chaos A.D. brought tribal elements into the songs.
One example of his contribution is the introduction of the song "Territory". He
further developed this style in the 1996 Roots album, adding more tribal elements
to Sepultura's music. Throughout his career, Cavalera has been
widely recognized as a hard-hitting drummer. In later years, Cavalera
adopted a drumset conformation with upright toms and fewer cymbals, as seen
in Live in São Paulo. In reference to his work on the Sepultura album Nation,
Allmusic wrote "Drummer Igor Cavalera's timing and tempo couldn't be more
perfect as the adrenaline heightens until the album's intensity burns right
through the speakers." Discography
= with Sepultura = Morbid Visions
Schizophrenia Beneath the Remains
Arise Chaos A.D.
Roots Against
Nation Roorback
Dante XXI = with Cavalera Conspiracy =
Inflikted Blunt Force Trauma
Pandemonium = Guest appearances =
Titãs – Domingo on "Brasileiro" References
External links Igor Cavalera at the Fashion Model
Directory Igor Cavalera Biography at Drum Solo
Artist