They’re one of the biggest Brazilian metal bands of all time, but now Sepultura have been banned from performing in Lebanon amid claims that the band are “devil worshippers.”
First formed back in 1984 by Max and Igor Cavalera, Sepultura have long been one of the most successful rock groups to come out of South America, with many critics citing them as a driving force of the secon wave of thrash metal.
Over the years though, the group’s lineup has changed quite a bit, and following the departure of Igor Cavalera in 2006, none of the original members of the band now remain.
Despite this, Sepultura have powered on, releasing four more records since then, with their latest, 2017’s Machine Messiah, being certified Gold in their native Brazil.
However, it seems that the band have run into a bit of international trouble, with some planned tour dates in Lebanon being unceremoniously cancelled recently.
Check out Sepultura’s ‘Roots Bloody Roots’:
As news outlet Albawaba reports, Lebanese authorities have refused to process the group’s visa applications at the behest of the General Security Forces, banning them from entering the country ahead of their performance in Beirut on April 28th.
In a statement given by concert promoters Skull Session, it was revealed that while organisers were not allowed to view the decision, the concert ban relates to accusations of: “insulting Christianity, that the band members are devil worshipers, that they held a concert in Israel, [and] that they filmed a video clip supporting Israel.”
“We would like to clarify that these accusations are totally untrue,” Skull Session explained. “The band did not play in Israel.”
“The aforementioned video clip mentions Israel’s racism without naming it. The same video clip, which was launched in 1993, contains scenes of Israeli repression, and members of the band are shown drinking tea with Arab clans.”
“As for insulting religion, current members of Sepultura fight against all forms of corruption, and call on the world to return to goodness and nature and to reject corruption,” Skull Session continued.
“Since it’s the nature of metal music, the band uses a violent style of expression. But they did not directly attack Christianity.”
“We would like to point out that the band is socially active as it tries to shed light on corruption in societies without adopting any ideology or being inclined towards any thought.”
“On the contrary, through their lyrics, they ask people to return to God and to reject an abnormal automated society, not to worship Satan as interpreted by some.”
The music video mentioned by Skull Session is that of the band’s 1993 single ‘Territory’, which while not featuring the band performing in Israel, does show footage from Israel and the State of Palestine.
Despite this recent incident, it’s not the first time Sepultura have had one of their shows shut down, with Blabbermouth reporting that a concert in Cairo back in 2016 was cancelled due to accusations of satanism.
“The devil worshippers were dressed in a very weird style and drew their makeup in the shape of a pentagram,” explained Hani Shaker, head of the Musicians Syndicate. “They wore leather jackets with stars on the back and that is strange.”
At this stage, Sepultura have not publicly responded to the cancellation of the show, and it is unclear whether Lebanese officials will change their minds in the future.
Check out Sepultura’s ‘Territory’:
