Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser explains his love for Yes

Andreas Kisser and Steve Howe — (Image credit: Getty Images)

When Sepultura released their 14th album Machine Messiah in 2017, it was no accident that the record shared its name with a Yes song. That year, Brazilian guitarist Andreas Kisser told Prog just how much the British veterans meant to him.

“I got into progressive music through friends when I was maybe 17 or 18 years old. We didn’t have the chance to see any of the shows at the time because nobody came to play in Brazil, but we were listening to King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake And Palmer.

Yes were my favourites, though – especially Steve Howe. I liked his style and technique; the way he brought in elements of classical guitar and folk guitar. When I first started playing guitar, I didn’t know how to read music so I would play by ear, and Yes’ Mood For A Day was one of the songs I started to play. That made me realise that a lot of things I thought were impossible were possible.

Machine Messiah (2008 Remaster) - YouTube

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Steve Howe showed me that through his music on songs like Clap and albums ike Tales From Topographic Oceans, which has a lot of beautiful acoustic pieces. I love his solo material as well, but Yes were a big influence in my life – and they still are. Even now I find new things in their music. And Sepultura’s album Machine Messiah is named after a song from Drama.

Yes are great teachers, not only musically but also lyrically. They talk about so many different things and write beautiful poetry. My favourite album has to be Close To The Edge, but I like Relayer as well – Patrick Moraz did a great job. And I love Trevor Rabin too!

Mood for a Day (2008 Remaster) - YouTube

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I saw that line-up when they came to Rock In Rio in 1985; and I had the opportunity to see Chris Squire’s solo show when I lived in Phoenix in the 90s. He played in a very small venue with Alan White on the drums – it was fantastic! I saw them all play together again on the Union Tour and it was so inspiring to see that they could put whatever animosity to one side and just go on stage to play.

Sepultura actually played with Yes at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2003, and we had the privilege of being on the same plane. I talked to Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, and we took photos. They were so nice.

We were on different stages – but at least I can say we played with Yes!”

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Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.