Derrick Green

Derrick Leon Green (born January 20, 1971) is an American musician best known as the vocalist of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.

Green became a friend and roadie of the already formed thrash metal/hardcore band Outface which was formed in 1985.

He then joined the band in 1986 at the age of 15 after the departure of their two former singers.

The band consisted of guitarist Charlie Garriga (CIV), bassist Frank Cavanagh (Prong and Filter) and drummer Mark Konopka.

They recorded two demos, one in 1987 and the other in 1989.

They were then offered a recording deal by a friend from New York, Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits) for a recording deal to record for his new sub label of Crisis Records for one studio album, Friendly Green (named after Green's father), released in 1992.

Stylistically, their music varied between rock, heavy metal and punk with ska elements.

Green was credited as Simon Verde on the Outface release ("Green" is translated as "Verde" in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian).

With this lineup they toured and played in many places on the east coast and the south of the United States and one tour in Europe.

Once back from the tour in Europe, Green and Garriga decided that they wanted to move to New York City.

Cavanagh stayed and later went on to join the band Filter.

Konopka also decided to stay and recorded one album with the band Integrity.

In New York, Green and Garriga teamed up with drummer Sammy Siegler (Side by Side, Youth of Today, Judge), bass player Eric Thrice (Orange 9mm), who was replaced by Sara Cox, to form Overfiend.

The band was named after the brutal Japanese animated film Legend of the Overfiend.

They recorded a three-song demo with the help of Schreifels, the direction was much heavier with influences of metal and heavy rock.

Their first show was played in Staten Island opening for Sick of It All.

This would be their only show.

Garriga and Siegler would leave the band to join and form CIV.

In 1996, Green would start to play guitar and sing with Sara Cox, they would then form the band Alpha Jerk.

They later recruited drummer Luke Abby (Warzone, Gorilla Biscuits), who was then replaced by Nick Heller (Sweet Diesel).

They would release one self-titled album on Toybox Records.

They managed to play a few shows in the New York area and doing a few shows together with the bands Lunachicks and Demonspeed.

Two songs were featured on New York's Hardest, Vol. 2 compilation.

He told him that Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera had left the band in 1996 and they were searching for a new vocalist.

He suggested Green try out for the position.

Sepultura had recorded one song with no vocals to see what people all around the world could come up with.

Green got a hold of the tape from Gitter and he recorded his idea for the song "Choke" and sent it to Brazil.

A month later he received a phone call from Sepultura's drummer, Igor Cavalera.

He was then asked to fly down to São Paulo, Brazil to meet everyone and audition for the position.

Green flew out a week later and met everyone and auditioned for two weeks.

Green was asked to come back to Brazil to start recording his first album, Against, with Sepultura.

Most of Against was written before Green entered the band.

He joined the band in 1997 after the departure of band founder Max Cavalera.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Green is the youngest of three children; his sister Renée Green is an artist, writer, and filmmaker.

Green's father, Friendly, an electrician, and mother, Gloria, a music teacher, moved the family from inner-city Cleveland to surbuban Shaker Heights when Green was 7.

"This was my first live interaction with white people," Green later recalled.

From an early age, Green wished to travel and live outside the United States; he went to Berlin for a time before moving from New York to São Paulo.

Green was approached in 1997 by A&R rep Mike Gitter from Roadrunner Records.

Against was released in 1998 and the group set out on a world tour.

Green moved from New York and decided to live in Amsterdam while on a promo tour.