As previously reported, SEPULTURA drummer Igor Cavalera is unable to make the band's upcoming European trek due to the birth of his son Antonio. In a recent statement, he said "the reason why I am not doing the European dates is because I wanna be with my family. We decided that it would hurt a lot the release of the album not to do any dates, so we agreed to call in a drummer to do those dates."

Sepultura head to Europe in March where they will tour to promote the release of the new album Dante XXI. Roy Mayorga (ex-SOULFLY) will be in charge of the drums for those shows only. In an EXCLUSIVE interview with BW&BK; scribe Aaron Small, guitarist Andreas Kisser further dispels the rumors that have been floating around the net.

"Igor's going through big changes in his life," Kisser explains. "A new wife, a new kid - he just doesn't feel the urge to leave the country (Brazil) and be away from his family. He's just trying to rebuild his life. But at the same time, we have a new album (Dante XXI) coming out in March and we cannot really stop. We respect his position. He's going to do the video and work on merchandise; he just won't be on the road with us. We have Roy Mayorga with us. He played with Max (Cavalera) before. He's really familiar with the Sepultura material. So we're going to start practicing. He already has the new album. I think it will be cool to play with someone else; a chance to do something different."

How did Igor break the news to the band?

"This is something that's been brewing for awhile actually - the last two years. Basically, he separated from his wife (Monika)while we were working on the album. Now he has a new girl and a new kid. It's not something that happened overnight. Because we were in the studio and not playing a lot, we dealt with it. When we were ready to go on tour, it was not really a big shock. We were prepared for something like that to happen actually. But it's cool. Everybody's on the same page, there's no big fights or anything. We just want the best for the band. Right now, this is the situation and we're going to deal with it the best that we can."

Were there any other drummers besides Roy that you were considering?

"Yes. The first idea was to try to get Vinnie Paul (ex-PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN) to see if he was ready to start jamming again. It would have been a great mixture - Sepultura and Pantera - we could even play some Pantera tunes. We know each other pretty well (from touring together). But he's not really ready to play. The stuff that happened with 'Dimebag' (his murder) is still too fresh. Of course we understand that. But Vinnie was my first choice to try out to do something really unique and special. I think with Roy, he's kind of in the Sepul-family, having played with Max and all. He's played a lot of Sepultura tunes already. He's known the band for a long time and really likes us, so it could be fucking cool."

What was Roy's reaction when you contacted him about this?

"He was freaking out (laughs), kind of scared. But I think that was natural, now he's totally into it. It's weird that he played with Max and now he's playing with us, but that's another reason that makes him a good choice. He's preparing himself to kick some ass."

Have you rehearsed with him yet?

"No, not yet. But I played with him at the Roadrunner 25th Anniversary Party and on the album. We jammed some Sepultura and he's right on it. He didn't have a gig going so it's perfect timing."

Sepultura's new album, Dante XXI, is out in North America on March 14th through SPV.