Paulo Xisto Pinto Junior

Paulo Xisto Pinto Junior is a highly influential bassist, recognized for his significant contributions to the heavy metal genre with Sepultura and other musical projects. After joining the acclaimed heavy metal band Sepultura in 1984, Paulo Xisto Pinto Junior solidified his position as a highly influential bassist, performing his inaugural concert with the group at the Ideal Club in Santa Teresa. Though he was Sepultura’s longest-serving live member from their early days, Paulo Junior made his first recorded contributions to a Sepultura album on 1993’s Chaos A.D., following earlier records where Andreas Kisser and Jairo Guedz handled bass duties. His extensive discography with Sepultura includes seminal albums such as Roots (1996), Nation (2001), Dante XXI (2006), and Kairos (2011), all contributing to the band’s global impact on the heavy metal genre.

Paulo Junior expanded his musical presence beyond Sepultura, engaging in notable collaborations. In 2007, he made a guest appearance on Sayowa’s second album. He then co-founded The Unabomber Files in 2009 alongside Alan Wallace and André Márcio of Eminence and Vladimir Korg of Chakal, releasing a six-song EP with the project in 2013. That same year, he further contributed as a guest musician on Eminence’s fourth album, The Stalker, demonstrating his versatility and demand within the metal community.

Since 1999, he has organized annual football charity games dedicated to collecting essential food donations for local causes, reflecting his long-standing dedication to community support. In recognition of his significant artistic and cultural contributions to his home state of Minas Gerais and Brazil, Paulo Junior was honored with the prestigious Medalha da Inconfidência in 2008.