Soulfly [BRAZIL]

Published 17 August 2010 in BMA Magazine

Max Cavalera is no stranger to the thrash and death metal music spotlight. Thanks to his involvement in bands such as Sepultura, Nailbomb and SOULFLY, over the last 25 years, the Brazilian native has brought the tribal ferocity of his homeland into his music to create a fusion fit for any headbanger better than anyone else of his time.

“My favourite time for music was the late 1980's and early 90's, with the thrash and death metal scenes,” says Cavalera. “There's a lot of energy in that music and that's why I like to play it.” Not surprising Cavalera admits “I also like Brazilian and tribal stuff that started with Roots [Sepultura's 1996 album] and continues with Soulfly. It's a combination of all that. I also like some of the new thrash revival bands like Municipal Waste and Warbringer, because they have that same energy.”

Unlike many others, Sepultura survived the grunge and nu-metal trends in the mid ‘90s, and Cavalera, though no longer with the band, has continued his musical career with Soulfly to this day. “We survived. We're still here. To me that's important because a lot of bands didn't make it, a lot of people broke up and the fact that I came out and Soulfly became successful is a huge thing to me.”

Having toured with the likes of Slayer, In Flames, Black Sabbath, and, most recently, Iron Maiden, Cavalera has had the opportunity to meet and work with some of his heroes. He recalls when Sepultura played with the Ramones in Brazil - “There was between five and ten thousand people there. It was huge. I got to watch this legendary band every night, in my hometown. Sometimes I'd look over to the side of the stage and see them standing there watching us play, and in their leather jackets they looked like they'd come straight from an album cover.”

Musically, Max Cavalera has retained his aggressive riffing and vocals from the Sepultura days and applied them to Soulfly, creating something that evokes both nostalgia and sets the bar high for modern metal bands. “My style of riffing is very similar,” he says. “It's become a little bit more technical since we got Marc [Rizzo] in the band, because he can do some amazing things on the guitar and we take advantage of that. So we have some killer guitar solos.”

Omen, the latest offering from Soulfly is a clear indicator of Cavalera’s musical spectrum. “I’m influenced by a lot of hardcore, and that's evident on the new album. From the very start it's very in your face and hardcore.”

It's been a long four years since Soulfly's last Australian tour, and Cavalera seems keen to be back. “We're really excited. We're ready to deliver. I still play some old Sepultura stuff, but mostly Soulfly stuff. I can't wait to be there to give you all a great night of heavy metal!”

Soulfly will be playing at the ANU Bar on Saturday September 11. Tickets available through Ticketek.