Underground icon, extreme metal trailblazer, third world warrior, and leader of a diverse and dedicated tribe, Max Cavalera not only survives but thrives, blasting out riff after killer riff. The same voice, body, and spirit which launched Soulfly in 1997 summons impossibly heavy noise to this day, throwing down ten slabs of monstrous music on Soulfly’s twelfth album, 2022’s Totem.
Among the most prolific musicians in the genre’s history, Max led Sepultura from Brazil to the world stage, making fans out of Ozzy Osbourne, Deftones, and Dave Grohl along the way. He cofounded Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, Go Ahead And Die, and Killer Be Killed, issuing album after album to spirited acclaim from critics and fans. But no project is as singularly identified with Max as Soulfly, whose gold-selling self-titled debut arrived with unrivaled determination and spirit.
Loaded with multiple guests and instrumentation, Soulfly (1998) set a precedent for the records that would follow by managing the almost-magical feat of combining world music with metal without sacrificing the raw, authentic vibe of a band banging out songs in a basement. Twenty years on, Kerrang! included Soulfly's debut in their 10 Best Nü-Metal Albums Of All Time, alongside massively successful records by System Of A Down, Slipknot, Korn, Papa Roach, and Deftones.
Less than a year after its release, album four found its way into German magazine Rock Hard's 2005 book. Thrash-fueled power dominated Dark Ages (2005), Conquer (2008), and Omen (2010). Critics hailed Cavalera’s never-ending supply of riffs all over again with Enslaved (2012). They celebrated the fierce vibe of Savages (2013), the first Soulfly album with Max’s son, Zyon Cavalera, on drums.
Max first envisioned Soulfly as a band with an evolving lineup, eager to “shake the tree” with an infusion of new creative blood from time to time. Many amazing players and guest musicians appear throughout the discography. Totem is the band’s fourth album with Zyon and second with bassist Mike Leon. It’s also the first Soulfly album without guitarist Marc Rizzo since 2004.
Soulfly's savage anthems of aggression push extreme music to its bludgeoning limits while injecting it with brilliant moments of trippy nuance and dissonance. Like all innovative musical heroes, Max makes anthems for the people. Soulfly is a celebration of family and legacy. Whatever Max Cavalera hammers out on the bridges of his four-string guitars, it always sets souls free.
