Max Cavalera is one of the most recognizable metallers in South America. For 35 years of creative activity, he managed to become a living legend of groove metal. And also to work in other genres of extreme music. This, of course, is about the group Soulfly.
For most listeners, Cavalera remains a member of the "golden line-up" of the Sepultura group, of which he was the leader until 1996. But there were other significant projects in his career.
Departure of Max Cavalera from Sepultura
In the first half of the 1990s, the Sepultura group was at the peak of its popularity. Abandoning classic thrash metal, the musicians adapted to fashion trends. First, the band changed their sound towards groove metal, then released the legendary album Roots, which became a classic of nu metal.
The joy of success did not last long. In the same year, Max Cavalera left the group, of which he had been the leader for over 15 years. The reason was the dismissal of his wife, who was the manager of the Sepultura group. Another reason why the musician decided to take a break was the tragic death of his adopted son.
Create a Soulfly group
Max decided to take up music again only in 1997. Having overcome depression, the musician began to create a new band, Soulfly. The first members of the group were:
- Roy Mayorga (drums);
- Jackson Bandeira (guitar);
- Sello Diaz (bass guitar)
The first performance of the group took place on August 16, 1997. The event was dedicated to the memory of the deceased son of the artist (a year has passed since his death).
Early stage
In the autumn of the same year, the musicians worked in the studio to record their debut album. Max Cavalera had a lot of ideas, the implementation of which required funds.
Producer Ross Robinson helped the artist with financing. He has worked with Machine Head, Korn and Limp Bizkit.
The genre component of the Soulfly group corresponded to these groups, which allowed them to keep up with the times. In the studio, they worked on the debut album of the same name for several months.
The album Soulfly included 15 tracks, in the creation of which many stars took part. For example, Chino Moreno (leader of the Deftones) took part in the recordings.
Friends Dino Casares, Burton Bell, Christian Wolbers, Benji Webb and Eric Bobo were involved in the work. Thanks to famous colleagues, the popularity of the group increased, and there were also good sales of the album.
The release of the disc took place in April 1998, then the musicians went on their first world tour. The following year, Soulfly played sets at several major festivals at once, sharing the stage with Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Tool and Limp Bizkit.
In 1999, the group also visited Moscow and St. Petersburg, giving concerts. After the performances, Max Cavalera went to Omsk to visit Siberia for the first time.
His mother's sister lived there, whom Max had not seen for many years. According to the musician, for him it was an unforgettable experience that he remembered for a lifetime.
Peak of popularity
The band's first album was created within the trendy nu metal genre. Despite major line-up changes, the band continued to follow the genre in the future.
The second album Primitive appeared in 2000, becoming one of the most striking in the history of the genre. This album also became the most successful in the history of the group, taking 32nd position on Billboard in America.
The album was interesting in that it included elements of folk music, in which Max showed interest during the days of Sepultura. The themes of texts devoted to religious and spiritual searches were also formed. Themes of pain, hatred, aggression, war and slavery became other important components of Soulfly's lyrics.
An ensemble of stars worked on the creation of the album. Max Cavalera again invited his friend Chino Moreno, who was joined by Corey Taylor and Tom Araya. The Primitive album remains Soulfly's best so far.
Changing the Sound of Soulfly
Two years later, the release of the third full-length album "3" took place. The reason why the record was named that way is due to the magical properties of this number.
3 was the first Soulfly release to be produced by Cavalera. Already here you can hear certain changes towards groove metal, which prevailed in the subsequent work of the group.
Starting with the album Dark Ages (2005), the band finally abandoned the concepts of nu metal. The music became heavier, which was facilitated by the use of elements of thrash metal. While working on the album, Max Cavalera experienced the loss of loved ones. His close friend Dimebag Darrell was shot, and Max's grandson also died, which affected him greatly.
The disc Dark Ages was recorded in several countries of the world at once, including Serbia, Turkey, Russia and the USA. This led to collaborations with the most unexpected performers. For example, on the track Molotov, Max worked with Pavel Filippenko from the FAQ group.
Soulfly team today
Soulfly continues its creative activity, releasing albums. Since 2005, the sound has remained consistently aggressive. At times, you can see the influence of death metal, but musically, the band Soulfly remains within the groove.
Despite leaving the Sepultura group, Max Cavalera did not become less popular. Moreover, he managed to realize his creative intentions, which led to the emergence of new hits.
