In a new interview with Ed Hackimer of This Day In Metal, former SEPULTURA and current SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera was asked what is has been like for him to infuse Brazilian culture into his music and have that not only be accepted but celebrated on such a global scale. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “It’s been great, man. I love the fact that a lot of — not just Brazil, but a lot of third world countries, a lot of the more broken kind of countries, [where they] have a lot of crime or poverty or problems with society, they embrace me as kind of like, that I’m their voice. And that’s been really cool for many years.
“I feel like Brazil, there’s so much bad shit. It’s a beautiful country, but there’s a lot of bad shit,” he continued. “And we only have a couple of good things that come out of Brazil. I feel like I’ve been carrying that flag and that torch now for 40 years. [I’m] probably the most worldwide recognized Brazilian musician right now in the rock world. But it’s, so cool, ’cause we came from nothing. It was us against the world. I mean, other things haven’t happened yet, like Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn’t called me or anything like that. But I don’t know. If it happens, it happens. It’ll be cool. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. It’s all good. But I know that the fans love it.”
Max added: “I love the fact that I also kind of introduced the Brazilian culture to Americans, to Europeans, and they really appreciate that, man. I talked to a lot of fans that they didn’t know a lot of stuff about Brazil until they learned from my songs, either SEPULTURA or SOULFLY. And [SOULFLY‘s latest album] ‘Chama’ is very Brazilian in its essence. The name is Brazilian, the songs — ‘Favela’, ‘Indigenous Inquisition’. There’s a lot of Brazil in ‘Chama’, which is, I don’t know why that happened; it just kind of went that way. But, yeah, I’m very proud of it, but not proud in a nationalistic [way], ‘Oh, Brazil is better than everybody.’ None of that. I love the grit that we have. The culture is beautiful. It’s powerful. And I like to mix that with metal.”
SOULFLY‘s thirteenth album, “Chama”, was released on October 24 via Nuclear Blast Records. SOULFLY drummer — and Max‘s son — Zyon Cavalera co-produced the LP, which was recorded at the Platinum Underground Studio in Mesa, Arizona by John Aquilino. John has worked with Max and company multiple times before and is not only a talented engineer but a family friend. The album was produced by Zyon and Arthur Rizk. The latter was also responsible for the mixing and mastering. Rizk has not only worked with the Cavalera family numerous times before, but has also helped to shape the world of heavy metal in the modern day. SOULFLY enlisted Carletta Parrish to create the album artwork. For the album, Igor Amadeus Cavalera (GO AHEAD & DIE, NAILBOMB, HEALING MAGIC) played bass and Mike De Leon played guitar. The album also features Dino Cazares (FEAR FACTORY) on one of the tracks.
This past May, SOULFLY recruited Chase Bryant (WARBRINGER) to play bass on the band’s European tour, which kicked off on June 7 at the South Of Heaven festival in Maastricht, Netherlands.
A month earlier, SOULFLY parted ways with the band’s longtime bassist Mike Leon.
Leon, formerly of HAVOK, joined SOULFLY in September 2015 as the replacement for STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos, who left SOULFLY in May of that year.
Guitarist Mike DeLeon has been touring with SOULFLY for more than two years. Prior to hooking up with SOULFLY, DeLeon had been a member of PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo‘s solo band PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, which he joined in 2015 as the replacement for Marzi Montazeri. More recently, Mike filled in for Zakk Wylde at the first rehearsal for the fall 2022 PANTERA shows.