MAX CAVALERA Hints At “Big-Groove Tribal Sound” For SOULFLY’s Next Album

In a recent interview with Radioactive MikeZ, Soulfly‘s mastermind Max Cavalera revealed what kind of sound he thinks to be going after for the band’s next studio album. While not many details were revealed, Cavalera suggested a return to the group’s early sound, characterized by its powerful grooves and tribal influences.

Asked by the host regarding his work process about creating riffs and putting them aside for later, Cavalera said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “When I lock in on a project, I get very obsessed with the project. I become so obsessed that everything I’m writing is for this and I know exactly what it needs, what kind of sound I’m looking for. And Soulfly, I’m kind of planning a little bit of a return to the early sound. The big-groove tribal sound will return to Soulfly. I think a lot of fans want that. I love that.”

This news comes after a period of exploration for Soulfly, with their latest album Totem leaning more towards thrash metal. However, Cavalera acknowledges the band’s unique identity built on those early, groove-oriented tracks.

“I think it’s kind of like a trademark of Soulfly that kind of got lost in the shuffle through the years. We went more into the trashier side of stuff. But now I have my side project Go Ahead And Die that I can trash all I want in it,” said Cavalera. “I can have Soulfly be a little bit more what it was in the beginning — more about that, the whole tribal thing, which is really cool and unique. It’s a unique thing that Soulfly has. So we’re gonna probably go back more to that, which should be really cool.”

Cavalera also addressed the possibility of having Mike DeLeon – who has been touring with the band for more than a year – as a guitarist on the record: “I’m leaving it open for now. Mike is gonna jam with us. We have some festivals in the U.S. I think we’re doing Welcome To Rockville and another one, and we’re also doing the Lamb of Goat Headbangers Boat, the cruise. That should be fun as hell. And Mike will play with us for that. He’s a great guy. I love Mike.”

“I don’t know. It’s too early to know where I’m gonna go with this record — if I’m gonna try to find somebody else to record or if we’re just gonna roll with Mike. We don’t know yet. I haven’t even — I only have a few riffs written so far.” Cavalera added.